Tuesday, June 8, 2010
I'm a Teacher, Not a Babysitter
Yesterday I was talking with Denise, who is one the finest childcare providers I know. She has dedicated her life to working with young children, and she takes her work seriously, even as she has a good time with kids. She has used my recordings with her kids for years, and she brings them to concerts, so we are old friends. She said that she didn't like the song on my new CD, "I'm a Teacher, Not a Babysitter" because she felt that the parents of her kids understood that and treated her with respect. "It feels old and out of date," she said. I had to laugh. While I believe that's true for her, I had to tell her that when I play that song at Early Childhood events, I am greeted with shouts of "Amen" and loud applause. For most of the country, child care providers continue to be viewed with little respect or understanding about the importance of their work. And they sometimes don't feel much self-respect, either. So, Denise is lucky. But we still have work to do for millions of other providers around the world.
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We were so lucky to have USAA child development center for Daniel and for Carter. This is a model which should be copied. It is an arm of USAA where their dad works, open convenient hours and staffed with true professionals. From the first day the boys were there, they got unbelievable care with learning activities and lots of fun. Carter went at 6 weeks of age and Daniel the day the center opened. (San Antonio, Texas) No one mistook the caring staff for "just baby sitters." They were so much more.
ReplyDeleteEven though I know we have a long way to go, I have to agree with Denise that more and more of us are respected as early childhood professionals than ever before. I think that the key to that shift in thinking from babysitter to teacher lies within those of us in this field. When we believe in the importance of our role in changing the world and conduct ourselves as true professionals (i.e.self-respect),then others will respect us as well.
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