1 I 1 I know that my interactions with infants literally help to create the formation of their brains. I Always I Usually I Sometimes Working with Infants Infant Teachers: Is That Term for Real? Society, parents, and even early childhood professionals themselves often look at those who work with infants as babysitters, just care- givers, or pseudoteachers. Even in the early childhood field, infant teachers seem to get the lowest ranking on the imaginary education organizational hierarchy. Why? Maybe because caring for infants requires spending a great deal of time feeding, diapering, toileting, dressing, washing, and nurturing them. And without sounding too sarcastic, “How important could that be?” Well, I personally would like to thank all the adults in my infant life who helped me learn to eat, sleep, talk, and socialize, and who read to me, just to name a few tasks. Seems like some pretty important life skills to me! Guess you can sense my heart toward infant teachers. Given that working with infants requires early childhood pro- fessionals to focus lots of time on what seems like “just caring” for infants, many professionals question, “Does that really make me a teacher?” You bet. The amount of learning that happens in the first year of life is exponential compared to any other time. You play an important role in helping infants interact with the world and the people around them, experience a sense of predictability, and develop a sense of trust and security through your consistent, posi- tive actions. I’d say that makes you a professor of infants! I Never I 10