Who is working in the classroom?

Teachers and early childhood educators (ECEs) are working together to help young students learn during the regular school day. These educators have complementary skills that create a learning environment to support the unique needs of each child. With two qualified professionals in the classroom for the full school day, there is more time for individual and small group instruction.

At schools that offer the integrated before- and after-school program, two ECEs work in the full-day kindergarten classroom. For example, one may run the before-school program and work in the classroom with the teacher during the morning and the second may arrive around lunchtime and work with the teacher in the afternoon and run the after-school program.

At schools that don’t offer the before- and after-school program, a single ECE works alongside the teacher during the regular school day (for example, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.).

Watch as an ECE and teacher team get ready for the first day of school.

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Teachers and ECEs work together to implement the program and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment.

Early childhood educators have knowledge of early childhood development, observation and assessment. They bring a focus on age-appropriate program planning that promotes each child’s physical, cognitive, language, emotional, social and creative development and well-being.

Teachers have a knowledge of the broader elementary curriculum, assessment, evaluation and reporting, and child development. They are responsible for student learning, effective instruction and evaluation and formal reporting to parents, based on the teacher-ECE team’s assessments of children’s progress.