I am many things. I am a mom, a wife, a maid, a daughter, a sister and on top of all that I am a daycare provider. What I am not is a teacher. I provide "child" care not teaching. I would gladly offer teaching if CUPE would let me be a member. I would love to have health benefits, personal days, sick benefits, a pension plan and summers off. But, I don't see CUPE opening its doors to daycare providers anytime soon.
During our days we do learn a lot here in my care. We sings songs that introduce the alphabet, we relish the beauty of books, we discover spacial parameters while playing with Lego, we discover the physics of the world in the sand box, and we learn that splitting the last cookie with your friend makes two halves. There is a lot of casual learning going on here. I suspect there's a lot of casual and unintended learning in the environment of all children.
It always bothers me when a parent sits in my living room during an interview and wants to know what my curriculum consists of. I don't have, and don't want a curriculum. That's what the public school system is for. Besides, I think it's ridiculous that an eighteen month old is force fed information at a pace that hampers their innate ability to discover in the world what is most important.
There is a growing trend in society to ensure that our child is the mommy circle winner of academic one-upmanship. They all want to boast about little Mary reading at the age of three, or at the age of six being able to explain Quantum Theory and its relation to physical matter while her two year old brother translates it into Italian. I find it completely ridiculous that these priorities are at the forefront of our minds when considering pre-schoolers. When are kids supposed to be kids?
I am growing tired of parents viewing me as 'just the babysitter' when it comes to terms of the contract like fees, paid vacation or the illness policies but in the same breath expecting me, the dumb and unwitting babysitter, to teach their child how to read, do algebra and the Krebs cycle. Somewhere in there is a lack of balance. Yes, I know the Krebs Cycle but I don't get paid enough nor have enough hours in the day to become a classroom teacher to your two year old. But I will be happy to explain to your child how the sun that is beaming down on the tomato plants in my garden will provide the energy needed for our growing bodies. But somehow, if it's casual learning it doesn't count. I know of many, many, occasions when a parent will proudly tell me that they are fascinated to learn that their child knows X, Y and Z. They have no idea where they could possibly have learned that information. Sigh. No sense putting up my hand because I couldn't possibly know such things. Yep, just the dumb, otherwise unemployable, babysitter. Whatever.
Daycare centers get all the glory these days. I especially have great disdain for those schools like Montessori who claim to give your child an early start to academic one-upmanship. I know some children who attend Montessori. I also know that all but one of their "teachers" does not even hold a university degree. I do. Not that I think it's the all important end-all-be-all of knowledge. I have learned far more from life and in the pursuit of those things I find interesting then I ever did sitting in a lecture hall. But, sadly, society doesn't share my views.
Most daycare providers I know are highly intelligent people. They have hours in the day to read a book of interest, research a topic on the Internet or pick up reference material during their weekly daycare trip to the library. We're not the dumb bunnies that many think we are. So, next time someone asks you if you have a curriculum gasp as if in shock that they could be so offensive. Tell them that what you offer is far superior to any curriculum at that fancy pre-school down the street who is charging double your rates could possibly offer.
And, if you're a parent asking that same question in the interview remember that your daycare provider might just know more than you think. Do you know the Krebs Cycle?
For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca
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