Early Childhood Education Career Info
Early childhood school teachers usually work with children ages five and younger to stimulate their social and intellectual skills and prepare them for the next level of education – elementary school. From nursery school teachers to daycare center professionals, a wide variety of elementary education careers exist, including:
- Preschool teacher – assists children in the development of their emotional, intellectual, physical, social, imaginative and creative abilities
- Special education teacher – creates individualized education programs (IEP) to set goals for special-needs children and prepare them for the next level of education
- Speech therapist – helps children learn how to speak for the first time or work to overcome an accent, lisp, stuttering or other speech defect
Education & Training in Early Childhood Education
While an associate degree in education could help get your foot in the door as a daycare professional, full-time early childhood teaching positions require at least a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and state-required credentials. Necessities for public school teachers include passing state exams, processing security checks and meeting student teaching requirements.
Early Childhood Education Salaries
In May 2008, elementary and early childhood school teachers had average yearly wages of $52,240, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some early childhood teachers earn extra money during the summer by working other jobs, such as camp counselor, private tutor and creative arts director.
Related Early Childhood Education Careers
If you love working with children but becoming an early childhood teacher doesn't feel like an exact match, other options exist. Check out related accounting careers that could spark your interest, including: consultant for home-school families, daycare instructor, elementary librarian, elementary reading specialist, elementary school curriculum developer and preschool lead teacher.
