6.1 Introduction

Early childhood education is an essential field that plays an important role in shaping young children’s lives. It provides a nurturing and stimulating environment for children to learn, grow, and develop essential skills. Within this field, a variety of job positions exist, each with unique responsibilities and contributions to the overall well-being of children.

This chapter will delve into the various job positions found in early childhood education. We will explore the roles and responsibilities of each position, highlighting the skills and qualifications required to excel in these roles. By understanding the different career paths available within this field, individuals can make informed decisions about their professional journey and contribute meaningfully to the education and development of young children. We will discuss the importance of ethical decision-making in the context of early childhood education and the potential consequences of unethical behavior. By understanding and upholding ethical principles, early educators can create a safe, nurturing, and respectful environment for children to learn and grow. Finally, we will explore how advocacy plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and accessibility of early childhood education (ECE) programs. It involves actively promoting the interests and needs of young children and their families, as well as advocating for policies and practices that support their development.

6.2 Job Positions in Early Childhood Education

It’s Monday morning. Ann arrives at the center where she works and opens the door to her preschool classroom. She opens the shades to let in some natural light. She finds calming music to play in the background. She opens the sensory table and adds small rocks and sticks to the sand and scoops the children have been exploring for the past two weeks. Ann continues moving around the room adding a few new books to the classroom library, along with a few puppets, and putting paint, paper, and a collection of tools out for children to explore. She hears children’s voices and goes to the door to greet them as they burst into the classroom, ready for the day.

Early childhood education offers a rewarding and fulfilling career path for those who enjoy working with young children. There are a variety of career options available, each with its unique responsibilities and opportunities for growth. The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF). DCF 250 and 251 are Wisconsin statutes related to childcare licensing. While these statutes primarily outline licensing requirements and regulations, they indirectly reference various job positions within the childcare industry. The most common career paths in this early childhood education are in the Table 6a below.

These are just a few examples of job positions that might be relevant to DCF 250 and 251. The specific requirements and responsibilities for each position may vary depending on the size and type of childcare facility. With the right training and experience, individuals can find a fulfilling and rewarding career in this field (50% AI Gemini).

6.3 Roles and Responsibilities in Job Positions

The early childhood professional wears many hats. The early childhood profession attracts a wide range of teachers from different backgrounds. There are teachers who earn a degree in early childhood education with the goal of working at a childcare center or preschool. Parents choose to be at home with their children and start a family childcare to care for not only their own children, but also those from families who want a home setting for their child. Some are drawn to the field to foster the kind of childhood they experienced. Others recognize what was lacking in their own development and want to create better environments and experiences for children. Whatever the motivation, something drew them to this field to teach in different settings. All share commitment to the important work of teaching young children. Versatility is at the core of an early childhood educator and the challenges are often met with great reward. Early childhood education teachers play a crucial role in shaping young minds and laying the foundation for future learning. Their responsibilities extend beyond simply teaching; they foster growth, development, and a love for learning in their students. The most effective teachers are attentive, flexible, and willing to learn.

The Role of the Early Childhood Teacher

The early childhood teacher has many roles and responsibilities in and out of the classroom.

Developing and Maintaining Relationships With Children

Interactions between child and teacher bring joy and challenges. Helping a child calm down after bumping their head, greeting a child as they walk through the door, or sharing a child’s excitement over finding a caterpillar crawling on the window ledge are opportunities to build relationships with children. Often these interactions are spontaneous and involve making decisions on the spot in a caring and nurturing manner. Teachers balance their knowledge of young children and their developmental needs while accepting each child’s unique individuality. A teacher’s knowledge of child development and life experiences is what forms the teacher’s own unique style and approach. The classroom atmosphere is consistent through the teacher’s confidence, attitude, and actions and reactions to daily events.

Managing Classrooms

Effective classroom management in early childhood education is crucial for creating a safe, nurturing, and conducive learning environment for young children. This responsibility requires early educators to create a positive learning environment that promotes children’s social, emotional, language, physical, and cognitive development. The following are some key strategies for classroom management:

• Creating a safe environment that promotes learning and exploration. The setting is inviting, organized, and sensory-rich.
• Expectations are clear. Daily routines provide structure where needed, and there are opportunities for independence and choice. Observations and active listening foster a sense of belonging and connection through positive communication.
• Effective communication allows for the wants and needs of both adults and children to be met. Body language, tone, facial expressions, and verbal and nonverbal communication set the tone for teaching and learning.
• Relationships are prioritized by getting to know each child and their unique needs and interests. There is a strong partnership between teacher and family.

Planning and Evaluating Curriculum

Effective curriculum planning and evaluation in early childhood education is essential for providing a high-quality learning experience for young children. The teacher continually observes and evaluates what is happening in the classroom by noting how and where children played, the quality of their interactions, and ideas for what to plan next based on children’s interests and developmental needs. It gives meaning and support to their learning. Observations are shared with other staff and often used to build emergent curriculum.

Emergent curriculum is a child-centered approach to curriculum planning where teachers develop activities and projects based on the children’s interests, skills, needs, and the unique context of their learning environment. Instead of following a predetermined curriculum, emergent curriculum is responsive and flexible, evolving from the children’s natural curiosity, questions, interactions, and play. Teachers act as observers, facilitators, and co-learners, carefully listening to and documenting the children’s explorations to identify emerging themes and interests that can then be further investigated through various activities and projects.

Respecting and incorporating families’ cultural beliefs, goals, and perspectives are also a key part of curriculum planning. When teachers consider and include families’ wishes for their children’s care and education, the curriculum becomes more meaningful and inclusive. This collaborative approach strengthens the connection between home and school and reinforces children’s sense of identity and belonging.

You will explore curriculum planning and evaluation in greater depth in Chapter 7, where strategies and tools for developing responsive, developmentally appropriate learning experiences are discussed further.

Keeping Records

Recordkeeping is a vital aspect of any early childhood education. It provides documentation of children’s growth, development, and learning experiences, allowing for effective communication with families, informing curriculum planning, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. The type and variety of records vary based on the program. There are several factors that drive recordkeeping. These factors are as follows:

• The philosophy of the school. Records guide planning and may be shared with families.
• The teacher training process. Documentation is required for portfolios as supporting evidence of their competency as teachers.
• The accreditation process. This could include documentation of teacher effectiveness, usage of space, parent involvement, philosophy of the school and curriculum, and management of the center or school.
• A commitment to developmentally appropriate practice. Anecdotal records, developmental checklists, and portfolios provide insight and information to meet the developmental and individual needs of the children.
• Family communication. Observations are recorded or noted and shared with families.
• Developing curricula. Data collected from classroom observations are used in the emergent curriculum planning process.

Attending Meetings

Communicating with colleagues and families is part of the early childhood teacher’s responsibilities. Meetings could include staff meetings, family-teacher conferences, family education meetings, professional meetings, or home visits.

Communicating With Families

Talking to a parent at the beginning or end of the day, sending an email, or calling a parent to share information is a regular part of the early educator’s day. Correspondence may have a purpose, such as a phone call to inform that a child is sick and needs to be picked up or a quick email to share the excitement of a developmental milestone being met.

Effective communication also involves listening and learning from families. Each family brings its own unique culture, values, and beliefs about child-rearing and education. Early childhood educators should strive to understand and respect these perspectives, incorporating them into the child’s care and learning experience whenever possible. This helps build trust; strengthens the home-school connection; and ensures that families feel seen, valued, and supported as partners in their child’s development.

6.4 Professional Behaviors

Infant, toddler, preschool, and school-aged early educators play an important role in the lives of children and their families that you encounter. These interactions leave lasting impressions. Children’s development takes place over time, and each experience affects the course of who they become. The experiences they have while they are in your care create a lasting impact. Development is strengthened when children engage in meaningful interactions with adults who are committed to high-quality professional principles.

As an individual working with children and families, many activities require you to maintain high-quality professional standards. Below are some of the experiences you participate in during your daily professional life:

• Interacting with children and youth
• Engaging with family members
• Interacting with supervisors and managers
• Collaborating with fellow staff members
• Interacting with community partners

Establishing and maintaining high-quality professional standards are important to every responsibility you meet each day. The process evolves as you encounter new situations.

Personal and Professional Attributes

Early childhood educators possess a unique blend of personal and professional qualities that contribute to their effectiveness. These attributes enable them to create supportive, nurturing, and stimulating learning environments for young children.

Key Professional Attributes:

• Respect for Children: Recognizing and valuing each child as an individual and respecting their unique personalities, interests, and learning styles.

• Positive Relationships: Building strong and positive relationships with children, families, colleagues, and community members.

• Effective Communication: Communicating clearly and effectively with children, families, and colleagues using age-appropriate language and active listening skills.

• Attitudes and Biases: Understanding and appreciating the diversity of children and families’ backgrounds and cultures, which creates an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

• Continuous Learning: Engaging in ongoing professional development to improve their knowledge and skills and staying up-to-date with best practices in early childhood education.

• Ethical Conduct: Adhering to ethical standards and codes of conduct, maintaining confidentiality, and acting with integrity.

• Safety and Well-being: Prioritizing children’s safety and well-being and creating a secure and healthy learning environment.

• Flexibility and Adaptability: Being open to new ideas and approaches, adapting to changing circumstances, and responding to children’s individual needs.

• Creativity and Imagination: Using creativity and imagination to develop engaging and stimulating learning experiences.

• Patience and Understanding: Showing patience and understanding when working with young children, recognizing their developmental stages and providing appropriate support.

• Enthusiasm and Passion: Having a genuine love for children and early childhood education, exhibiting enthusiasm and passion for their work.

• Organization and Time Management: Effectively planning and organizing activities, managing time efficiently, and prioritizing tasks.

• Cultural Competence: Possessing knowledge and skills to interact effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds.

• Problem-Solving: Being able to identify and solve problems creatively and effectively.

• Strong Work Ethic: Demonstrating a strong work ethic, being reliable, and taking initiative.

• Self-Awareness: Continuous reflection of your attitudes, habits, and actions to evaluate your strengths and limitations.

These professional attributes are essential for early childhood educators to create high-quality learning experiences that support children’s growth, development, and lifelong learning (75% AI Generated- Gemini).

A Developmental Perspective

When talking about professional development, Dr. Lilian Katz identifies four developmental stages of teachers. As you read the information below in Table 6b on each of these stages, think about where you are in your own journey towards professionalism.

Teacher Burnout in Early Childhood Education

Teacher burnout is a significant issue in early childhood education, with numerous studies highlighting the high rates of stress and exhaustion experienced by educators in this field. This phenomenon can have detrimental effects on both teachers’ well-being and the quality of care provided to children.

Causes of Teacher Burnout

• High Workload: Early childhood teachers often face heavy workloads, including lesson planning, classroom management, administrative tasks, and parent communication.
• Long Hours: Many childcare providers open early and stay open late for working parents.
• Lack of Support: Inadequate support from administrators, colleagues, or families can contribute to feelings of isolation and stress.
• Low Pay: Low salaries and limited opportunities for advancement can lead to job dissatisfaction and burnout.
• High Expectations: The increasing emphasis on standardized testing and accountability can create unrealistic expectations and pressure on early childhood teachers.
• Emotional Demands: Working with young children can be emotionally demanding, as educators must often deal with challenging behaviors, family crises, and other stressors.

Impact of Teacher Burnout

• Decreased Job Satisfaction: Burnout can lead to decreased job satisfaction and a loss of motivation.
• Increased Absenteeism and Turnover: Teachers who are experiencing burnout may be more likely to take sick leave or leave the profession altogether.
• Negative Impact on Children: Burnout can negatively impact teachers’ ability to provide high-quality care and support to children.
• Increased Stress and Health Problems: Burnout can contribute to increased stress, anxiety, depression, and other health problems.

Addressing Teacher Burnout

• Support and Professional Development: Providing teachers with adequate support, professional development opportunities, and opportunities for collaboration can help to reduce burnout.
• Workload Management: Implementing strategies to help teachers manage their workload and reduce stress.
• Improved Compensation and Benefits: Increasing salaries and providing competitive benefits can help to improve job satisfaction and reduce burnout.
• Positive School Culture: Creating a positive and supportive school culture can help to foster a sense of community and belonging among teachers.
• Self-Care: Encouraging teachers to prioritize self-care and engage in activities that promote their well-being.

Signs of teacher burnout include exhaustion, anxiety and depression, feelings of isolation, not able to cope with the demands or pressures of the job, and lack of joy. By addressing the underlying causes of teacher burnout and providing support and resources, we can help to create a more sustainable and fulfilling profession for early childhood educators (40% AI Generated- Gemini).

6.5 Ethical Responsibilities

“Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.” — Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), Indian political and spiritual leader

Moral guidelines by which we govern our behavior are known as ethics. A code of ethics provides a collaborative base of wisdom and advice gathered to help professionals navigate common issues in our occupation. Ethics is at the heart of everything we do. Most decisions require an aspect of ethical decision-making such as planning curriculum, communicating with families, or planning a daily schedule. Ethical behaviors and actions reflect what you bring to your work with young children and their families in the form of morals and values.

Key Elements of the NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has developed a comprehensive set of professional standards and competencies for early childhood educators. These standards outline the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that educators need to provide high-quality care and education for young children. They are the commitments all early childhood teachers hold true. It protects teachers and administrators from having to navigate difficult ethical decisions in the moment with the possibility of personal bias. It supports teachers’ decision-making and actions. There are four sections in the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct:

1.   Ethical responsibilities to children
2.   Ethical responsibilities to families
3.   Ethical responsibilities to colleagues
4.   Ethical responsibilities to community and society

Table 6c identifies some key elements of the NAEYC professional standards and competencies:

By adhering to these standards and competencies, early childhood educators can ensure that they are providing the best possible care and education for young children.

6.6 Advocacy

Advocacy in early childhood education is the act of supporting, speaking up for, or taking action on behalf of a cause, policy, group, or individual to bring about change or raise awareness. In early childhood education, advocacy often involves promoting the well-being, rights, and needs of young children, families, and educators—whether by influencing policy, securing resources, or educating others about the importance of high-quality early care and education. It is a crucial component in ensuring that young children have access to high-quality learning experiences that support their development and future success. In the NAEYC Position Statement – NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs (2009), one of the key elements for professionalism is “engage in informed advocacy for children and families and the profession,” which is defined as “(Early childhood professionals) are aware of and engaged in examining ethical issues and societal concerns about program quality and provision of early childhood services and the implications of those issues for advocacy and policy change.” By advocating for policies, programs, and resources that prioritize early childhood education, individuals and organizations can make a significant difference in the lives of children and families.

 Importance of Advocacy

• Brain Development: The early years of a child’s life are critical for brain development. Quality early childhood education can help children build strong cognitive, social, and emotional foundations.
• Educational Equity: Access to early childhood education can help close the achievement gap and provide all children with equal opportunities to succeed.
• Economic Benefits: Investing in early childhood education has long-term economic benefits, as it can lead to increased workforce participation, reduced crime rates, and improved overall well-being.

Key Areas of Advocacy

• Funding: Advocating for increased funding for early childhood education programs is essential to ensure that all children have access to high-quality care.
• Quality Standards: Promoting the development and implementation of rigorous quality standards can help ensure that early childhood programs are meeting the needs of children and families.
• Teacher Professional Development: Supporting ongoing professional development for early childhood educators is crucial to enhancing their skills and knowledge.
• Family Engagement: Advocating for policies and practices that promote family engagement can help create a supportive environment for children’s learning.
• Access and Equity: Ensuring that all children, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status, have access to high-quality early childhood education is a key priority.

Becoming an Advocate

• Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date on current research, policies, and trends in early childhood education.
• Build Relationships: Connect with other advocates, policymakers, and community leaders.
• Tell Your Story: Share personal stories about the impact of early childhood education on children and families.
• Advocate for Change: Contact your elected officials, participate in community events, vote, and support organizations working to improve early childhood education (100% AI Generated- Gemini).

By advocating for early childhood education, individuals can help create a brighter future for children and their families. Together, we can ensure that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. As an early childhood care and education (ECE) professional you are in a powerful position in influencing the lives of children and families. You are also in a position of understanding the issues that affect many families and children. You see the day-to-day struggles that families face, the barriers that keep children for succeeding to their full potential, and how the missteps of policy creation hold families back. You are an expert on these issues. Your thoughts, experiences, and ideas are valuable.

6.7 Professional Competencies

What are core competencies and why are they a part of our profession? They are expectations for what the workforce should know (content) and be able to do (skills) in a respectful and competent manner (attitudes) in their roles working with and/or on behalf of children and their families.

Wisconsin’s commitment to professionalism may be found in the Wisconsin Core Competencies for Professionals Working with Young Children & Their Families. The “Professionalism” section of this document contains several professional competencies derived from a review of the standards and recommended practices of several national professional organizations.

6.8 Conclusion

Professional behaviors are essential for early childhood educators (ECEs) to create a positive and effective learning environment. These behaviors reflect the ECE’s commitment to ethical standards, respect for children and families, and continuous professional development. By demonstrating these professional behaviors, ECEs can create a nurturing and supportive environment that promotes children’s growth and development.

Learning Activities

6.9 References

Google AI. Gemini. (October 2024 version). [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com/

Gordon, A. M., & Browne, K. W. (2023). Beginnings & beyond: Foundations in early childhood education (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Marino, T., Rosengarden, M., Gunyon, S., & Noland, T. (2022). Advocacy. Leadership in early care and education. https://pressbooks.nscc.ca/eceleadership/chapter/advocacy-embracing-the-work-you-are-already-doing-and-taking-it-further/

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2011). NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment [PDF]. https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/Ethics%20Position%20Statement2011_09202013update.pdf

Professionalism. (2023). Virtual lab school. https://www.virtuallabschool.org/tcs/professionalism

Ramminger, A. (Ed.). (2014). Wisconsin core competencies: For professionals working with young children. Wisconsin Registry. https://wiregistry.org/wp-content/uploads/wi_ec_core_competencies_2014.pdf

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. (2023). Wisconsin Administrative Code: DCF 251 [PDF]. https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/. https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/files/publications/pdf/205.pdf

Images:

Figure 6a: Aitubo. (2025). Flux (v1.0). [Artificial intelligence system]. https://aitubo.ai/

Figure 6b: Aitubo. (2025). Flux (v1.0). [Artificial intelligence system]. https://aitubo.ai/

Figure 6c: “woman-8064226_1280” by mooremeditation, via Pixabay is licensed under CC0

Figure 6d:  Image modified from National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2011). NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment. National Association for Family Child Care. https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/Ethics%20Position%20Statement2011_09202013update.pdf

Figure 6e: “ai-generated-8915628_1280” by Vilkasss, via Pixabay is licensed under CC0