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It is the perception of experience that I seek to illuminate. Perception in phenomenology
is the primary source of knowledge, “the source that cannot be doubted” (Moustakas,
1994, p. 52). What are the perceptions of the participants about the impact of their
situation on their experience in teaching with an emergent curriculum? What did they
perceive as the issues and concerns facing them in their current situation or place?
Image.
It is the perception of all four participants that the current political, social, and
economic context for early childhood education impacts practice and self-image. The
babysitter image is a prevailing image that dominates the experience of these four
teachers. As described in Chapter Two, the image of a glorified babysitter has debilitating
effects on who and what early childhood educators consider themselves to be as teachers.
Mary was concerned that others in the field of education and beyond did not see
early childhood educators as professionals. Felicia was frustrated, feeling that responses
of others to her chosen profession were belittling, like the local gardener’s daily greeting
of “how’s babysitting going?” Rose suggested that if “you tell someone [outside of the
field] that you are an early childhood educator, they automatically consider you a
babysitter.” According to Rose, “Some still see us as babysitters. People don’t understand
that children are beginning their education with us. We should be valued, but
unfortunately we are not. We are not paid enough.” Layla wanted to send a message of
“we are not babysitters” to the world, seeing it as the only way to affect change.
Even if they were to find themselves working within a context of support from the
system, for example, having employment benefits, these teachers were still concerned
with the perception others had of their chosen career as early childhood educators.