Are we child carers or teachers?

Podcast, Reflections
Growing Places
Growing Places

Publication date

29 July 2024
Listen to the full podcast episode

Authors

What is the difference between ‘caring for’ or ‘babysitting’ children to ‘teaching’? A question which is so deep and heavily steeped in wider systems and society. Carlie Powell and Jackie Warren, from Growing Places, have been reflecting on this with their teams for a while, and want to spark a wider movement of advocacy, change and reinvention within early childhood in England by taking inspiration and insight from an international perspective.

Teaching, babysitting, caring for children…

Who are we?

What do we call ourselves?

What is the difference between ‘caring for’ or ‘babysitting’ children to ‘teaching’?

 These are questions that we continually revisit and reflect upon in our nursery settings at Growing Places. We are dedicated to bringing recognition to the vital role our adults play in the learning and development of children in the first 5 years of life, however, we regularly find ourselves being referred to as childcare. So, what is the answer? What makes a teacher a teacher? Perhaps a definition of characteristics or qualities; creative, empathetic, knowledgeable, inspiring for example? Or does the certification of Qualified Teacher Status define the role?

Use of terminology by government and other organisations

How does the terminology used in early years statutory and guidance documents reflect the profession and is this representation accurate?

Terms and phrases used repeatedly including practitioners, childcare, adults, are scattered throughout documentation including the Early Years Statutory Framework, Development Matters, Birth to Five and within the Government initiative of ‘Free Childcare’. Is there a disconnect between the language used in early years and schools and what is the impact of this?

Does it matter what language is used to describe the early years profession?

The role of an Early Years Teacher has never been more challenging or demanding than it is currently. Since the pandemic in particular, the expectations of parents have grown considerably overall, which is resulting in more time being spent on care needs of children than on teaching children. Parental responsibilities blend heavily into the role of nurseries which subsequently leads to high demand for time and focus on toileting, attachments, weaning and dietary support and parent anxieties, to name a few. Whilst the care giving for children must always be fundamental in early years, it is not the only element and quite often the teaching of children under 5 years gets lost. It is here that the term ‘childcare’ presents mixed messages.

Key takeaways

  • What does it mean to be a teacher in the early years? On the podcast episode we discuss the meaning of this role in relation to teaching in nurseries and preschools.
  • Early years is undervalued. How can we raise the profile of the profession by the language we use to reference it?
  • The job is more demanding now than ever before; how do we get back to a place where care giving no longer consumes the role?

Critical considerations

  • What does it mean to be a ‘teacher’ in nurseries and preschools?
  • How does the terminology we use in our settings reflect the role of the adult?
  • How might using the term ‘childcare’ devalue the early years profession? If at all?
  • How can more thoughtful language become embedded across the profession?

About the authors

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