Each year the teacher will obtain the state required number of classroom hours to keep their teaching certificate updated. 

Interactions between children, peers, and staff provide opportunities for children to develop an understanding of self and others and are characterized by warmth, personal respect, individuality, positive support, and responsiveness.  All areas of young child development (social, emotional, cognitive, and physical) are integrated.  Optimal development in all areas derives from positive, supportive, individualized relationships with adults. 

Staff express respect and affection toward children by smiling, touching, holding, comforting, speaking, and responding to children at their eye level throughout the day, particularly at arrival and departure.  Staff actively seek meaningful conversations with child.  Both verbal and nonverbal contact between staff and children are frequent.  Staff encourage children to share their experiences, ideas, feeling, and emotions.  Staff are aware of the activities of the entire group even when dealing with a smaller group.  Staff position themselves strategically and look up often from involvement.  Responsiveness will vary depending on the age of the child. 

For example: a responsive adult quickly nods at a toddler in need of reassurance, replies to an older child's question, or complies with a verbal request while holding another child on their lap.  For a child to wait for adult time or response is sometimes inevitable but such waiting will be minimized as much as possible.

Back to main Preschool page