Care or Education?
For many years there has been a debate within the early childhood field about whether we should use the word “care” when describing our profession – calling ourselves “caregivers” or calling preschools “childcare centers.” There is a sense that when a teacher’s role is seen as that of a caregiver, it diminishes them. We may be regarded as less skilled or professional than if we insist on being called “educators.” Some in the field have advised teachers to use the language of academia to talk about how children learn. If we highlight our caring role and the importance of daily routine interactions, it may be perceived by the public as subordinate to what is thought of as academic learning.
Working with children is considered a low-status profession in our country – and the younger the children we work with, the lower we are on the educational hierarchy. Think of what comes to mind in terms of prestige, respect, or importance when you think of the title “college professor” or “high school teacher” versus “preschool teacher.”
For those of us who have intentionally chosen to teach young children as our life’s work, we know the impact of our role. Science has shown that a child’s brain develops more rapidly from birth through age five than at any other time in their lives. Synapses are forming constantly, and every experience contributes to a child’s learning, including basic everyday routines. The ways in which the adults in their lives interact with a child matters; it affects their essential brain development and builds the foundation for all subsequent learning.
Early childhood teachers do spend a considerable amount of time doing caring tasks: helping children wash hands, wipe drippy noses, use the toilet, change clothes. These basic rituals of care are ones that society typically thinks of as custodial. In a field that is historically the domain of women, care is undervalued. But for young children, each moment is a learning opportunity. Engaging with children in daily tasks in ways that support their learning requires a special kind of intelligence. The way we approach a child - slowing down, making eye contact, speaking mindfully - is part of our pedagogy. Teachers hone their use of these “tools” - their voice, their words, their respectful touch, their listening, their attentive presence – to ensure that care rituals are actually intellectual encounters.
Care and education are not separate; that is a false dichotomy. With young children, caring is necessary for optimal education. Maybe the question is not how do we help the public see early childhood teaching as an intellectual pursuit, but how do we help people recognize the critical importance of caring?
