McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Jill Bella | September 29, 2015

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

Years ago I found myself frustrated by the griping I was hearing from teaching staff. Complaints like “The 4-year-old class gets all the new art materials,” “We have no input into who gets hired,” “The afternoon teachers don’t clean the tables after snack,” “The computer is too slow,” “Parents just don’t care,” and many others were a common part of their repertoire. These comments seemed harsh and hearing staff complain took its toll on me. My initial reaction was to be defensive—to stop the complaints as quickly as possible. In some cases I was successful, but more often than not the complaints just kept coming. And then one day I had an epiphany. 


Wanting to eliminate complaints was based on my assumption that complaining was a bad thing. When I shifted my mindset recognizing that complaints provided valuable information about the program, how I handled complaints changed completely. I became less defensive and began taking time to explore the reason behind the complaints. I realized those seemingly harsh statements were important for several reasons: 


Complaints indicate a discrepancy between the real and ideal. When teachers complain they do so because the current work climate does not represent what they want it to be. If staff aren’t complaining it might mean things are good, but it might also mean they have given up on the idea that things can improve. As you work toward creating norms of continuous quality improvement, this distinction is critical. Complaints provide direction for exploring what is not working and what can be done differently. 


Complaints offer insight into the quality of work life. Quality of work life is reflected in a person’s level of job satisfaction and fulfillment. When working conditions create disappointment or frustration, job satisfaction will be impacted. Whitebook, Howes, and Phillips state, “By failing to meet the needs of adults who work in child care, we are threatening not only their well-being, but that of the children in their care.” If teachers complain about the layout of space, the lack of adult-size chairs, and equipment that needs repair, it clearly impacts their ability to support children’s learning and development. They are less likely to be engaged fully in interactions when they are distracted, uncomfortable, and their needs are not being met. Recognizing the connection between complaints and quality of work life is essential for ensuring the entire center is functioning to the best of its ability. 


Complaints reflect level of commitment. Vocalizing dissatisfaction about center practices can indicate that teachers are invested in their work that they want to see change. As Robert Kegan states, “People wouldn’t complain about anything unless they cared about something. Underneath the surface torrent of complaints and cynical humor and eye-rolling, there is a hidden river of passion and commitment which is the reason the complaints even exist.” Remember that when someone takes the time and effort to complain, they often do so because they are committed to where they work and want to see things get better. 


Complaints provide perspective. When you are surprised by a complaint, it is often because you don’t share the same perspective on the issue. Complaints allow us to see that people have different points of view about organizational practices. From where we stand, things may seem to be running smoothly, but to someone else the situation may be quite different. Listening thoughtfully to teachers’ complaints can lead to better efficiency, effectiveness, and overall performance. 


The next time you hear a complaint, think of it as an invitation to solve a problem, expand your perspective about differing points of view, and strengthen teachers’ commitment to the program. To use an example from above, when a teacher complains that a co-worker doesn’t clean up after snack that may be an indication that there are differing priorities about cleanliness, that there are scheduling and time issues, or that role responsibilities are not clearly delineated. The complaint is the invitation to solve the issue. 


PRINTABLE RESOURCE: QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN YOU RECEIVE A COMPLAINT 


There are often multiple reasons prompting a complaint. Your job is to understand the context of the particular complaint and how it relates to your larger goal of creating a work environment where staff are empowered to identify areas where program practices can be strengthened. Once you embrace complaints as a source of valuable information about your program, constructive feedback will become a norm at your center and complaints will be stated more tactfully and professionally. 


If you are interested in learning more about the value of complaints and strategies for improving your center’s organizational climate, check out the following books: 

Jill Bella is Director of Quality Supports for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University. In this role she coordinates the McCormick Center’s research and training initiatives relating to the Early Childhood Work Environment Survey, the Program Administration Scale, and the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care. Jill received her doctorate in adult education from National Louis University. She has a master’s degree in special education/early intervention and a bachelor’s degree in child development from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jill is co-author of A Great Place to Work, Inspiring Peak Performance, and Zoom: The Impact of Early Childhood Leadership Training on Role Perceptions, Job Performance, and Career Decisions.

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The AI-Enabled Administrator: Reclaim Valuable Time

By Dr. Neal Green • February 8, 2026
Tools: Gemini Gems, NotebookLM, Perplexity Spaces Overview The evidence is clear that early childhood professionals' most significant challenge is a lack of time. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, when used strategically, can give administrators some of the time they desperately need, allowing them to focus more on their staff and the children and families in their care. This approach aligns with the foundational goal of strengthening leadership effectiveness and program impact (Abel, Talan, & Masterson, 2023). When I scan the AI landscape of available products and platforms, it becomes overwhelming. There are so many options that it is impossible to keep up with every new development. Focusing on a limited number of AI tools backed by organizations with strong infrastructure and fiscal stability is a wise place to start your AI journey. McCormick Institute for Early Childhood’s (MIEC’s) upcoming professional development sessions will focus on three AI tools. These include Gemini Gems, NotebookLM, and Perplexity Spaces. Think of Gemini Gems as your customized AI assistant that you "train" to follow your rules and meet your goals. Gemini Gems are the right tool to tackle Internal Operations . NotebookLM is perfect for creating Family Support resources that stick. NotebookLM is a powerful AI tool that uses only the documents or other resources you add to generate specific, focused output. Perplexity Spaces is a fantastic choice to address Marketing demands. Like many AI tools, you can toggle back and forth between open web searches and focused documents that are specific to your work. Gemini Gems: The “Specialist Teammate” Gemini Gems allow you to create templates you can use repeatedly for agendas, HR policies, and more. If you have used AI in the past, you know that writing an effective prompt takes time, and they can easily get "lost" if you use AI often. Gems removes that challenge and lets you save your most effective prompts without having to rewrite them every time you use Gemini. It is up to you to decide if you want to create several smaller Gems to tackle common challenges you face or create larger Gems that encompass large swaths of your work. For our purposes, we will focus our Gem work on Internal Operations, addressing Program Administration Scale (PAS) Item 9: Internal Communications (Talan & Bloom, 2011). Imagine using a Gem to turn messy staff meeting notes into professional minutes with clear action plans in minutes or less! NotebookLM: The "Walled Garden" NotebookLM is an excellent tool for Family Support for your center, addressing PAS Item 17: Family Support and Involvement (Talan & Bloom, 2011). After uploading documents and resources, such as your parent handbook or community referral lists, to your Notebook, you can create several resources that parents/guardians of your center students will love. Just a few of the impressive features available with NotebookLM include audio (podcast) summaries, video summaries, and reporting functions with templates or the option to create your own report with metrics that matter most to you. Perplexity Spaces: The "Research Librarian" Perplexity Spaces is a perfect AI partner for Marketing your early childhood education (ECE) program, addressing PAS Item 18: External Communications (Talan & Bloom, 2011). You can build your own centralized repository, with control over branding to ensure consistency and present a professional, current image. Adding specific instructions to your space eliminates the need to format documents constantly and saves valuable time. The consistency that a Perplexity Space offers in this regard allows you to upload messages that are the "voice” of your brand. Your marketing efforts are not only more aesthetically pleasing but also enable you to track trends at similar centers in your area, helping you assess the competition. Strategies for Success: Audit your Internal Communications: Identify one repetitive task, such as creating staff meeting agendas (PAS Item 9), and automate it with a Gemini Gem. Curate your Family Resources: Gather three to five existing documents to "feed" a NotebookLM project for more responsive family support (PAS Item 17). Standardize your Brand: Use a Perplexity Space to ensure all public relations tools project a consistent, professional image (PAS Item 18). Reflection Questions: Which administrative task takes the most time away from your interactions with staff and families? How might centralizing marketing materials (branding) impact the professional image to prospective families? Table 1: AI Tools for ECE Professionals
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