lead teacher

preschool teacher

teacher

assistant teacher

assistant director

Otter Learning

A typical day is usually taking care of the kids and making sure you're updating procare while watching them and then lots of cleaning. If you don't get out in a certain amount of time they'll cut your hours to make sure you're not getting overtime, so pre close your room (which is really hard to do) or you're getting hours cut. For what I believed I learned, I learned how to communicate with the children better and some state standards that I needed a refresh on. The environment was okay, I loved my coworkers but my director was nice to your face and then talked a lot about you behind your back especially if you inconvenienced them. If you have any hidden diseases, illness, etc, they are not accommodating to it. I had a lot of issues with it and it's ultimately why I had to leave other than when I found out the director was saying really hurtful things about me to my coworkers. The hardest part of the job was honestly dealing with the director, they were prone to being emotional, even in a professional setting, and brought all stress, home issues, etc, into the job by being rude to us when things didn't go their way. You could not call out sick or with an emergency without them losing their mind over it and talking about you the next day to your coworkers. They also frequently left the building and they do not stay to close the building with you which I was baffled by. The most enjoyable part of the job was the kids, I adored my kids and getting to watch them learn and grow everyday! I'm sad that the work environment was so toxic because the kids made me really happy and I loved getting to see them everyday. 

The goal is to provide access to quality programs for children.  I think our challenges are similar with any education program right now, growing new teachers, helping teachers have fun while learning the importance of their positions, the why's behind what we do, the importance of supervision and safety protocols. Leaders create engagement while ensuring they have a home / work life balance and driving lots of training. I do see attempts to not respond to emails after hours, and avoid weekend work (NICE)
Otter offers wonderful employee benefits, and Otter is willing to think outside the box vs using a "one size fits all method". I have found a lot of hard-working caring people at Otter. As this company is an acquisition company, we have the benefit of learning LOTS of different ways that people have done things well and we listen and learn. The goal is to provide programs with passion and creativity. Nurturing young minds and being kind to our community. I do think there are BIG efforts to be accommodating and understanding and to really celebrate individuals and communities for their strengths... each school has a history, the team provides the culture and Otter believes in honoring it as long as it serves the children and the community well. 

Come to work at 6:30 in the morning and go straight to a classroom. Begin getting ready for all the kids and not getting breakfast ready because the director or the assistant director will be doing breakfast. Being the cook, you're scheduled to work in the kitchen and cover classrooms when teachers are not available. Being the cook, I paid for food, utensils, cups, and snacks for the kids without being reimbursed. The daycare had a grandparent's day and most of the food that was purchased was by my own money. They are quick to need your help to cover shifts for others while not being in the kitchen. They tend to use you until you are no longer enjoying the job. They pretend to be friendly and yet; they criticize you on everything that you do. They tell you how to do your job making you feel incompetent. What I have learned about this job is that, you are quick to be replaced and yet, they do not care of other people and only what the company wants. The company is quick to limit funds for food for the kids and the daycare will seriously serve children dry cereal and water if they are too lazy to run to the store for a gallon of milk. 

I had the unfortunate experience of working at this school as both the preschool cook and an assistant teacher, with only compensation for being the cook. Throughout my time there, I consistently witnessed food shortages, lack of basic supplies and teachers repeatedly dipping into their own pockets to compensate for lack of resources. 

The lack of leadership was glaringly evident, leaving me feeling completely incompetent. People behind the scenes talked negatively about me behind my back and only seemed to utilize my services when it suited them. It appeared that the well-being and education of the kids were not a top priority. 

I observed situations where the school's approach to handling issues involving DCF appeared to raise ethical concerns. There seemed to be a lack of transparency and thoroughness in addressing these matters, which could potentially impact the well-being of the children and families involved

Overall, this school portrays itself as a warm and welcoming environment, but in reality, it's a toxic and unprofessional place to work, with little regard for the welfare of both its employees and the children in its care. 

All the positive reviews are upper management trying to deceive you. This company is a joke and the turn over rate is insane. I promise you will be overworked and underpaid. They will tell you this is the norm and it isn’t. I’m currently working at a different center across the street making $18.50 as a teacher. Otter Learning is focused on aesthetics rather than what really matters: children, family, and staff. If they have enough money to completely renovate every center they own with brand new paint, walls, and furniture then they can afford to pay their employees livable wages. In addition to higher wages, they need to hire more employees. I promise you will be doing the job of two or three people without being compensated for it. Also bonuses? Non existent unless you’re a director making a profit for the center. You’ll be lucky to make $10/hour at this company. Work somewhere else. P.S. you can’t afford the insurance they offer especially if you’re also paying for half off childcare (which is still the highest in the region)

Working for Otter Learning has opened many doors. When first worked with Otter Learning I worked as an assistant was was offered opportunities to have help with achieving goals to further my job and advance in the company. I had a great team of leaders behind me encouraging me every step of the way. They have been great with putting in new things that be if it not just administrative people but even teachers! The benefits they offer all employees is more than I have received at any job before. 
They have great tools to help balance a classroom. They let teachers lead how they feel their students learn best along with offering amazing helpful tools to turn to in need. They are all about making a school more beneficial to a community as a whole. 
From new technology options, classroom materials, and ways to help families and teachers this has been a great experience and I’m excited to be able to learn and grow. 

Working at Otter Learning started off as a positive experience, but quickly declined due to constant leadership turnover and lack of structure.
In one year, there were multiple directors and three regional directors, which led to inconsistent expectations and poor communication. Policies were not applied consistently, and workplace decisions often felt influenced by internal politics.
Training was minimal and inconsistent, leaving staff underprepared for expectations. HR support was essentially non-existent, and it was difficult to get clear answers or resolution on concerns.
Scheduling and time expectations became increasingly difficult to manage, and overall, employee time and boundaries did not feel respected.

Otter Learning is a fantastic company to work for.  Early childhood education is a tough field because we are not recognized by society and the government for how important we are in a child's life, so pay rates are low and often the work environment is toxic because people are only there for a paycheck.  Otter Learning management cares about creating a company that takes care of their employees as well as they possibly can in a field where that is incredibly difficult.  They offer benefits, a 401k, PTO, bereavement leave, education assistance, and more.  I have never worked in another center that offers these things.  The owners are great people who are invested in their schools, their employees, the children and families we serve, and our communities.  Advancement happens often in this company and they always try to promote from within.  My life has completely changed for the better since I started with Otter Learning. 

Management here is good.. but I think they should start suspending children who show constant aggression to other children and staff. They let it happen over and over and when a child is seriously injured they become frantic when it could’ve been prevented by some disciplinary action. As teachers we can issue a child quiet time but if the child goes home every day where that behavior is acceptable the parents should be warned then the child should be suspended. You will be burned out QUICKLY here. Money is not everything, an aggressive child puts other children at risk and also the teacher(s) governing the classroom. Also they feed the kids horrible meals and a lot of them are constantly hungry. I saw them serve crackers and water for snack so many times and they ration the food tightly. If you love and care about kids, this is probably not a good option to choose for a job

I’m not sure what a typical day at work is because the standards we are to be held to is constantly changing every few weeks. There is a right way and a wrong way to help children learn and they will tell you that. Management is tricky, there are many people who are above you and can make you feel less than or intimidated. If you can find a center who’s director and assistant director is fair then it might be a good place. The hardest part of my job is seeing how much others can get away with and nothing be done about it with upper managements knowledge. I really love working with children and helping them grow into being their own little selves but it’s difficult when the cards are constantly stacked against you and other staff members. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Lead teacher 58 salaries reported	$16.32 per hour
Preschool teacher 122 salaries reported	$15.33 per hour
Teacher 53 salaries reported	$14.97 per hour
Assistant teacher 31 salaries reported	$14.93 per hour
Assistant director 69 salaries reported	$12.00 per hour

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