How do I become a Kindergarten Teacher?
The requirements to become a kindergarten teacher can vary tremendously. In the US and Canada, most public schools will not consider hiring people unless they are credentialed and have completed a bachelor’s degree in education or early childhood education. Each state and province in Canada and the US can have different requirements too, and the length of time it takes to get appropriate training and licensing is usually between 4-5 years of full time schoolwork. Sometimes schools offer a single program that will allow credentialing at its termination, and other times, students get their bachelor’s degree and then participate in a separate credentialing program. In certain states, there may be different levels of credentials, which might affect pay. A few schools with very rigid standards may only consider job applicants who have a master’s degree in early childhood education or elementary education. On the other hand, some schools are not as excited about hiring a teacher who possesse
Once you get into college, enroll in their Elementary or Early Childhood Education degree program. You’ll take a bunch of teacher education courses as well as the university’s general education courses. For a bachelor’s degree, it usually takes an average of 4-5 years, depending on setbacks. Most elementary degrees with teaching certification are good for teaching grades K-6, and early childhood bachelor degrees are usually good for working with children in nursery school all the way to 3rd grade.
Kindergarten teachers serve a unique role in children’s education, since they provide the first formal instruction most kids receive and thus set a precedent for the rest of their school years. A kindergarten teacher introduces children to language, math, science, and social studies, instructing them in phonics, numbers, letter recognition, science, and nature through various methods that may involve playing games, showing films, or using computers, music, books, or art. While childhood development classes are not part of a mandatory curriculum, you may find them useful to better understand how to handle such young kids. You should expect to take professional education courses, most likely including: • Philosophy of education • Psychology of learning • Teaching methodsOther courses prepare you to teach the variety of subjects a kindergarten teacher covers, such as: • Art • Literature • Mathematics • Music • Physical science • Social scienceFinally, to become a kindergarten teacher, you