Steps to become a preschool teacher ?

Tillie Wynott: I am a former preschool teacher and now a stay-at-home mom. I have a BS degree in Early Childhood Education and a teachers certification that allows me to teach pre-k through grade 3. I graduated in 1996 and I think the certifications may have changed since then, so you may want to check out the differences between an Early Childhood degree and an Elementary Education degree. Think about what you really want...Early Childhood certifications tend to limit you if you ever want to teach in a school district, since they typically like to hire someone they can move to different grades if they need to. That said, some school districts like to have teachers of the youngest grades have Early Childhood degrees, since they have really specialized in those young ages. If you think you really just want to stay in preschool you have some things to think about. You need to realize that preschool pay is typically very low...like poverty level low....so it is hard to! even support yourself on the salary. I always had 2 jobs. Think about that when you are figuring out how you are going to finance school. I graduated with a loan to repay of $26,000 and the most I ever made was about $10 and hour. Seriously, I could've made more working at the local convenience store. Also, I wish I would've had a second degree in Special Education because there are ALOT of preschoolers with special needs in your classroom. Many of them have not been diagnosed yet, but you still need to know how to best reach them. I actually ended up teaching in an integrated classroom and some additional knowledge in children with special needs would have been great! Also, if you work in a day care you need to realize it is not like a school district. The only days I ever had off were Thanksgiving day, Christmas Day and New Years Day. If you aren't already, you should volunteer at local day cares to see if you really enjoy kids at this age and if you think you w! ould enjoy the work. Most preschools (and many day care cente! rs) are requiring the lead teachers to have at least a 2 year degree and many prefer a 4 year degree. I'm not sure where you live, but look for schools with a strong education program. Look for one that gets you into classrooms early in your academic career so you graduate with alot of experience in the classroom and be sure you try out various age groups as well (infants in day care, preschoolers, kindergarten, 3rd grade) so that you can see what you enjoy best.Good Luck!...Show more

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