Temple Tots Preschool is seeking new employees. Caroline King, director of the center, noted that Temple Tots offers standards-based, social-emotional, physical and spiritual growth for the children in the preschool’s care.

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services training is required for Temple Tots employees. This is one of the state licensing requirements to ensure children are provided a safe learning environment. Applicants must have either a high school diploma or GED, reliable transportation and meet the children where they are developmentally. Potential applicants can contact King by phone at 740-354-3939, by email at [email protected] or by stopping by the center at 1148 Gallia St. in Portsmouth.

King said employees at the preschool use modeling to encourage social and emotional growth among the children.

“We teach them how,” she said.

Childcare workers use smartboards, visual cues, reading techniques and a safe box. The safe box is a box that has a figure of each child. They create their own image and put that into the box along with their teachers’ image. This teaches children that they are safe with their teachers, and it is up to them to keep each other safe by being kind to one another and behaving in a safe manner.

“I use safekeeper rituals and have a safe space,” Temple Tots teacher Tammy Webb said. “We also practice daily commitments.”

King explained that the classroom is a family, and families have jobs, so the children have jobs to do in the classroom. The children know that people are counting on them to do their job, which can give them a purpose and sense of belonging.

King argues that emotional health is the most important aspect of a child’s life. She references Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which claims that children have to feel safe and loved before they can learn. King considers social and emotional growth a prerequisite for learning to read and write.

Carley McGlone, another teacher at Temple Tots, said that she loves the children in her care unconditionally and demonstrates that love through hugs, compliments and hand-holding.

Temple Tots is part of Temple Baptist Church and seeks to provide spiritual education through chapel, books and reciting Bible verses. The children are not expected to memorize the Bible verses, but to repeat them after their teachers, so that it is developmentally appropriate.

“I align my lesson plans with early learning standards,” Webb said.

The children are also taught Bible stories and songs, as it is a faith-based preschool. McGlone said that her favorite part of her job is “getting to share about Jesus to my kids and teach them how to learn through play.” 

Students at the preschool also engage in field trips through programs like “Adopt a Nursing Home.” Children visit the nursing home five times a year (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, fall and Easter). This year, the program is working with Portsmouth Health and Rehab. The students also visit Kroger to learn how food gets to the store and about nutrition.