Child Care Center Interview

Originally, it was my intent to interview a large daycare facility in Birmingham. I had setup and arranged a day and time with Cathedral Daycare. As the appointed day approached, I tried to make contact with the director, but no one answered the phone. On my second attempt, the phone was hung up. This did not give me a good feeling, so I decided go ahead with interviewing a smaller center on September 20th at 7:15 a.m. The director felt one of her biggest challenges of her position was parent and teacher cooperation. Her personal opinion was there are too many negativities and attitudes from the teachers and parents in today society. She expressed that dealing with this issue is probably the least rewarding in her job. Another challenge indicated was lack of funding. On a positive side, the director felt most rewarded by the hugs, kisses and goals reached by the children. She could be having a very bad day due to a teacher or parent’s attitude; and it can all be erased by a hug, smile and kisses from a child! When asked about what kind of support is needed for teachers of young children today, she responded that it requires support from the community, churches, parents, and grandparents. It does take a village to raise a child in this day and age. She indicated that God’s Kids Preschool is extremely blessed because it is 100% supported by the church. They just walk in and use the facility. The director feels that most families with young children today need to know more about God, that Jesus died for them and feel good about who they are as individuals. She also feels that communities and Alabama can better serve young children and their families by getting real and giving back. “Give back” to those children who are hungry and in need of help, i.e., more weekend backpack programs, free tutoring and mentoring, better after school programs. She community who are in need. All they need to do is ask for the help. I expanded and asked her about what education and experience she felt were required to do her position as director and what was needed to be a great teacher. She responded immediately and indicated that no degree or piece of paper can prepare you for what is going to happen in the classroom. Natural love for children, parental instincts and hands-on experience serves better than any formal education. She does not have an Education Degree. She always wanted to be a teacher, but her original degree was is nursing. She has now been in the child education field for 21 years, over 700 hours of in service earned. As for a successful good teacher, you need someone who loves children and wants to teach the children, just not there for a paycheck. She feels that a good teacher is those who want to be there, with excitement, and want to get involved with the children. One of my personal questions to the director was does she have a high rate of turnover of teachers and what is her teacher student ratio? The director indicated that she has not experienced a high teacher turnover rate. She has held that position for three year now and has not had to find any new teachers. Her teacher with the most seniority, at this facility, is eight years. Her facility is a small facility with no afterschool care. They operate from 8:30 to 1:00. God’s Kids currently has one 3 Year Old Classroom with eight children. There are also two 4 Year Old Classrooms, one with twelve children and the other with eleven children. The classrooms only have one teacher per room, but she does float between all three classrooms throughout the day. As I sat back and reflected on this interview, it made me realize that Monica and I have a lot in common. I, too, do not have an Education Degree. As a child, I always wanted to be a teacher. Teachers have a lot in common and are bonded by the love of children. To be a good teacher, you have got to love your job and kids and not just treat it as a paycheck. Those individuals who are just coming to work for the paycheck had better think twice about this profession. They are not doing the children any justice. In closing, I did not initially learn anything new in the early education field from this interview. But, I have learned that I have similar values as other teachers and directors. To make a difference, you have got to love your job. You cannot be in it for the money. You are in it for the well-being, loving and education of the child for our future. Your attitude on a given day affects the children and reputation of our education facility.