Pre-K teachers are saddled with the responsibility of educating children before they reach kindergarten age. You will work with children from the ages of two to five. Responsibilities vary and are determined based on where you work, but there are many major tasks associated with this job. You are to work one on one with the kids, keeping them engaged and assessing each child's progress. Tending to their personal needs like giving bathroom assistance and helping them remove their coats is also one of your duties. It is also necessary to plan curriculum and schedules. You are to focus on areas like personal hygiene, social skills, child development, and language skills. This curriculum and schedule also include daily routines like physical exercise, playtime, and adequate rest time. It is also expected that you communicate with the parents concerning their child's progress.
Educational requirements for this role vary depending on the employer and location. While some only need a high school diploma, some need a four-year degree in childhood education. Some require a license, while some do not. Apart from educational qualifications, you must have lots of energy and be patient to make a wonderful Pre-K teacher. You must also love working with kids. The average pay per year is $28,990.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a Pre-K Teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.01 an hour? That's $31,218 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 53,100 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many Pre-K Teachers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed Resourcefulness, Communication skills and Patience.
If you're interested in becoming a Pre-K Teacher, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 57.0% of Pre-K Teachers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 12.4% of Pre-K Teachers have master's degrees. Even though most Pre-K Teachers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a Pre-K Teacher. When we researched the most common majors for a Pre-K Teacher, we found that they most commonly earn Bachelor's Degree degrees or Associate Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Pre-K Teacher resumes include Master's Degree degrees or High School Diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a Pre-K Teacher. In fact, many Pre-K Teacher jobs require experience in a role such as Teacher. Meanwhile, many Pre-K Teachers also have previous career experience in roles such as Substitute Teacher or Cashier.