S.M.
I asked my mother who teaches early childhood education at a college level if she had any advice for you, and this is what she wrote (and if you have further questions I think she would be happy to help you):
Answers embedded after each question:
What professional qualifications are required?
It depends on your state. Check with your State department of education. In most states, you are required to have a 4 year degree, majoring in early childhood education. There will be a list of courses that you need to take, and if you have a degree from an out-of-state college, you may need additional course work. Some states have reciprocity where if you have a degree in certain states, they will give you a certification. In some states you will need a master’s degree as well. Most of the time, you will get a provisional certification. Then you will usually need to continue to take at least 6 credits every five years and teach for 3 years to get the next level of certification.
What required certifications are needed?In general, a certification in Early Childhood education, sometimes they will also require a certification in elementary education. It depends on what grade you want to teach, and what jobs are available, and the state’s requirements. In order to obtain the certification, you submit your transcripts to the state department of education, along with your test scores if the state requires them. Some states require the PRAXIS, part I and Part II. Other states have their own assessments. Check with the State Department of education in your state.
Are there growth opportunities in the early childhood profession? Yes. You can always work your way up the teaching ladder- assistant principal, principal, director of programs, State department of education jobs. Professor jobs are available once you have a master’s degree and you can teach at a community college in most states. 4 year colleges require a doctorate.
What are some basic ethics and professional standards in early childhood programs and/or what do you feel is the most important? NAEYC.org has ethics for Early Childhood Education on their website, so does NCATE. I will agree with the NAEYC basic ethics and professional standards.
What grade and/or ages do you currently teach? Have you taught other ages/grades in the past? I currently teach child development at a college. Yes, I have taught at public schools in the past. · Depending on where you live, there are several options for gaining a degree, and for paying for the degree. Look on your choice of college’s financial aid web page to see if there are scholarships offered. You will also need to fill out a FAFSA form on the FAFSA.GOV website. Be careful that you are on the free website, www.fafsa.ed.gov, as there is another website that is similar that charges- with a .com at the end. Do the tax form as soon as you file taxes this spring, since Pell grants are given out in the order that FAFFSA forms are received. If you teach at a poverty stricken school area, sometimes they will forgive your student loans. An alternative to Early Childhood Education, if you can’t pass the qualifying test to get into early childhood education, would be a child development program of some kind. It depends again on your state of residence. It is not a certification program, and you would be able to teach in some Head Start programs, own your own child care, or teach in a child care setting. The pay is not as good as a public school teacher, but it has improved. There are other jobs that are available. Extension agencies will have a few jobs. You can either get a two year degree or a four year degree. There are more jobs available for those with a four year degree, and you can use the 4 year degree to then go after a master’s degree.
