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.

The Instructor Registry has six different levels:

Type of Instructor Required Educational Background Required Instructional Experience (1) 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. 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. 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 aloneSupports 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 Offers instruction aloneSupports 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

 * Minimum of a High School Diploma or GED
1 all Instructors must have formal training in teaching adults

 

 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.