DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET INTRODUCTION FOR PROTÉGÉS   xxiii sion, the following list defines the meanings of several key terms as they are used in this guide: 88 Early childhood education or early childhood profession: These phrases refer to the broad field of work that encompasses child care, preschool, and other settings in which young children (from birth to kindergarten entry) receive care and education. 88 Teacher: This term refers to everyone who works directly with young children, providing care and education for them. It includes all the varying levels of teachers, assistants, aides, and other roles. This choice honors the role that everyone in the lives of young children plays in teaching important skills and support- ing development. 88 Program: This term refers to the organization or site where you work. For example, ABC Child Care Center is a program. This term includes child care centers, family child care programs, preschools, school-based programs, and other sites where young children receive care and education. 88 Classroom: This term refers to the individual space within the larger program where you work. A very small program may have only one classroom. But most programs have multiple class- rooms, often separating children into age groups. For example, your program may have an infant classroom, a toddler classroom, and a preschool classroom. Family child care programs may not think of or refer to their spaces as classrooms, even though a great deal of learning occurs within the walls of these environments. But for simplicity’s sake, this guide refers to individual spaces within all programs as classrooms. 88 Director: This term describes the person with the lead admin- istrative or supervisory responsibility for a program. In most programs, teachers report to the director. 88 Pronouns: This guide alternates between male and female pro- nouns to denote teachers and children. COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL