Instructors

Adult instruction is a skill separate from teaching children, working with families or supervising staff.  Vermont’s Instructor Qualification System (Instructor Registry) ensures that quality instruction is available statewide to individuals working with or on behalf of children. To accomplish this, an approval process determines that competent instructors are qualified to provide professional development. This Qualification System is designed to:
  • Identify instructors who have met established criteria for high quality instruction of adults;
  • Establish a clear pathway for instructor development;
  • Be a resource for those who seek to hire instructors;
  • Act as a promotional marketing tool for instructors;
  • Provide networking, foster collegiality and support instructors of adults.
A consistent statewide process considers an applicant’s a) education and credentials, b) current experience teaching adults, and c) formal instruction in adult learning principles and practices.  The accepted application also serves as a profile that sponsors of professional development may use to choose an instructor.

Instructor Level Requirements

Effective 2.28.13
Type
of Instructor		 Required
Educational Background		 Required
Instructional Experience2		 Function
within the Instructor Registry
Affiliate I
Any level of completed education or related coursework in early childhood education, afterschool services or a related field.1
24 hours or less of
adult instruction in the last 3 years
 Works with the support
of a Master or Certified Instructor
Affiliate II Associate’s degree in early childhood education, afterschool services or a related field.

OR
Associate’s degree in an unrelated field with a minimum of 9 related college credits and three years of experience in early childhood education or afterschool services.
OR
21 related college credits and 3 years of experience in early childhood education or afterschool services.
 25 hours or more of
adult instruction in the last 3 years		 Works with the support
of a Master or Certified Instructor
Certified Bachelor’s degree or above in early childhood education, afterschool services, or a related field.

OR
Bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field with a minimum of 15 college credits and three years of experience in early childhood education or afterschool services.
 25 hours or more of
adult instruction in the last 3 years		 Offers instruction
alone.
Supports Affiliate I,
Affiliate II, and Specialist I Instructors
Master Master’s or Doctoral
degree in early childhood education, afterschool services or a related field.

OR
Master’s or doctoral
degree in an unrelated field with a minimum of 15 college credits and three years of experience in early childhood education or afterschool services.
 45 hours or more of
adult instruction in the last 3 years

OR
45 hours or more teaching  coursework at an institution
of higher education
 Offers instruction alone.
Supports Affiliate I,
Affiliate II and Specialist I Instructors
Specialist I Any level of education
in a non-related field with specialization in a specific knowledge area.		 9 or fewer hours of
adult instruction in the last 2 years		 Works with the support
of a Master or Certified Instructor
Specialist II Any level of education
in a non-related field with specialization in a specific knowledge area.		 10 hours or more of
adult instruction in the last 2 years		 Offers instruction
alone
1 – Minimum of a High School Diploma or GED

2- Instructors teach groups of adults working with or on behalf of children, with content falling within one or more of the 5 Core Knowledge Areas.  Instructors provide professional development to individuals at all levels of the Vermont Northern Lights Career Ladder for early childhood and afterschool professionals. Instruction is a planned and documented, interactive group learning experience among adults, led by a qualified instructor to meet specific learning objectives. It is responsive to the needs and interests of the learner and learning outcomes for individuals are assessed. For the purpose of the Instructor Registry, hours of one to-one instruction between an instructor and a single learner cannot equal more than half of the total hours required for that Instructor Level.
Related Fields and Credits
Affiliate II, Certified and Master level instructors require degrees or education in a related field. Specialists may have degrees in un-related fields. Degrees with a major or concentration in one of the following areas are considered related:
  • Child Development
  • Human Development
  • Education (Early Childhood, Elementary, Special Education)
  • Child and Family Studies (including Home Economics)
When an individual’s field of study is not one of the four areas above, credit-bearing coursework in one or more of the following areas will be accepted:
  • Child or Human Development
  • Education, including Special Education
  • Health, including Nutrition and Nursing
  • Psychology, Mental Health, Child and Family Studies
  • Sociology, Human Services, Social Sciences
  • Business or Administration related to early childhood or afterschool program management
And for Afterschool Instructors:
  • Recreation, Physical Education, Outdoor Education, Art and Music Education
Related fields and credits will be reviewed and approved by the Approval Panel on a case-by-case basis. Degrees and coursework must be approved according to the criteria set forth by the Northern Lights Career Development Center.