Vent Incoming.....work related.

[Pomlover2586]

As an afterthought why is it that so many people consider a Teacher to be above a child care worker?

Luvsjack makes an excellent point. Childcare workers and teachers all have to take child development courses, curriculum courses, Administration, First Aid CPR and Health & Safety courses. We both learn curriculum and we both carry the same forms of degrees. So why do certain people hold a classroom teacher to such a superior level?

By asking this I AM NOT trying to cause a fight......I'm genuinely curious as to why teachers are viewed as higher than a child care worker.

To me it's the same as 2 people who have a psychology degree. One becomes a Therapist, and one becomes a social worker. Yet somehow the Therapist will be held in higher regard then the social worker when they both have equally hard jobs and the same education?

 

[kathieA]

I also see nothing degrading about being called a babysitter either.Op, you were the one who started this thread, I get the impression that you look at babysitting as degrading,but that is what before/afterschool care is.

 

[kathieA]

I don't consider a childcare worker to be above or below a teacher, they are simply different. I send my child to school for an education,reading ,writing, arithmetic,etc. I send my child to afterschool care to be watched until I get off work. They are different positions,titles, jobs.

 

[minniecarousel]

I don't have little kids any more, but even back in the stone ages, when I did, if I took the boys to a person's house for day care, I called her the babysitter. If I had dropped them off at a center, I would have called her a child-care provider, never babysitter.

 

[Pomlover2586]

Kathie.....perhaps you do not understand that in my job I create LESSON PLANS as well as develop my projects and activities around age appropriate curriculum. Meaning I create activities geared specifically to target your 5 year olds reading skill or your 8 year old science lesson.

I do not sit around and merely "play" with children before and after school. It appears to me you do not fully understand what my job entails.

I do not view babysitting as degrading......I used to be a typical babysitter, but once I have attended college and learned age appropriate curriculum I do not consider myself on the same level as I was when I referred to myself as a babysitter.

It does however appear to me that no amount of discussion will change your views on Child care providers or babysitters as you call them and thats fine.

 

[kathieA]

Also, to be a teacher in most school districts, there are different qualifications, certifications and education needed. Some before/afterschool care programs employ people with college degrees but frankly, its not usually required. And by college degree, I mean 4 year college, not a couple of community college classes. Again,not intended to be offensive to people with community college background. I think it is kind of degrading to a teacher to compare them to a childcare provider.

 

[luvsJack]

A baby sitter is someone who watches a child for a short time. No training, no special skills other than the maturity to know what to do when. A babysitter can be as young as the parent feels comfortable leaving their child with.

In the position I am in now, I am an accounts receivable clerk. I hate it when someone assumes I am a secretary. I was a secretary, not a thing in the world wrong with being one; but I worked hard to get my present position. The position was made for me by the administration at the campus where I work. Is an AR clerk better than a secretary? No. Its not even considered a "move up" in most companies. But I worked hard for that position.

Its the same way for child care workers. They work hard to get the training and education they need for their position. The have earned the right to be considered a professional not a babysitter.

Would you all call all of the people teaching in private schools "teacher"? You do know that non-accredited private schools can have classroom teachers that do not have a degree? Not all classroom teachers have degrees and not all professional teachers work in classrooms.

 

[kathieA]

I do know that I send my child to afterschool care to be taken care of , not to get an extra science or reading class. If you do that where you work, thats great, but thats not the typical afterschool program. Our program, which does employ college educated adults, gives the kids a quick snack, takes them out to the playground,weather permitting, then they go back inside and either do homework or different projects(usually art based) until parents pick up. This is afterschool care,not afterschool school.

 

[Luv'sTink]

WOW.....you compare a child care worker to a counselor? Counselors have YEARS of education behind them. If I was called a counselor I'd be honored. If you called them babysitters........then perhaps you should have hired that 16 year old and saved yourself money


KathieA- "but I don't send my child to after school care to be taught by a "teacher", I need a responsible adult to watch her for about an hour and a half after school until I can pick her up. I send her to school for six and a half hours a day to be taught by a teacher."

You may send your child to school for 6 hours a day to be "taught" but education comes from ALL aspects of life....not just a classroom setting. If all you were looking for was a responsible adult to babysit you should have hired a grandma and saved yourself the money.........but even she would have "taught" your child somthing (not a good error to make when you are telling people how educated you are. )

Your right, learning comes from all aspects of life, not just "teachers" You said it but you don't seem to believe it.

 

[declansdad]

I do know that I send my child to afterschool care to be taken care of , not to get an extra science or reading class. If you do that where you work, thats great, but thats not the typical afterschool program. Our program, which does employ college educated adults, gives the kids a quick snack, takes them out to the playground,weather permitting, then they go back inside and either do homework or different projects(usually art based) until parents pick up. This is afterschool care,not afterschool school.

Perhaps you and the op are talking about two completely different types of afterschool programs.

 

[Pomlover2586]

A baby sitter is someone who watches a child for a short time. No training, no special skills other than the maturity to know what to do when. A babysitter can be as young as the parent feels comfortable leaving their child with.

In the position I am in now, I am an accounts receivable clerk. I hate it when someone assumes I am a secretary. I was a secretary, not a thing in the world wrong with being one; but I worked hard to get my present position. The position was made for me by the administration at the campus where I work. Is an AR clerk better than a secretary? No. Its not even considered a "move up" in most companies. But I worked hard for that position.

Its the same way for child care workers. They work hard to get the training and education they need for their position. The have earned the right to be considered a professional not a babysitter.

Would you all call all of the people teaching in private schools "teacher"? You do know that non-accredited private schools can have classroom teachers that do not have a degree? Not all classroom teachers have degrees and not all professional teachers work in classrooms.

Couldn't have said it better myself

I have more education in curriculum/child develoment [from a 4 year college] then multiple student teachers/interns who work at the school I'm at. And in case you are not familiar with student teachers, they are students in their final years of college finishing up their education/teaching credentials and are running full sized [30 student] classrooms BY THEMSELVES

It is true that some child care centers hire people with basic credential [the core 12 ECE units] but even these people have earned the right to call themselves something other than a "babysitter"

 

[golfgal]

As an afterthought why is it that so many people consider a Teacher to be above a child care worker?

Luvsjack makes an excellent point. Childcare workers and teachers all have to take child development courses, curriculum courses, Administration, First Aid CPR and Health & Safety courses. We both learn curriculum and we both carry the same forms of degrees. So why do certain people hold a classroom teacher to such a superior level?

By asking this I AM NOT trying to cause a fight......I'm genuinely curious as to why teachers are viewed as higher than a child care worker.

To me it's the same as 2 people who have a psychology degree. One becomes a Therapist, and one becomes a social worker. Yet somehow the Therapist will be held in higher regard then the social worker when they both have equally hard jobs and the same education?

The difference here is that teachers are required to have a 4 year degree, pass state licensing tests and maintain a state license, child care providers at before/after school care places are not, therefore the teachers have that title and child care providers do not. Yes, some child care providers do what you do and they do have degrees but the aren't required to have that.

 

[letthewookiewin]

I totally agree with you Pamlover2586. I worked with children in preschools for 12 years. In that time I had more trouble with parents than I did children.

 

[luvsJack]

Couldn't have said it better myself

I have more education in curriculum/child develoment [from a 4 year college] then multiple student teachers/interns who work at the school I'm at. And in case you are not familiar with student teachers, they are students in their final years of college finishing up their education/teaching credentials and are running full sized [30 student] classrooms BY THEMSELVES

It is true that some child care centers hire people with basic credential [the core 12 ECE units] but even these people have earned the right to call themselves something other than a "babysitter"

Until someone has worked in child care, they have no idea what goes into the position. I was Director/k-4 teacher. There were days that I cooked lunch, cleaned the center, did the bookwork, taught my class, took care of all necessary discipline, dealt with angry parents and/or employees, introduced potential parents to the center and the list goes on and on! The educational hours I earned over that time would have given me a 4 year teaching degree many times over. I learned as much or more about child development than anyone does earning a 4 year degree.

Golfgal: Child care providers aren't required to have a degree but many do take state tests and maintain a license. Its just a different kind, usually given by a different state entity than a teacher.

Everyone: What the OP is wanting is the respect she deserves for doing a good job. Calling her a "babysitter" is not giving her that respect. I don't think its the title that matters.

 

[Pomlover2586]

Until someone has worked in child care, they have no idea what goes into the position. I was Director/k-4 teacher. There were days that I cooked lunch, cleaned the center, did the bookwork, taught my class, took care of all necessary discipline, dealt with angry parents and/or employees, introduced potential parents to the center and the list goes on and on! The educational hours I earned over that time would have given me a 4 year teaching degree many times over. I learned as much or more about child development than anyone does earning a 4 year degree.

Golfgal: Child care providers aren't required to have a degree but many do take state tests and maintain a license. Its just a different kind, usually given by a different state entity than a teacher.

Everyone: What the OP is wanting is the respect she deserves for doing a good job. Calling her a "babysitter" is not giving her that respect. I don't think its the title that matters.

AMEN!

 

[Cool-Beans]

A rose by any other name...

 

[kathieA]

Okay, again, to me its not a big deal to say babysitter or childcare provider, I usually refer to my daughters afterschool care as simply that,afterschool care. I usually refer to the employees there by name,Miss Stacy or Miss Brenda.I treat them with respect and vice versa, however we do not refer to them as teachers, as they are not.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I don't think people who work at daycare centers should be called "teachers" either.

I teach kindergarten in a city funded daycare center. I have the same level of education as public school teachers. I took the same licensing exams as NYS public school teachers (LAST, ATS-W and CST).

Why shouldn't I be called a teacher?

 

[kathieA]

I teach kindergarten in a city funded daycare center. I have the same level of education as public school teachers. I took the same licensing exams as NYS public school teachers (LAST, ATS-W and CST).

Why shouldn't I be called a teacher?

If you are a licensed teacher, then you are a teacher. The op works before/after school care. She does childcare, not school, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[declansdad]

If you are a licensed teacher, then you are a teacher. The op works before/after school care. She does childcare, not school, if I'm not mistaken.

Again it sounds as if you are talking about two different types of programs.