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The Secret Life of Early Childhood Educators: Heroes in Tiny Shoes

Would you encourage someone to become a teacher?

According to a nationally representative survey by the nonprofit research organization NORC at the University of Chicago, only 18% of Americans would encourage a young person to become a K-12 teacher.  

What went wrong?

Picture this: 15 kids bustling around a classroom: half chasing imaginary butterflies, the other half discovering just how much glue is too much. Somewhere in the middle of this whirlwind stands an early childhood educator, smiling through the chaos and orchestrating miracles every minute of the day.

Teaching tiny humans might seem like finger painting and storytime from the outside, but in reality, it’s an emotional marathon—and one that far too few people are willing to run these days.

The Reality of Early Childhood Education

If you’ve ever met a preschool teacher, you’ve met a multitasking wizard. Here are some quotes we found on the Reddit forum for teachers.

• "The first week as a teacher is pure chaos—a sprint filled with endless tasks. My main goal is not sending a kid home on the wrong bus. Everyone expects me to cater to their wishes and dreams for their little one."

•  “I send home a daily folder, and mark a sad face or a happy face. If a child has a bad day, I email the parent or use the Remind app to reach out. If needed, I make a call or schedule a conference.”

• “I run a class Facebook page, and have already posted about 40 pictures since last Tuesday. I almost provide daily updates and communication for every kid in class.”

Yet, in class, they still teach, comfort, inspire, and occasionally negotiate peace treaties over crayons. The pressure never seems to ease them.

• “I would much rather teachers be investing time and attention on direct instruction of the kids and planning quality lessons rather than trying to provide daily updates and communication for every kid in the class.”

According to a 2024 study by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), 68% of early child care centers reported teacher shortages. More than 10,000 childcare providers nationwide show deepening uncertainty and instability in the early education sector.

Why the Struggle is Real

1. Low Pay for Big Impact

For the 2023–2024 school year, the average annual salary for teachers in the United States was approximately $69,544, according to the National Education Association (NEA). Despite this increase, many teachers feel that their compensation remains inadequate. A survey by the RAND Corporation found that only 34% of K–12 teachers considered their base salary to be "somewhat" or "completely" adequate. And, teacher salaries have grown more slowly than pay in other sectors.

Source: ADP Data

2. High Expectations, Few Resources

Kindergarten teachers are expected to be educators, caregivers, and emotional support systems, often without the materials or staff they need to succeed. Early childhood education isn’t just physically demanding—it’s emotionally draining. Caring deeply for each child while balancing the needs of a full classroom can take its toll. Typically, the teacher-to-student ratio in kindergartens is 1 to 12, as specified by NAEYC. “Teachers are not encouraging other people to become teachers because they know how bad it is,” said Chris Pagel, President of the Nassau Teachers Association.

The Path Forward for the Early Child Educators

To alleviate the burdens on teachers and address the growing challenges in early childhood education,  PLAYTAG provides an AI-powered, innovative behavioral analysis service - StoryLine. Through AI-driven observations, StoryLine helps transform how teachers teach and care for young children. StoryLine provides two services: StoryLine Daily, which automatically captures meaningful interactions, and identifies behavioral insights categorized for each child, and StoryLine Report, which offers insights into class-wide patterns to help teachers better construct their class time. You can learn more about our service - StoryLine by clicking here.