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Are Teachers Babysitters? Considered Caregivers or Glorified

Teachers are not babysitters

We are living in a day and age when people seem to have an opinion about every single thing. The question of whether teachers are babysitters is one that requires careful consideration. There are differing views on the matter, and it is not an issue that needs a simple yes or no reply. 

Many people believe teachers are babysitters, but this is not true at all. Here are some reasons that prove teachers are not babysitters.

Teachers are not babysitters because they are hired to professionally teach, impart knowledge and evaluate the learning process. The assumption that teaching is equivalent to babysitting is a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to educate.

Therefore, teachers are educators and not caregivers, and schools are learning institutions, not child care centers.

In addition, unlike teachers, babysitters just keep kids safe and occupied until their parents return from work or from an evening out. Teachers teach and impart knowledge.

Reading with children

Babysitters do not challenge kids to think critically about the world around them, nor do they provide them with opportunities to question and explore the limits of their abilities.

Educators do not just keep students safe while they wait for their parents, though that’s an important part of the job.

They guide students in their learning and development and keep track of their progress in class.

Furthermore, they encourage them to take risks, make mistakes and practice perseverance so they can become confident, independent learners.

Teachers are highly skilled and trained professionals who work in close partnership with families to build the foundation for children’s future success. They are not just babysitters, as some people seem to think. 

The job of teaching is much more complex than many realize. It requires specialized knowledge, skills, and competencies that are developed through a rigorous course of study and practice over many years.

Reasons that Make People Think Teachers are Babysitters

A lot of people have a misconception that teachers are there to babysit their children. However, there are many reasons that make people think teachers are babysitters.

teaccher+pupiils in class

First, teachers spend all day with kids in school so that they can understand more about children’s feelings and characters than their parents.

Therefore, many parents think that teachers are babysitters because they believe that teachers know more about their children than themselves.

Second, since many teachers are women, their appearance and behavior are quite gentle. They usually have a soft voice, speak slowly and carefully, which makes students feel comfortable getting along with them. In addition, they often explain until all students understand what they teach clearly.

Third, most of the teachers choose to be a teacher because they love to take care of kids. They can easily understand the student’s problems and try their best to help them. They do not require high wages and just want their students to learn more about the world.

Teachers are generally very responsible and they know how much their students look up to them. They have an influence on each one of their students which is why they are extremely careful while dealing with their students. 

However, apart from being role models and sources of inspiration, there is another thing that teachers do.  Most people think that teachers are babysitters who babysit children during the day so the parents can go out earn money and support their families financially.

Lastly, the teacher has an important role in the development of children. And for this reason, the work of a teacher should be taken with responsibility. However, many people think that teachers are only babysitters, who only have to take care of children.

Reasons that Show Teachers are NOT Babysitters

Here are some reasons that show why teachers are NOT babysitters:

1. Teachers help Kids Grow with the Right Perspective About Life

Teachers help students mature into responsible citizens by sharing their experiences with them. They guide them about what’s right or wrong and about having a positive outlook on life. Also, they help children understand things from different perspectives by sharing personal experiences with them. 

They impart wisdom and knowledge from their own lives which help children learn how to deal with different situations in life. Teachers also encourage kids to dream big and motivate them to actually go out and chase for more opportunities. 

2. They Follow a Curriculum

curriculum books

The teachers have a curriculum to follow.

The curriculum tells the teacher what they are supposed to be teaching the students and when.

If the teacher is spending time babysitting you then they cannot spend time on their curriculum.

This means that by being a distraction you are actually delaying your own education.

3. They Hold on to Their Profession

Teachers are not babysitters. They are people who did spend years of their lives studying and learning how to guide your child’s development, education, and growth.

They also have spent years of their life dedicated to the job of teaching.

4. Large Audience 

The last reason that teachers are not babysitters is that they have too many students to watch over already. Most classes have 30 or more students in them, and most schools do not have an assistant teacher in each classroom.

If the teacher has to spend time watching over one student instead of teaching then it distracts them from other students in the class. This means that by being a distraction you are actually hurting your classmates as well as yourself.