A member of a school board in my area recently decided to make a statement that “Kindergarten teachers are babysitters.” As a member of student PSEA and being an education major, I find this statement highly offensive and inaccurate. From having a year experience working in the kindergarten classroom, I have to say that this lady has no clue what she is talking about.

Teachers set the foundation for all occupations. Without schooling, we would be uneducated, ignorant citizens. Teaching has to start somewhere and guess what, it starts in kindergarten. Kindergarten is a vital time in a child’s schooling career. At this time in a child’s life they are learning structure and the base information for the rest of their academic careers.

Children may color but that is far from babysitting. Coloring allows a child to develop their fine motor skills so they learn how to write. Dramatic play teaches children local community roles and allows them to use their imagination which allows for cognitive development. Physical education allows children to learn rules to certain games and how to follow them. As well as developing their gross motor skills.

So to those who say that teachers are babysitters, are you even aware of what teachers do in eight hours with your children? In those eight hours, children are learning social skills, cognitive skills, developing their motor skills, etc. So can you tell me how that is not benefiting your children? How is that babysitting your child?

Schooling has to start somewhere and that starts in kindergarten. Five-year-old children don’t start school knowing calculus and the difference between synonyms and antonyms. They start kindergarten knowing their name and that they are there for a reason. They know that learning is fun and that they will learn for the rest of their lives.

Think of all the progress your child has made and all of the stuff they tell you they learn in school just in one day. Without teachers, we wouldn’t be educated citizens. Think of yourself? Where would you be without your teachers? Schooling starts somewhere. If schooling wouldn’t start in kindergarten, it would start in first grade. If not first grade, then second grade and so on and so forth. Regardless, we need kindergarten. The material that is taught in kindergarten is extremely vital.

So before you call teachers babysitters think of what they actually do in the time that they have your children. Take the time to actually educate yourself on the topic. Thinking before you speak is something we are taught at a young age and before speaking you should have the facts. Before putting someone else’s dreams and occupation down, think of how you would feel? Think of all the hard work and effort others put into their jobs. Teachers have the most underrated occupation out of any of them. We aren’t in it for the money, we are in it to change the lives of young ones. We teach to make all other occupations possible. So you tell me, how is that babysitting?