Stop: When I first went to work in the centre I introduced myself and I let them know why I was there and where I studied but I didn't really have to go out of my way to establish a relationship with staff because they were all very welcoming and made me feel as if I was part of the team already. In saying that I still made an effort by greeting them every morning with a smile, asking them how their weekend was because I go in every Monday's and just getting to know them on a more personal level. By doing this I am very comfortable in the centre I work in and I am able to express any ideas I may have with my supervisor which she openly welcomes. I am able to have honest conversations with staff on a personal and professional level and ask questions about anything that I maybe unsure about.
Think: When establishing and maintaining relationships with staff I have been very successful because I feel that I can be myself around them. They were very welcoming from the start which made it very easy for me to just fit right in as a member of their team and because I have these relationships I find it easy to plan activities with children and am able to ask staff for help when I need which they are more than willing to do. I've learnt that when establishing and maintaining relationships with staff I feel alot more confident about working in general, and that you really have to make an effort to have positive relationships with staff because you will be seeing them everyday that you work and it makes your day at work alot more fun!
Change: I wouldn't really make any changes when establishing and maintaining relationships with staff because the strategy I have in place seems to be successful and I will use this strategy in the future. But I do realise that other centres may not be as welcoming and I may have to work a little bit harder to establish a relationship and to do that I just need to be confident in how I go about it and just stay positive.
