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The more involved in the field I became, the more I realized the full extent of the
prevailing negative image of the early childhood educator. There was a perception that
the larger society did not value the role. Colleagues constantly talked about getting out of
the field. To stay in the field was to accept pay that was low with almost non-existent
recognition. I was deeply disturbed to hear aspersions directed by others towards the
field. Surprisingly, the most defaming remarks came from the teachers in the school,
which I heard when I ventured into the staff room. There I felt the scorn of the teachers
themselves who called early childhood educators day care workers and talked about
children just playing. In comparison to the qualified teacher, I was the poorer relation
within the teaching continuum. There was a realization that I had not yet reached the
place where my voice was being heard. I began to visualize a new image of myself as a
teacher educator.
As a college instructor.
The next step on my journey involved my securing a part-time teaching position
at the local community college. The first course I taught was the same course I took as a
beginning student, Child Development. As a student and practitioner, I had difficulty
comprehending Piagetian terms related to the stages of cognitive development. In
practice, I had supported and advocated for a play-based program, but had not considered
the theoretical foundation for this philosophy.
Having to teach Piaget’s theories, I was faced with a perplexing situation. I
clearly recall re-learning the complex terms and trying desperately to find a way to teach
the theory in a way that felt authentic. I floundered, relying on lecture notes and textbook
readings. I became the teacher I had feared to be (Diamond, 1991). The inherent value