Preschool Teachers Career Guide
ECE stands for “Early Childhood Education.” It was believed in the past that a preschool teacher was more of a glorified play monitor. Today, that has changed considerably, especially with the emphasis on learning word concepts, letter and alphabet awareness, and emerging reading skills in preschool. Also, there is an emphasis on children learning more about science and their world before they enter kindergarten.
Today's preschool teacher also is considered an important part of getting children ready for the rigors of school because of the federal and state-funded Head Start preschool programs that exist around the country. These programs also emphasize teaching children social skills in addition to emergent reader skills and science concepts.
Steps to Take
Because of the importance of quality preschool teachers, the standards for entry into the field have increased as well. Preschool teachers can be found in Head Start programs, public schools, and private daycare programs. Some teachers work the traditional 10-month school year but others work a full 12-month year.
All preschool teachers need experience working with children, a high school diploma, a certification, and if you’re teaching in a public school, you’ll likely need to have a bachelor's degree. You will need to have patience, be caring and kind, and quickly learn to develop classroom management skills.
What will you do?
A preschool teacher will have groups of students alternating through different learning experiences, learning centers, and play throughout the day. All of these learning experiences must be planned before the school day begins. The learning experiences need to be hands-on, enjoyable, and age and developmentally appropriate for each individual learner.
Types of learning experiences will include reading and reading readiness activities, reading aloud to students from books, hands-on science activities, and art activities that support learning about reading, writing, and science. Students will also learn social skills in lessons supplied by Head Start to their teachers.
Teachers are responsible for knowing age-appropriate classroom management strategies that help students learn how to take responsibility for their behaviors and their impact upon others.
Preschool teachers are also responsible for training and directing the work of teacher aides and volunteers in the classroom and communicating with parents and informing them what they can do as partners in their children's education.
Preschool teachers usually do their lesson planning for upcoming lessons either in their classroom after school or at home. They may find that they need to reflect upon their teaching daily in order to ensure that they are creating a space in which all students are learning and growing educationally and socially every day. This will involve individualizing instruction, using grouping strategies, behavior contracts with some students, and scaffolding instruction in cases where students do not have requisite skills to meet the standards of the lesson.
Preschool teachers will need to maintain accurate metrics on each student's learning.
Common Degree Requirements
Some preschools, including all public schools and Head Start programs, require at least an associate's or bachelor's degree with a major in ECE. Head Start requires 50% of their preschool teachers to have a bachelor's degree with a major in ECE. Every state requires preschool teachers in the public schools to have a bachelor's degree with an ECE major, but not all state preschool programs require a bachelor's degree.
These bachelor's degree programs usually require the preschool teaching candidate to do some supervised teaching as a part of the program. They will also need to have a grasp of the current research on emergent reading and emergent readers.
Many community colleges offer programs in ECE, training the next generation of preschool instructors. If you do not have enough money and/or scholarships lined up in order to attend a four-year university right away, you can begin as an ECE major at a community college and later transfer to a four-year institution. It is essential, though, to ensure that you take class work that is transferable to the four-year institution.
Exams and Licensing
In many states, candidates will also need a certification and pass a PRAXIS examination on ECE subjects. The good news with the PRAXIS examinations is that the scores are transferable to most states.
There are two major certifications that are required of preschool teachers. The Childhood Development Associate (CDA) credential is required for childcare centers. It requires 120 hours of ECE training that must be divided among eight subject areas. One must complete an examination and a review of one's training. After acceptance, the candidate then must complete 480 hours in a childcare center to fulfill the requirements for the center-based CDA credential. This credential must be renewed every three years and can only be renewed with proof of a required number of hours of extra training, continuing education units, or courses in ECE.
The other ECE credential is the Child Care Professional Credential (CCP). This credential is helpful for preschool teacher candidates who do not have a bachelor's degree in ECE, or those who do not have a bachelor's degree at all. It is recognized in place of a bachelor's degree in seven states in lieu of teaching credentials for preschool teacher candidates.
The CCP credential certification involves multiple tasks. One must be over 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or equivalent, have completed 720 hours of work in a licensed, center-based early childhood facility, have completed 180 hours of training, pass an examination, submit a portfolio, be assessed in formal observations, and submit parent evaluations and letters of recommendation.
The CCP credential must be renewed in two years with 24 hours of continuing training in your field.
Preschool Teacher Salary and Job Outlook
There is a wide disparity in pay for preschool teachers by state, as is the case in teachers' salaries in K-12 education. In general, preschool teachers who work in child daycare services tend to make the least amount of money, averaging around $26,900 yearly. Those teachers who work as preschool teachers in religious or professional organizations fare a bit better, averaging around $30,300 per year. Preschool teachers working for individual and family services average just around a thousand dollars a year more than those working in religious and professional organizations. The preschool teachers who fare the best are those who work in state and local schools, averaging around $46,600 yearly.
Career Outlook
As of 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported there were around 438,200 preschool teachers in the United States. By 2020, the BLS expects this number to rise to over 514,000 teachers. It is possible for this figure to increase even further if legislation, such as that proposed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders passes, which would make preschool education free for all children age three to five. Other politicians have made such proposals in the past. Even if such a proposal is not passed into law, the upward trend of demand for preschool teachers in the coming years is 10% percent, which is well above the level of most jobs.
Because of the heightened awareness of the importance of the role of preschool education for reading remediation and children being able to learn about their world, as well as the increased education, certifications, and testing these positions now require, there is an upward trend in the amount of pay that preschool teachers can expect to make.
The problem is that there still exists in most places around the country a huge pay disparity in the average pay for preschool teachers and for teachers in K-12 education, even though preschool teachers in many settings are required to have as much education as their K-12 counterparts. New York City is attempting to become a leader in the country in creating pay equity between preschool and K-12 teachers.
A California Head Start teacher who possesses a bachelor's degree will earn between $30,623 and $34,794 annually and the same Head Start teacher with only an associate's degree will only receive $23,614 to $32,756. A counterpart K-12 teacher averages over $67,000 per year. Until this pay disparity between K-12 and preschool teacher salaries decreases, Head Start is expecting to see turnover in their teacher ranks to increase, since their requirements for teacher education have increased.
Job Duties of a Preschool Teacher
Create and provide hands-on learning experiences in reading and emergent reading, science, and day to day things, such as telling time and social skills
Provide a classroom environment that encourages exploration, learning, and the development of reading and writing skills
Evaluate each student's progress toward learning goals and adjust instruction accordingly
Work as a part of a team with teacher aides and volunteers to create a safe learning environment
Report to parents about their child's progress and make parents partners in their child's learning
Attend regular in-service training
Maintain metrics on each student's progress towards learning goals, such as reading readiness
A couple of states call for preschool instructors to have some work experience in a child care setup. The amount of experience necessary differs by state. In these instances, preschool instructors often start out as child care employees or teacher aides.
A good preschool teacher must have the persistence of a saint. Educators have to work with the trainees at their very own rate as each kid is various. They need to be patient when dealing with the same concerns over and over once again. Great and also Engaging Individuality an excellent teacher is kind, mild as well as has a good individuality. They must engage trainees with their teaching designs and also hold their focus in all discussions. Trainees are brought in the direction of instructors with a good and pleasant character.
Energized Preschool educators ought to bring some life to their classroom by involving their trainees in intriguing tasks. They must produce an environment where pupils feel they can take an active component in the discussion. Knowledgeable and also Up-to-date Teachers need comprehensive expertise and also an in-depth understanding of the topics they are instructing and need to continue to be up-to-date with all the latest growths in those areas. Total understanding of topics being instructed is very important to capture trainees' attention as well as involvement.
Flexible Teachers must be prepared for any type of modification in the class or the program. They need to adjust appropriately. They need to prepare to manage any type of kind of concern from their trainees and also address hard situations. Good Audience and also Communicator Students will certainly not be interested in a course if they feel that the teacher is not listening to them. In addition to being a great audience, a terrific teacher is also a great communicator. Organized as educators need to achieve lots of things-organizing the class, covering a vast educational program as well as bulletin boards, they ought to stay arranged with their teaching materials and also aids. Mature Teachers should have a high level of maturation when handling their students' problems and handling any disputes.
They have to handle each circumstance appropriately, so trainees can learn from them. Passion for Training as well as Children - A great preschool teacher is passionate regarding teaching and loves to work with kids. Teachers must develop an excellent relationship as well as relying on partnerships with their trainees as they affect their pupils' lives immensely. Compassionate - A wonderful teacher shows concern to trainees that battle academically as well as connect to them when they require support.
They need to be mentally offered to their students. Confident Teachers need to stay positive in difficult situations. They must have the capability to discover and alter as well as be prepared to answer any kind of questions. They ought to remember that they have the capacity to alter the lives of their students. Innovative Teachers ought to be innovative and also have the ability to assume on their own when dealing with any kind of challenges. They need to educate in an innovative way so they can involve all the students right into the class activities. Courageous Teachers should be bold in their technique and take threats in their mentor styles.
They ought to not hesitate to be various as well as arrange unique classroom discussions and also group activities. Natural Leader Teachers ought to show their management qualities to affect the students and assist them in the ideal instructions. They ought to encourage as well as encourage the pupils to be successful. Interesting Preschool instructors should maintain their teaching style dynamic as well as unpredictable. They need to attempt to bring a brand-new and fresh viewpoint to the lessons by linking them with individual experience and also drawing real-life instances.
Let's reserve the accreditations as well as licenses right here-- they differ from state to state, as well as we're thinking you understand your very own state and also the city needs for employing a preschool team. Ideally it goes without saying, but make certain to validate all accreditations as well as licenses as part of the reference-checking process.
Mentioning reference monitoring-- do not skip this component, even if you have actually loved the best teacher for your preschool. Ask expert recommendations regarding the candidates absence, mindset, and also versatility. Your kiddos grow on connections and regularly, so it does without claiming that you don't want to hire people to staff your preschool who have a history of missing a job on a regular basis. You also want a prospect who is versatile and also imaginative in dealing with troubles and obstacles, as well as one who can continue to be a positive as well as patient staff member whatever the day throws her method.
Preschool hiring decisions are several of the most vital choices you'll make. When making your decision, consider the soft abilities as long as the candidates return to. Even if a preschool instructor has even more training or experience than one more doesn't indicate she's a far better selection. The behavioral top qualities that make up a good preschool professional are just as essential as levels and qualifications.
If you want to teach children in pre-K to the point they can read and write, then a preschool teacher certification is exactly what you need to help you achieve this. Many people think they can only go to school once they are out of their teens, but there are jobs available for people at any age.
Teaching at an early age gives students a sense of independence that they will enjoy as they get older and their own place of their own. There are many different levels of education for preschoolers as well as many different schools to choose from. Whether you prefer to be at home or attend a public school, you can have a great career as a preschool teacher.
A classroom environment is a very interesting one. In today's technology driven world, it's easy to let technology take over the classroom. However, you should still be able to have some control. Technology may be useful to help with homework, but it doesn't take away the important relationship between a student and their teacher.
Good relationships between students and teachers is very important. Students need to see a genuine interest on your part, and they need to be able to trust you. You may be able to teach more in a classroom environment than you would at home, but it's still important to keep the classroom a place where a student feels comfortable.
When seeking a preschool teacher certification, make sure to make sure you are qualified. This means that you need to pass an assessment that assesses both your writing skills and teaching skills.
If you're planning on teaching a special needs child, you may have to take additional tests that look at your ability to understand the problems they are having with their education. These tests may be different in each state, so you need to find out which ones are required in order to teach in that state.
You also need to know about the different types of students you might be teaching. Some preschoolers are not ready to learn on their own, and there are classes for these children that help them with some of their learning. Other kids are in need of special education, and it's important that you are qualified to teach these children. In order to teach children with these special needs, you'll need a good understanding of their individual needs.
The best way to gain preschool teacher certification is to search for the right school for you. Once you find the right one, you'll have a great career.
With a great career, comes responsibility. You need to know what you're doing and how to do it.
If you want to find a school, first talk to the school. Find out if they have a specific program that you can participate in. Also, find out if there are requirements to participate. For example, some schools require that you have a certain amount of teaching experience, or that you have completed a certain number of hours of training.
The requirements are usually determined by the school itself, so make sure to ask. the school before you enroll. Once you have the answers, you should now ask to take a test for the school to ensure that you meet the requirements.
Next, find out what type of classroom you will be teaching. in order to make sure that you'll be successful. fit the environment that works for you.
You may need to make changes in order to create a good classroom environment. It can be difficult to change an environment from one that doesn't work to one that works, but you need to make sure that you know what you're doing in order to make the changes.
Useful Skills and Certifications
Prior experience working with children – The best situation to develop this experience pre-hiring would be as an instructional aide for a preschool teacher. If you cannot gain this experience in a paid role, seriously consider volunteering in a local classroom.
A thorough understanding of the developmental needs and the desires of this targeted age group
The ability to use spreadsheets, grading programs, and other computer software in order to create lesson plans and keep grades and other metrics on your student.
Effective age-appropriate classroom management skills
A first aid certification – This will likely be required after hiring and can only help your prospects.