Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/qualifications-of-preschool-teachers-a-hot-issue-in-our-field/5020223/
The early education field is awash with debates �" high tech vs. low tech, academics vs. play, public school preschools vs. community operated programs. Yet no debate seems to generate as much heat as whether preschool teachers should be required to have a bachelor’s degree. In a recent Exchange Insta-Poll we asked readers of ExchangeEveryDay to tell us what they thought were the most important qualifications for effective preschool teachers.The results, posted above, were a bit surprising to many. Admittedly this was not a scientific survey �" anyone could participate, so there was no control over the credentials of the voters. Also, you will note that the results include a mixture of ‘qualifications’ and ‘qualities.’ But there were enough respondents (over 1,400) that there is some weight to the sentiments expressed.
Next we invited ExchangeEveryDay readers to share their reactions to the Insta-Poll results. In this article I have attempted to summarize the large number and wide diversity of responses we received. Responses tended to fall into three general categories:
• Those who agreed with the results (or interpreted the results to coincide with their views);
• Those who believed key elements were left out; and
• Those who were not ...