Open Discussion Forum

  • 1.  Teacher Qualifications

    Posted 08-07-2019 04:15 PM
    In the past NAEYC required so many teachers to have a certain level of formal education in the Center(by percentage). With the new career ladder and levels, I am wondering if there are requirements for the amount of staff to have Associate Degrees in a Center or classroom?  Do all Assistants have to be supervised all day by a Lead Teacher?

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    Mary
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  • 2.  RE: Teacher Qualifications

    Posted 08-08-2019 09:24 AM
    MAry,
     That is an interesting question. I am speaking on my experience as a lead teacher here. I started as an assistant teacher for 3 years and then moved to lead teacher at another center. I am of the​ vision that I want my assistant to know EVEYTHING there is to know about leading a classroom. When I was an assistant teacher, I wasn't allowed to take attendance or meal counts - I had to write it down for the lead teacher. I wasn't allowed to do Parent conferences on my small group kids without her being there. She didn't know my kids as well as I did. I felt as if she didn't trust me to be able to lead the classroom in her absence or for the 'important' pieces like parent conferences.
    I now prefer that my co-teacher (as I would rather she be known as) knows how to do everything from reports to daily work to conferences - all of it. I then KNOW if I am absent that things are taken care of. If there is something she is not sure of, she will call me or leave me a note. We do CO-TEACH in OUR classroom. When I have an idea, I run it past her and then together we come up with remarkable things for the children and vice versa. Sometimes we even have the same ideas at the same time - you can't be more of a TEAM than that.
    So I don't feel that an assistant has to be constantly monitored by a lead teacher. I realize that with the responsibility of being a lead teacher that if anything goes wrong, it will come back on me & no one else cause I am the lead teacher. I'm ok with that as long as my 'assistant' knows what she is doing.

    Sue

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    Sue Miller
    team leader
    Child Development Center
    Hawarden IA
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  • 3.  RE: Teacher Qualifications

    Posted 08-08-2019 09:35 AM
    I agree with all of that.  I am just wondering where NAEYC stands now. I have teachers who come to me who, by our State Licensing rules, are Lead qualified but by NAEYC they are Assistant qualified. I am all for more education and do believe it supports the teachers in being better at what they do.  However, I find I am missing out on great people because of Teacher vs Assistant.  I am wondering what NAEYC recommends now with their streamlined criteria. before it used to be 60%.....

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    Mary
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