If you’re considering an Early Childhood Education degree, then you obviously enjoy children’s welfare, or their cognitive development, or just love teaching them and being around them. You’re probably also aware that various positions require different degrees, Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. For instance, Childcare Workers and Teacher Assistants may not require any degree – though Teacher Assistants usually require something equivalent to an Associate Degree.
In public schools, preschool teachers require at least an AA Degree, while Childcare Workers tend to have some kind of license and a background check. Some states require any employees in childcare centers to have at least a Child Development Associate (CDA) certification. See more at the Council for Professional Recognition. Other states consider legitimate credentials to consist of a Child Care Professional (CCP) plus must be 18 years old, have a high school diploma, experience in the field, take courses in early childhood education, and pass an exam. For more information on those programs, see the site for National Early Childhood Program Accreditation. Essentially, if you want to be set apart from the crowd, you’d be wise to earn at least an AA Degree in Early Childhood Education.
Early Childhood Education: Advanced Positions, Degrees, & Specialties
Most other related positions require at least a Bachelor’s Degree, including the following:
- High School Teacher – plus public school teachers must have a state-issued certification or license, which may require an academic background in the subject(s) they will be certified to teach
- Kindergarten And Elementary School Teachers – plus public school teachers must have a state-issued certification or license.
- Preschool And Childcare Center Directors – Employers may prefer candidates who have a degree in early childhood education, or at least some postsecondary education in early childhood education, plus Most states require preschool and childcare center directors to have experience in early childhood education.
- Special Education Teachers – Special education teachers in public schools are required to have a bachelor’s degree and a state-issued certification or license. Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities – and thus it is considered a “specialty,” and offers an average salary of $55,000.
Related Skills, Roles, and Personal Qualities
Of course there are many other positions centered on Early Childhood Education – almost as many as you can imagine – Recreational Therapists, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Librarians, and Instructional Coordinators. In addition to a Bachelor’s Degree – which you can often earn online – you’ll need the following personal and professional qualities if you want to be truly happy in this field:
- Leadership Skills. Preschool and service center directors supervise workers, in order that they would like fundamental leadership skills to inspire workers to solve problems and be persistent. They also need to enforce rules and laws.
- Communication Skills. Preschool and service center directors have to be capable of communicating with parents, superiors, and colleagues concerning the progress of the children. They also need obvious writing and speaking skills to convey this data effectively.
- Interpersonal Skills. Preschool and service center directors should be able to develop easy relationships with parents, children, and colleagues.
- Business Skills. Several preschool and service center directors own service centers and need to be able to manage their business effectively.
- Organizational Skills. Directors have to be capable of maintain clear records concerning students and workers. In addition, they have to be able to multitask when multiple individuals or things require their attention.