Related job titles are: reschool Teacher, Kindergarten Teacher, Early Childhood Teacher, Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher, Elementary Teacher, Elementary School Teacher, or Elementary Education Teacher.
How Much Does a Preschool Teacher Make? | Preschool Teacher Salary
The median yearly salary for preschool teachers was $25,700 in May 2010 (the most recent data available). This median salary is simply the salary where half the employees earned more and half earned a lesser amount. Employees in the lower 10 percent had an annual salary less than $17,200, and those employees in the top 10 percent earned greater then $46,830.
What Does a Preschool Teacher Do? | Job Description
Preschool Teacher, High School Teacher, Middle School Teacher, and Elementary School Teacher are four of U.S. News and World Report "100 Best Jobs of 2013." Preschool teachers educate and care for children, usually ages 3 to 5, who have not yet entered kindergarten. They explain reading, writing, science, and other subjects in a way that young children can understand.
Preschool teachers use play to teach children about the world. For example, they use storytelling and rhyming games to teach language and vocabulary. They may help improve children’s social skills by having them work together to build a neighborhood in a sandbox or teach science and math by having children count when building with blocks.
Preschool teachers work with children from different ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds. Teachers may include multicultural topics in their lessons to teach children about people of different backgrounds and cultures.
How to Become a Preschool Teacher?
Education and training requirements vary based on settings and state regulations. They range from a high school diploma and certification to a college degree. Some states and employers require preschool teachers to have a nationally recognized certification such as the Child Development Associate (CDA) offered by the Council for Professional Recognition.
Preschool Teacher Classes and Courses | Degree Programs
In childcare centers, preschool teachers generally are required to have a least a high school diploma and a certification in early childhood education. However, employers may prefer to hire workers with at least some career college education in early childhood education.
Preschool teachers in Head Start programs must have at least an associate's degree. However, by 2013, at least 50 percent of preschool teachers in Head Start programs nationwide must have a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field. As a result, Head Start programs may prefer to hire workers with a bachelor’s degree. Those with a degree in a related field must have experience teaching preschool-age children.
In public schools, preschool teachers are generally required to have at least a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related field. Bachelor’s degree programs teach students about children’s development, strategies to teach young children, and how to observe and document children’s progress.
Preschool Teacher Jobs | Who is Hiring?
Employment of preschool teachers is expected to grow by 25 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. It is widely accepted that early childhood education is important for a child’s intellectual and social development. As a result, there has been increasing demand for preschool programs, which is expected to create demand for preschool teachers. In addition, the population of children ages 3 to 5 is expected to increase. Because children between these ages are typically enrolled in preschool, increases to that population will increase the demand for preschool teachers.
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