Role of the Principal in Guiding Trainee Educators

U Republici Hrvatskoj predškolski odgoj i obrazovanje te skrb o djeci predškolske dobi definiran je Zakonom o predškolskom odgoju i obrazovanju (NN broj 10/97, 107/07, 94/13, 98/19 i 57/22) kao dio sustava odgoja i obrazovanja te skrbi o djeci. Programi obuhvaćeni predškolskim odgojem ostvaruju se u dječjim vrtićima koji svoju djelatnost temelje kao javnu službu. Ravnatelj dječjeg vrtića je poslovodni i stručni voditelj dječjeg vrtića. Suvremeno vođenje ustanove ranog i predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja nastoji u praksu implementirati demokratski i distributivni stil vođenja, čime ulogu ravnatelja čini još kompleksnijom, te ga potiče na cjeloživotno učenje i kontinuirano stručno usavršavanje. Odgojitelj uz ostale odgojno-obrazovne radnike u dječjem vrtiću radi na poslovima njege, odgoja i obrazovanja, socijalne i zdravstvene zaštite te skrbi o djeci, a odgojitelj koji se po prvi puta zapošljava kao odgojitelj zasniva radni odnos kao pripravnik. Cilj ovoga rada je istražiti moguće uloge i postupke ravnatelja predškolske ustanove u vođenju odgojitelja pripravnika tijekom pripravničkog staža, osposobljavanja odgojitelja pripravnika za samostalan rad u ustanovi za predškolski odgoj i obrazovanje djece rane i predškolske dobi. Razvoj profesionalnih kompetencija temelj su rada ravnatelja i odgojitelja pripravnika što se odvija na individualnoj razini svakog pojedinca. Odgojitelj pripravnik kao stručan i kompetentan budući samostalni odgojitelj, zasigurno je temelj kvalitetnog ranog i predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja.In the Republic of Croatia, preschool education and care of preschool children is defined by the Law on Preschool Education (N.N. 10/97, 107/07, 94/13, 98/19 and 57/22) as part of the education system and child care. Programs included in preschool education are implemented in kindergartens that base their activities as a public service. The headmaster of the kindergarten is the managerial and professional leader of the kindergarten. Contemporary management of early and preschool education institutions strives to implement a democratic and distributive leadership style in practice, which makes the role of the headmaster even more complex and encourages lifelong learning and continuous professional development. The educator, along with other educational workers in the kindergarten, works in care, upbringing and education, social and health care, and child care, and the educator who is employed as an educator for the first time establishes an employment relationship as an intern. The aim of this work is to investigate the possible roles and procedures of the headmater of a preschool institution in guiding trainee educators during their internship, training trainee educators for independent work in an institution for preschool education and education of children of early and preschool age. The development of professional competences is the basis of the work of headmaster and intern educators, which takes place at the individual level of each individual. The trainee educator, as a professional and competent future independent educator, is certainly the foundation of quality early and preschool education