As we continue our Meet the Director blog series, we are excited to introduce you all to Mr. Brandon! Mr. Brandon is the Director in our West Des Moines location. He is the king of the castle… literally! His center is shaped like a castle and when you are in his school it feels like you are somewhere magical. With the Yellow Brick Road core values flowing down the corridors, and Mr. Brandon leading the team of teachers, it is hard not to feel surrounded by excitement and wonder.
To get to know Brandon more, we asked him a few questions! Our first question was “What started your career in early childhood education?”
“I began a career in ECE when I found out my wife was pregnant. We needed to find the perfect center for him. I started off as a lead in the school-age program and found that ECE was my calling. From thime, I worked my way up to lead float, to Assistant Director, and now Director.” We are SO thankful that Mr. B decided to take a chance on the early childhood field. He has helped shape students and teachims in his efforts inside of the schools!
Next up, we asked him “Why did you decide to become a Director at Yellow Brick Road?”
“I decided to become the Director of Yellow Brick Road because this center has become my home and the staff, my family. When offered the position, I accepted because I wanted to make a difference in the center, as well as in my community. I saw the opportunity to be an advocate and teachim for not only the children but as well as the teachims. Another big reason why I have accepted the role of a Director of Yellow Brick Road, is the support I have received from the Regional Director, Executive Directors, COO, and CEO. I could not imagine more of a supportive team of leaders.” Since accepting his role as Director, Brandon has become a supportive and influential leader for his teachers and families!
One of our favorite questions to ask our directors is, “What is the best piece of advice you could give to a first-time parent while they are touring preschools?”
“When touring preschools you may find ones that are perfect but may be not perfect
for you. The hardest part is finding the right place for the needs and wants of you and
your growing family.
When you tell someone that you’re a Director at Yellow Brick Road, everyone wants to know, “What do you look forward to most when you come to work each day?”
“When coming to work, I look forward the most to see the children’s smiles. Seeing each child grow and learn is something that is priceless and I would not change for anything.”
As a Director, growth is imminate and unavoidable, in the best ways possible! So, we asked Brandon, “In which areas have you grown professionally since beginning your career with Yellow Brick Road?”
“Since beginning my career at Yellow Brick Road, I have grown as a leader. The upper management of this amazing company has taught me how to be a great leader not only by support but also by example.” As a company owned and led by home-grown owners, we understand the importance of getting to know each person inside of the schools and helping them grow. Our owners and leaders are on-site in all of our locations and we appreciate feedback!
It is no secret that we care about our core values A LOT! We talk about them in every orientation, tour, staff development day, and especially our classrooms! We had to ask Brandon, “Which of our core values stands out the most to you?”
“Our core value that stands out to me the most is communication. Communication is the key to success and strong relationships with our students and parents.”
Our final question that we asked Brandon was this, “What piece of advice would you give to a teachim beginning their career in early childhood education?”
“My advice for a teacher that is beginning in the career is, keep your head up and remember that if something does not work the first 100 times, does not mean you are failing. Teaching is all about trial and error. If you put your heart and soul into it, you will succeed. Also, never assume all children are at the same level. Each child has their time to pop but it may not be when you want or except it. Their time will come.”
Brandon is an excellent Director and a job to be around. He is always in good spirits and the first to volunteer to help any of our team members. He is an inspirational leader who understands the needs of his teachers. As he said, we can not assume that all children are on the same level. The same goes for his teachers, he recognizes that and helps them each grow as individuals on their own time! We are so thankful to have Brandon on our team!