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What is a child development teacher and how to become one
A child development teacher is an individual who works with young children to promote their physical, emotional, cognitive and social development. They create and implement age-appropriate lesson plans, activities, and assessments that support children's learning. Child development teachers also collaborate with parents, guardians, and other professionals to ensure a child's overall well-being. They are responsible for maintaining a safe and nurturing learning environment, as well as supporting children with special needs or challenging behaviors.
What general advice would you give to a child development teacher?
Dr. Diana Jones
Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University
Avg. Salary $33,367
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 15%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%
Asian 5.61%
Black or African American 8.88%
Hispanic or Latino 19.34%
Unknown 4.53%
White 60.74%
Genderfemale 91.12%
male 8.88%
Age - 39American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 39Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a child development teacher?
Pros
The opportunity to make a difference in a child's life
Opportunities for creativity and innovation in teaching methods
Ability to form strong bonds with students and families
Potential for job stability and security
Consistent pay and benefits
Cons
High levels of stress and pressure to meet educational standards
Challenging behaviors from some students can be difficult to manage
Limited resources and funding may limit opportunities for enrichment activities or field trips
Constant need to stay up-to-date with new educational trends and research
Limited opportunities for growth within the field without further education or certification
Child development teacher career paths
Key steps to become a child development teacher
Explore child development teacher education requirements
Start to develop specific child development teacher skills
Skills Percentages CPR 29.79% Child Care 19.73% Professional Development 8.02% Learning Environment 5.41% Learning Styles 4.32% Complete relevant child development teacher training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New child development teachers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a child development teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real child development teacher resumes.Research child development teacher duties and responsibilities
- Plan and develop curriculum, manage mathematics department.
- Lead teacher of pre-K children.
- Complete DRDP's and conduct parent conferences.
- Create a syllabus, exams, and assignments.
Prepare your child development teacher resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your child development teacher resume.
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Apply for child development teacher jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a child development teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first child development teacher job
Are you a child development teacher?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average child development teacher salary
The average child development teacher salary in the United States is $33,367 per year or $16 per hour. Child development teacher salaries range between $23,000 and $46,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do child development teachers rate their job?
Child development teacher reviews
Seeing the kids learn, grow, over come challenges.
It can be emotionally and physically draining, especially if not appreciated.
Gaining the childs trust and watching them geow and learn.
That in a year the children you fall in love with move on to the next grade.
Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days
Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance
Updated January 8, 2025
