Abstract

There are many day care centers in our community. After children get out from school teachers of day care centers take care these children. The aims of this research were to (A)understand the plight and difficulties of the teachers in the day care center, (B)know the teachers’ family origin, schooling, and experience in the workplace, and (C)explore the teachers’ career processes and occupational history.

"Women do women's job" is the immutable truth. The theories, "The reproduction of motherhood" and "self-fulfilling prophecy", were used in this paper. The author waned to discuss the jobs in the day care center, whether they are for female teachers only. Male teachers might be good teachers in the day care centers, too. We offer an alternative thought to break the gender stereotype.

In this qualitative study, the researcher used an in-depth, semi-structured interview and the observation to collect data about ten women, five women with their own kids and five women without their own kids, in their workplace. After the participants described their life story, the main data was analyzed. From the viewpoints of femininity, gender and society, women's work, the roles of teachers, and the differences were explored.

The study found that because the teachers are working in the day care center; they assumed the role of the child’s second mother. Participants generally believe that the teaching is women's work. In day care centers, teachers are mostly female workers. The results of this study showed motherhood reproduction, gender differences, teachers dilemma, and facing a spoiled child happened in the day care center. Conclusions from this study, future research may suggest and be discussed later.