Child care centers all provide meaningful education to children of all ages. The days are structured with work and play time, so that children know what to expect and can learn to transition between work and play the same way adults do. Teachers in the centers also work very hard. However, there are always some parents that refer to childcare teachers as "glorified babysitters." If you are guilty of this, here is why you should not do that.

Most Childcare Teachers Are Certified or Have a Degree

Childcare teachers cannot hold the positions they have without at least two courses in childcare and development from an accredited school of higher education. Most of these teachers have obtained a one-year certification or a two-year Associate's degree in child development. That means that they are far more educated than a teenage babysitter.

Teachers at NAEYC-Accredited Centers All Must Have a Degree

NAEYC, or the National Association for the Education of Young Children, run a program that confers special privileges on centers that have gone above and beyond the general state requirements for a licensed childcare. Part of this process requires that every teacher in the center have an Associate's degree or higher educational degree, and center directors have to be full-fledged licensed teachers. That means that everyone in the center has to create their own lesson plans and learning activities, plus classroom enrichment, just like public school teachers do.

Childcare Teachers Prepare Young Minds for Kindergarten & Beyond

Childcare centers have replaced many of the traditional preschool programs. They prepare young children for kindergarten and beyond by teaching children basic reading skills, mathematics, science, and history. They also encourage young children's special interests and skills with projects that engage and help children improve any budding gifts the children may have in the arts. They do all of the above while teaching children in a disciplined manner and teaching children to be self-disciplined and responsible.

It Is All About Respect

Finally, the point to this is that it is all about respect. Teaching young children is hard, especially since young children have such short attention spans and activities have to match the varying attention spans in a classroom. This is a give-and-take job, where the teachers give and they take any and all signs that their pupils are learning and absorbing information. Teachers also teach their little pupils all about respect by showing them how to care and respond to others. Model that same amount of respect to your children's teachers in front of your children, and they will learn to be respectful, too.

To learn more about local child care centers, contact services like Learning Tree Schools.