Guest Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Dear everyone, I have been in the business for many years. I have called my employees early years practitioners - they are qualified NVQ3 some are studing at a level 5 foundation degree level. Most nurseries call their nursery workers, nursery teachers it has always puzzled me. What do you call your staff?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 My lovely ladies are called Practitioners! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klc106 Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 We also use early years practitioners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sox Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Formally we are assistants supervisors deputy manager and manager! Love the idea of practitioners! A change is on the horizon I feel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoolahoney Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Practitioners when speaking to an adult, "Auntie (Name)" to the children/parents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 it is nice to share ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 it is nice to share ideas It certainly is - welcome to the forum - love your avatar! :1b Oh and yes early years practitioners.........but mine should be known as 'angels' as that's what they are! :1b 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 ahh have you told them that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiles Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 practitioners......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamgirl Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Slaves 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I was told to use pedagog, but don't like it. It seems to vary, I had one member of staff who used to say things like "wait till there's a teacher outside" etc, and others who just say "grown up". It depends who you are talking to I suppose, we are manager, deputy and assistants, parents use our names, but know our 'status'. I quite often just say 'staff' if I'm referring to all of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeany Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 We are Manager, Lead Early Years Practitioner, SENCo, and Early Years Practitoners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargrower Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 We are Early Years Practitioners for qualified staff and Early Years Assistants for unqualified. Parents and children use our first names and we say 'a grown up' to children if talking generally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 early years practitioners also here now.. i think they are hoping to move away from anybody using the term nursery "nurse" basically hoping it would encourage more male early years practitioners into the sector which is much needed imo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conker Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 We are leader, deputy and assistant, children call us 'Mrs.....' committee refer to us as 'the staff'! I feel a change coming on, Early Years Practitioners has a nice ring to it don't you think? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I use Staff when talking about all of them to parents but I have some ethnic families who call us all teachers. To the children we use our first names. I know some groups use Aunty but I wouldn't as I class that as a relation, and maybe its just me but it doesn't 'sound' very qualified Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondie Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 we are called lead practitioners, deputy practitioners and practitioners - the children call us by our first name as do the parents - we usually say wait for eg sue / or grown up x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 I use Staff when talking about all of them to parents but I have some ethnic families who call us all teachers. To the children we use our first names. I know some groups use Aunty but I wouldn't as I class that as a relation, and maybe its just me but it doesn't 'sound' very qualified Im with you there Steph, I too think Aunty sounds waaay to cosy and familiar! We may not have the status of Teacher, or the pay, or the pension or the paid holidays but amongst the snot and paint we try to retain our dignity and respect by being called Mrs........! All parents refer to us as Mrs as well as the children and We find it works well. Particularly find having a bit of formality very useful when dealing with important issues eg discussing sen, progress, fees etc.....don't feel theres the same weight behind it when 'Auntie Sue' says you owe us £200 quid!! ha ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoolahoney Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Just to defend the "Auntie" issue a bit, our staff refer to themselves as “Aunties” because “Auntie” is a familiar, friendly term children are probably already used to and are likely to recognise it as a term used for someone they can trust to care for them. We add this to first names e.g. “Auntie Sarah”. The term “Auntie” is optional and children may just call staff by their first name if preferred. Parents often show their preference for using or not using it and their children follow suit which is fine by us. We recently asked parents in our questionaire how they felt about us changing to just first names or Mrs but there was an overwhelming response saying how much they liked the term and not to change it. Has been that way for us for nearly 20 years now and whilst I see it can look unproffessional, cosy and familiar and have looked at changing it, at the end of the day if parents, children and staff are happy with it then it's all down to what works for you and your setting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoolahoney Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Ooo I went all small there, sorry may need glasses to read that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I used to work at a setting where they called us 'Auntie' the parents always called us by our first names when talking to us but when speaking to the children about us they always said 'Auntie....' It was good for new children as they didn't have to remember any of our names they could just say Auntie to any of us if they needed us and they just picked up our names over time. I think its nice and its like nursery is an extension of the family. It did feel weird at first but eventually just becomes the norm :1b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redjayne Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 (edited) The term Aunty is always used by our African families especially as this is what they call child carers in their own country, but once they learn our actual names ( and all of our children and parents call us by christian names and it's never been an issue around authority/respect etc..) they will use those. When I worked in Children's homes a long time ago in my early twenties we were all called Aunty or Uncle - it used to feel odd as the children were nearly as old as me ! :1b My staff are Nursery Nurses at present but I am planning on changing to practitioners in the near future as an update is needed to reflect their expertise and skills . Edited September 22, 2012 by redjayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Parents and children call us by our first names but in title (displays/parent pack etc) we are Manager, Supervisor and Early Years Educators. I have to say that I am somewhat anti the Auntie title from more of a safeguarding point of view I'm afraid! We're not related to the children in most cases and in our authority it is a big no no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyfs1966 Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Slaves Made me laugh....agreed but also see us all as saints!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamgirl Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Made me laugh....agreed but also see us all as saints!! Touché Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Our staff are called Early Years Educators (EYE's) we have the Manager, Deputy Manager, Senior EYE's and EYE's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 gosh this got me thinking - and have realised it's not really something we say - surprisingly!! We used to say 'nursery nurse' but that sounds dated now as for the children well we answer to most things but encourage the use of our first names - we are daycare so 'Mrs' sounds so formal for children who would 'normally' be in a home environment if they weren't with us iyswim - we figure they'll spend enough time saying 'Mr' or 'Mrs' at school Love it when staff need to catch a grandparent on the hoof and can't remember their name so panic and shout 'nana/grandma' Makes me chuckle every time - specially when there's a few in and they all turn around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) We use 'Mrs' .... because originally I worked in the school as well, and the same children from preschool moved up into the school and would have to call me that there, as that was the practice, back (mumble mumble) years ago. My deputy and I decided it would be less confusing to do that. Now I have the children of those school children in Preschool, and so it continues. Makes me laugh though when I'm in town to be addressed so formally by 30 year olds, I tell them they can use my first name now and they laugh, guiltily, and carry on using Mrs... Edited September 23, 2012 by Cait 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargrower Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 That makes me laugh too! Not sure I'm laughing at being called 'grandma' myself though. I'm very used to accidentally being called Mummy by children at nursery, but recently a few 'grandmas' have crept in too... :huh: . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SamG Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 At my previous setting we were called Auntie, but it caused confusion when my niece started at the setting as she thought I was related to all the children. As children left to start primary school, especially those starting the same school as my own son, they still called me Auntie on the playground. The looks I got from some of the parents when children shouted over the playground 'Hi Auntie Sam'. We plan on just using christian names once our own setting opens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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