How to Get a Job as a Preschool Teacher
A preschool teacher’s best weapon is a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Not only will it ensure more job opportunities, but it also qualifies that person to teach grades kindergarten through third, and therefore opens the road to a higher salary. On the other hand, a bachelor’s degree isn’t necessary for all preschool teaching positions, and it’s also not the be-all and end-all of receiving a job offer. The most-qualified candidates display exemplary people skills for communicating with both very young children and their parents. He or she must also be very nurturing, since preschool-aged kids need more affection and encouragement than older students. Prior experience working with young kids is another requirement for landing a job, but the depth of that experience is what would place you ahead of other worthy applicants
What is the Job Like?
Working with children ages three to five can be both exhilarating and exhausting. Children this age tend to have a very short attention span, so keeping them occupied for a full six-hour school day requires tremendous creativity and stamina. Classroom instructors must be more physical than elementary or middle school teachers, yet they also face some similarities in their job description, like having to write lesson plans and manage the expectations and concerns of parents. A new teacher can expect to go home tired at the end of a workday.
There are also substantial rewards. Laughing and playing with the children can be plenty fun, and watching their social and educational development is invigorating. And since the younger children tend to have simpler tastes and conflicts, it can be easier to entertain them, and to resolve minor scrapes that they might have with other children. Like many educators, preschool instructors also have a two-month summer break to look forward to each year.
