How To Become A Preschool Lead Teacher: What It Is and Career Path

What is a preschool lead teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Jessica Espinosa Ph.D.

The preschool lead teacher is responsible for the growth of preschool children. You are in charge of implementing, planning, and teaching the curriculum and providing quality care for the children. For the growth of the children, you must plan and implement indoor and outdoor activities for the children added to their memories. Concerning the activities, you are expected to ensure a safe environment for them to have their fun. You must oversee the performance of the children.

To do this, you have to meet with their parents, administration, and staff about their performance and how to make it better. You will need to collaborate with other teachers to ensure their growth, monitor the usage of the curriculum, and develop new classroom projects and lesson plans. You must keep in mind that you must abide by state, local, and schools rules and regulations. During all training and certifications, you must be current and well informed on it. You will also address issues like domestic violence, depression, and other psychosocial disabilities.

To become a preschool lead teacher, you must be a lover of children, have good communication skills, patience, the capacity to multitask, and interpersonal skills. An average of $31,256 is earned by a preschool lead teacher yearly. The educational requirement that you must meet to become a preschool lead teacher is a bachelor's degree in Childhood Education or other related fields.

What general advice would you give to a preschool lead teacher?

Jessica Espinosa Ph.D.

Associate Professor Senior, Miami Dade College

In the upcoming years, I anticipate that the proficiency in integrating Artificial Intelligence and technology in early childhood education will become essential. Educators must master the use of AI and emerging digital tools to enrich the learning experience. Additionally, the ability to apply data-driven approaches in instruction and assessment will be increasingly vital, allowing educators to make well-informed decisions that foster student development. I also think that a strong focus on social and emotional learning, alongside fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, will be indispensable in effectively meeting the varied needs of all learners.

ScorePreschool Lead TeacherUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,176

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.7

Growth rate 15%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.91%

Asian 5.96%

Black or African American 8.76%

Hispanic or Latino 16.14%

Unknown 4.61%

White 63.61%

Gender

female 94.03%

male 5.97%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a preschool lead teacher

Explore preschool lead teacher education requirements

Most common preschool lead teacher degrees

Bachelor's

53.8 %

Associate

24.7 %

High School Diploma

9.0 %

Start to develop specific preschool lead teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
CPR	16.17%
Professional Development	13.77%
Child Care	12.19%
Classroom Management	12.18%
Child Development	11.15%

Complete relevant preschool lead teacher training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New preschool lead 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 preschool lead teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real preschool lead teacher resumes.

Gain additional preschool lead teacher certifications

Preschool lead teacher certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific preschool lead teacher certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for preschool lead teachers include Child Development Associate (CDA) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

More About Certifications

Research preschool lead teacher duties and responsibilities

Instruct small groups in writing, letter identification, mathematics, and Health/Nutrition.
Offer tutoring in writing, mathematics, Spanish, English, and other courses.
Complete annual child abuse training, annual first aid and CPR, and annual food handlers training.
Establish a history of graduating Pre-K students to kindergarten with the ability to read and do basic math.

Get preschool lead teacher experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a preschool lead teacher. The most common roles before becoming a preschool lead teacher include preschool teacher, teacher team lead and lead teacher.

Prepare your preschool lead teacher resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your preschool lead teacher resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a preschool lead teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable preschool lead teacher resume templates

Build a professional preschool lead teacher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your preschool lead teacher resume.