The Outlook For Early Childhood Education Careers Is Strong
In the five years to 2019, the number of early childhood teachers in Australia grew from 27,000 to 42,300. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Labour Market Information Portal was predicting job opportunities to grow by another 16 per cent over the following five years.
Preschool teachers alone are currently overseeing the early learning education programs of 334,823 young children.
Early Childhood Educators and Early Childhood Teachers are not only increasing in number, but theyre also expressing very high levels of job satisfaction.
In Victoria, substantial pay increases will be rolled out over the next four years. Full-time kindergarten teachers at the top pay tier will see their annual salary increase from $103,838 today, to $116,906 in 2024. Its part of the Victorian Governments goal to double the states early childhood workforce by 2029.
While pay rises acknowledge the valuable role that early childhood educators play, ECUs academic coordinator of the 100% online Master of Education, Dr Pauline Roberts, points out that postgraduate qualifications offer much more.
As a leader in Early Childhood Education, youre also an advocate for children and families. You can take on roles around policy development and curriculum development roles outside the classroom where you can make change on a broader scope, says Dr Roberts.
Ready To Launch Your Career
With so many opportunities to work with young children professionally, the time is right for pursuing a bachelors degree in child development. PLNU offers both a traditional undergraduate program in child and adolescent development as well as an adult degree completion program for those with previous college credit who want to finish their bachelors degree. Take time to find out more about the program, including a course list and what to expect. If you still have questions, contact PLNU. Or, if youre ready now, start your application.
About the Author
Bethany Mavis graduated from PLNU in 2009 with a journalism degree. She now manages marketing and content for a high-security construction company, teaches editing to journalism students as an adjunct professor, and advises the Mariner yearbook staff at PLNU.
What Degree Is Needed To Work With Children
Individuals who want to work with children can pursue different degrees, including options in education, psychology, and child development. Those considering a career that predominantly involves working with children should consider which professional path best aligns with their academic interests and long-term professional goals.
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Certificate In Early Childhood Education
A four-year degree isnt a requirement for all early childhood education careers. Another option is a certificate program in early childhood education, which typically takes three to six months to earn and provides a foundation in the basics of teaching children. A widely recognized certification is Child Development Associate.
Certified CDAs are perfectly poised to work as a day care provider, a home teaching aid, a nanny, or a school classroom assistant. Some day cares and preschools prefer to hire CDAs because the certification requires knowledge of early childhood development and understanding of how to nurture children at each stage of development.
What Can You Do With A Bachelors Degree In Early Childhood Education
You never forget the teachers who believed in you. They were the ones who did more than just teach you the basics they taught you to believe in yourself. For some of us, that memory is so powerful that it inspires us to do the same to make a difference in the lives of young people.
A degree in Early Childhood Education will give you the skills you need to lift up young minds. Maybe youll do it as a teacher as a counselor or maybe youll do it by pioneering new research in childhood development.
Want to show others that theres no limit to what they can achieve? With a degree in Early Childhood Education, theres no limit to what you can achieve. Your degree will be just the beginning. Read on to discover the many ways you can help others fulfill their potential.
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Start Your Journey In Early Childhood Education
Your passion and talent for working with children can manifest itself in more than simply babysitting for your friends and family. As you can see from this list of careers in early childhood education, you can build an entire career out of teaching or caring for little ones.
Still not sure which position youd like to pursue? Thats ok! An ECE degree can lead you down a variety of career paths. You dont have to make up your mind just yet.
Learn more about what a formal education entails in our article, Should I Be an ECE Major? All the Info You Need to Know.
1Burning-Glass.com .*Graduates of Early Childhood Education programs at Rasmussen College are not eligible for licensure as a teacher in an elementary or secondary school. A Bachelors degree and a state teaching license are typically required to work as a teacher in public and private school settings.
EDITORS NOTE: This article was originally published in December, 2012. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2017.
The Ultimate List Of Early Childhood Education Careers
For anyone who is interested in a career working with children, there are few things as joyful in life as seeing a young kids face light up when he or she has been inspired. Whether you imagine that child as excited by what she has just discovered, or envision him proud of a newly mastered skill, that feeling of imparting wisdom is second to none. If you agree, the early childhood education career path is undoubtedly for you.
Teaching is one thing, but the opportunities within the early childhood education field are vast, plentiful, and rewarding beyond belief. Early childhood education means helping children grow and learn through their most rapid period of brain development. From infancy to early childhood, they are developing cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally. It is the job of ECE teachers to support them throughout the process.
If you dream of working with little ones, whether in preschool or in third grade, you may be wondering what types of titles, roles, and workplaces are available to you. What will your options be after pursuing an early childhood education degree? As a recognized ECE school in Connecticut, Goodwin College has compiled a list of early childhood education careers in top demand, along with their requirements and the job outlook for each.
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Early Childhood Instructional Specialists
Salary Potential: $102,200
Instructional specialists have some of the highest paying jobs in early childhood education. These professionals are responsible for developing educational programs and curriculum for preschools and childcare centers. Their auxiliary duties may include training teachers in curriculum guidelines and instructional methods, reviewing and selecting textbooks and other curriculum support materials, and analyzing learning outcomes.
Top-earning instructional specialists in early childhood education can make over $100,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Actual salaries will depend on a variety of different factors, though, including years of experience, employers, and geography. The BLS reports that the median annual wage for instructional specialists in 2018 was $64,450.
To become an instructional specialist in the field of early childhood education, candidates need a masters degree in curriculum and instruction. Typically, employers will also prefer that applicants have some experience in the field. Many instructional specialists are former teachers or school administrators.
Popular Degree Programs for Instructional Specialists in Early Childhood Education
Online masters degree programs in curriculum and instruction are quite popular. Sam Houston State University offers one of the leading online MEd offerings in the field. This 30-credit hour option does require some face-to-face meetings for research purposes.
Bachelors Degree In Early Childhood Education
A bachelors degree in early childhood education is a four-year BA or BS degree program designed for those who want to educate young children. This kind of program delves deep into the necessary knowledge for success in the classroom, including coursework like foundations in reading, psychology of education, and early childhood instruction.
For most people who pursue a bachelors in early childhood education, earning a teaching license is part of the program. This kind of degree is designed for teachers in prekindergarten classrooms through third grade: the most formative years of a childs schooling. Teaching license credentials can vary from state to state.
If teaching isnt the right fit, BS or BA graduates can also work in day care centers, hold jobs in child services roles, or act as an in-home caregiver. It is also possible to get a masters degree in social work in order to pursue a career as a child and family social worker.
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Common Skills On Teacher Resumes
- Classroom Management
- Curriculum Development
- Weekly Lesson Plans
- Reduced student discipline rate by 7 percent, implementing effective classroom management policies
- Raised percentage of students reading at grade level by 25 percent with adaptive weekly lesson plans and home reading program
- Developed and chaired the school’s curriculum development board
You Have Strong Interpersonal Communication Skills
Dr. Zvalo-Martyn says one of the most important qualities good ECE teachers share is the ability to connect with young children and families, helping students learn through relationships. Maintaining an open and encouraging rapport with students and their parents can make all the difference in a childs experience. Its also critical for early childhood educators to communicate with their young students in terms they can easily interpret.
ECE teachers will also have ongoing communication with other teachers, with a schools principal or with a childcare centers administrative team. They may even be in regular contact with a childs speech or behavior therapist when applicable. The ability to effectively communicate whats happening within your classroom, observations youve made or needs you might have can be very helpful.
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Education Career Options And Paths
An education degree opens the door to many career opportunities. You can choose to begin as a teacher in early childhood education or as an elementary teacher, a middle school teacher or a high school teacher. Some teachers teach just one grade level and multiple subjects, while some teachers are responsible for one subject and several different classes. This is often dependent on the grade level you choose to teach, as younger students often stay in one class for every subject but older students have teachers who are specialized in various subjects.
Many professional educators choose to start as a teacher to gain the necessary experience of the education process, and then continue their education with an advanced degree to further their career and improve their salary. In the teaching profession, most school districts require their administrators to have an advanced degree. At this time, a masters degree is sufficient to secure administration jobs such as vice principal, principal, school counselor, or superintendent. In the best school districts with the best-paying jobs, a PhD is becoming more commonplace.
Careers: A Look At The Most Common Career Pursuits Of Ece Graduates
Those who successfully obtain their undergraduate degree in early childhood education have several career options open to them, with a good balance of both public teaching positions and private institutions. Among the options that will be available for pursuit upon graduation and optional certification:
Kindergarten or elementary school teaching positions Head Start teaching or leadership positions Pre-school education jobs Daycare education and management positions Nannying and private daycare services Curriculum specialist Child development educator or specialist
Each career choice comes with its own strengths and weaknesses in terms of actually securing a position, especially in light of recent state cutbacks to public education funding in almost all 50 states. Even so, a growing market for pre-school educators and early childhood professionals easily offsets public education concerns. In addition, many ECE graduates are primarily interested in working outside the public school system and they simply dont consider this to be a setback or a detraction from their overall career goals.
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Ready To Start Your Journey
Students should consider which child development careers most interest them before enrolling in a program. While a preschool teacher, for instance, may only need an associate or bachelor’s degree, a child psychologist must possess a doctorate and license to practice in clinical settings. The following table takes a look at median annual salaries for a few child development positions that require an associate or bachelor’s degree.
| Job Title |
|---|
Requirements: Must Meet The Following Qualifications:
An Early Head Start Lead Teacher has responsibility for planning, carrying out activities, maintaining the classroom environment, supervising children, parent/teacher conferences, and supervision of classroom volunteers may also supervise and/or mentor teacher and teacher assistant at a site assumes classroom responsibilities in addition to light supervisory, record keeping, and/or planning duties. View Early Head Start Standards for more information
Minimum Qualifications: Infant-Toddler CDA or Infant-Toddler Short Certificate or Degree including coursework in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development
Preferred Qualifications: Associate or Bachelors Degree program in child development or Infant/Toddler
An ECEAP Family Support Specialist must maintain flexible hours to build relationships with families, identify strengths and goals, coordinate services for families, link families to community resources, and support family involvement activities at times when parents are available. View ECEAP Standards for more information:
Minimum Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Social Work or related field
Minimum Qualifications:
- 18 years of age
Minimum Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
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Example Work Places For Ec Educators
Early education educators have the option of working in many various environments, from the home of a family to a government-funded education center. People who work for a family will most likely work in their home. Individuals might be hired as a care worker however, it is also possible to be hired as an at-home school teacher for the family.
Public schools are funded by the government and taxpayers. Major decisions that affect the school district are often determined by an elected body called the school board. Often times, a public school is the only educational option easily available to teachers for employment.
A private school is not funded by the government, but rather these schools are financed through tuition paid for by the parents of students and donations. In most cases, private schools have a more advanced and demanding curriculum than public schools. The classrooms typically have a smaller teacher to student ratio and the teachers may be paid more than in a public school. It is also important to note that they may have higher expectations for student performance.
What Did Your Career Trajectory Look Like After You Graduated How Did You End Up In Your Current Position
I ended up in my current position quite by accident. I am an alum of Teach For America, an ambitious program that encourages young people to spend two years working in underserved and hard-to-staff schools. Initially, I planned to do my two years and move on — to what, I was not entirely sure. But after my first year, I knew I had to stay. The problems were too large and the stakes too high to walk away after two years.
I spent several years bouncing from school to school teaching different grade levels, at schools with different resources and different educational philosophies, observing how children learn and make sense out of their worlds at different developmental stages. The bouncing was challenging, but it gave me perspective. I saw some really great things, but I also saw some not-great things.
It was important to me to be able to support as many children as possible, so I made the transition from the classroom to the principal’s office — all of that bouncing around gave me phenomenal insight on how to best meet the needs of all students.
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What Will I Learn With A Bachelors Degree In Early Childhood Education
Early childhood is an incredible time of life. From birth until grade 2, changes come at a rapid pace and no two children develop quite the same way. Educating young children means being able to anticipate these changes, and respond to them in the moment. With a degree in Early Childhood Education, youll master the diverse cognitive, cultural, developmental, and linguistic needs of young children, so that you can help give them the kind of start in life that everyone deserves.
With a faculty of educators, teacher trainers, active and retired teachers, superintendents, and education directors, your degree program will explore:
- The foundational principles of education
- Curriculum design
- Creating an inclusive teaching environment
- Literacy and numeracy in early childhood
- English language learners and multicultural issues
- Parenting perspectives and issues
- And much, much more.
Just as valuable as what you learn in your classes will be what you learn in someone elses. From your very first semester at Monroe, youll be assigned a real teacher to observe and assist in their classroom. Guided fieldwork will be a key component of your degree program, and youll have plenty of other internship opportunities after that. Youll see firsthand how the concepts youve learned apply to real-world scenarios.
What Is The Job Growth For Early Childhood Education Careers
Passion matters when choosing a career, but so do growth opportunities. Luckily, educating children will always be an essential job. The outlook for the future is bright: Jobs are expected to grow for early childhood educators. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in preschool education are expected to grow at a rate of around 7% between 2018 and 2028. This equates to an extra 36,900 jobs added to the market. Growth is slower but still present for kindergarten and elementary school educators, with a growth rate of 3% and 53,100 jobs anticipated.
If teaching isnt your goal, there are plenty of other careers that can stem from a degree in early childhood education. Childcare center employees, school administrators, and even social workers often have a background in early childhood education. The outcome for these careers is strong as well childcare workers, for example, can expect 2% growth, or 27,700 new jobs, over the next ten years.
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