How to Be a Preschool Teacher

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parts

1Gaining the Necessary Education

2Finding a Teaching Job

3Preparing Your Classroom

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Questions & Answers

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References

Article Summary

Being a preschool teacher can be very rewarding, both financially and personally, if you love helping children. By gaining the necessary education and work experience, you can be preschool teacher in a relatively short amount of time. Also, by knowing how to set-up your classroom and create a lesson plan, you can make teaching preschool children fun and effective.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Gaining the Necessary Education

1. 
   1
   Obtain a high school diploma. The minimum requirements to be a preschool teacher are to have a high school diploma and a certificate in early childhood education. If you do not have a high school diploma, you can obtain a high school equivalency credential by taking the GED exam.

   • Sign up for test-prep classes through your local community college or technical college to prepare you for the GED exam.
   • The GED Testing Service also offers low-cost and free practice tests and tutorials online.
2. 
   2
   Get a degree in early childhood education (ECE). Once you have your GED, you can either obtain an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in ECE to become a preschool teacher. However, many public schools require that their teachers have a bachelor’s degree or higher in ECE to be a preschool teacher.

   • Teachers in private schools or daycare settings may only be required to have an associate’s degree in ECE. A certificate is also a typical requirement to be a preschool teacher in private schools.
   • Preschool teachers working in public school programs, like Head Start, may only be required to have an associate’s degree and experience working with children. However, most have a bachelor’s degree in ECE.
3. 
   3
   Become certified. Certification for preschool teachers in public schools includes passing state certification exams after the completion of a bachelor’s degree. In order to earn the Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate, a candidate must have a high school diploma or equivalent, have completed 480 hours of experience working with children, and 120 hours or more of formal education.

   • Some states accept the National Child Care Association’s Certified Childcare Professional credential if a candidate does not hold a college degree, or has a college degree in a field unrelated to childhood education. Look into your state’s requirements for teaching preschool children.
4. 
   4
   Maintain certification. To maintain your CDA certification, you will need to continue your education. If you work in a private school setting or a childcare center, you will need to keep your first aid certification up-to-date, demonstrate active teaching practice, and have a membership in an approved organization for childcare professionals.

   • Public school preschool teachers are required to participate in professional development hours during each renewal period to maintain their certification.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Finding a Teaching Job

1. 
   1
   Obtain relevant work experience. You can gain the necessary experience to work with children by babysitting, tutoring, and by working at a day care or as an assistant in a preschool program. Offer to babysit or tutor friends', family members', or neighbors' children. You can also find babysitting and tutoring jobs through Internet job sites, like Craigslist or Indeed.

   • Try contacting schools in your area to see if tutoring opportunities are available.
   • Preschool programs usually require teaching assistants to have either an associate's degree, or be in the process of completing a bachelor's degree.
2. 
   2
   Know your options. Apply for jobs at public, private, and charter schools. Make sure to check the qualifications before you apply. Most public schools and charter schools require teachers to hold a bachelor's degree and have the CDA certificate. On the other hand, private schools may only require you to have an associate's degree, as well as certification.
3. 
   3
   Attend job fairs. Attend back-to-school job fairs for pre-k and elementary school teachers. You can search for local job fairs by visiting your local school district office, or by visiting school's websites. School websites sometimes post job openings and dates for upcoming job fairs.

   • You can also contact your local chamber of commerce to obtain a list of preschools in your area.
   • You can also visit the websites of the biggest companies in your city. These companies sometimes offer daycare facilities to their employees, and may have job openings.
4. 
   4
   Explore job agency websites. Monster, Indeed, and Glassdoor are just a few examples of websites that regularly post preschool teaching jobs. You can also register with an employment agency that specializes in finding jobs for people in the educational sector, for example Earlychildhoodteacher.org.
5. 
   5
   Create a resume. Write a two to three sentence personal summary at the top of your resume that briefly outlines who you are, your experience, and your goals. The next section should outline your academic qualifications, i.e., your degrees and certifications. Then, state each employer with a list that outlines your duties and responsibilities. After your work experience section, list key skills and competencies, like communication skills, creativity, organizational skills, and patience, for example.

   • Ask for recommendations from previous jobs. Ask the parents of children you have either babysat or tutored for a personal recommendation. You can also ask the head teacher or leader of a daycare program or preschool you worked at for a professional recommendation.
6. 
   6
   Be ready for an interview. Common questions that an interviewer might ask are: "Can you tell me about yourself?" "If I were to walk into your classroom during a math or reading activity, what would I see?" "What are some of your positive guidance strategies?" "How will you communicate with families? and "What makes you the best candidate?"

   • Write-up and memorize your answers to these questions, then practice in front of the mirror.
   • Some interviews might have multiple rounds. If you are called in for a second interview, you might have to demonstrate how you work with children, or come up with a sample lesson plan.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Preparing Your Classroom

1. 
   1
   Set-up your classroom. A preschool classroom needs to be engaging, organized, fun, and safe. Divide the classroom into centers, and organize the children by groups. This way the children can rotate between centers. You can paste pictures, letters, and numbers on the walls. Also, post signs denoting the name of each center.

   • Some examples of classroom centers are writing, math, science, arts and crafts, reading, building, and free playing centers. Try to avoid putting active centers, like arts and crafts, next to more quiet centers, like reading centers.
   • Also, label the groups by colors so that the children can easily remember which group they belong to.
2. 
   2
   Create a lesson plan. Keep your lesson plans simple and structured. They should cater to the age group you are teaching. Effective preschool lesson plans are ones that involve the children in various, fun activities. For example, familiarize the children with the ABC’s by asking them to act out the animal the letter starts with. If it is the letter C, ask children to act or imitate a cat.

   • Each state has their own guidelines and requirements for creating a preschool curriculum. You can find these guidelines in your state's Department of Education website. However, the basic requirements are that you create a curriculum that provides age-appropriate enrichment, development, and proficiency.
3. 
   3
   Establish a daily routine. Routines help children feel safe and comfortable. They will know what to expect every day, which provides a sense of comfort. A routine will also help you to be organized and stay on task. Therefore, establish a morning routine, as well as an afternoon routine. The time you spend on one activity might change from one day to the next, but the order of the activities and what you do during the activity should stay the same.

   • For example, the morning could consist of circle time and story time, while the afternoon consists of lunch, nap time, and centers.
   • Each day can have a different routine, but try to keep it minimal. For example, three different routines for the whole week.
4. 
   4
   Maintain good relationships with your coworkers. Maintain good relationships with your coworkers by communicating with them frequently about important information and concerns. Be open and honest about who you are, and try to find common interests between you and your coworkers.

   • For example, perhaps you and a coworker both have a dog. This could be a common point of interest that might develop you and your coworker's relationship.
   • Try inviting your coworker out to lunch. If they decline, don't take it personally.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  Can you scream if they become uncontrollable?

  

  Community Answer

  You should avoid screaming at the children. But, you can make your voice more authoritative by adopting a serious tone, and by projecting your voice.

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• Question

  I am 12 years old and being a teacher of young children is my dream job. However, I am curious, I usually talk to kids the same I talk to adults. Is that okay, or should I make my sentences simpler?

  

  HoneyBeeMe

  Community Answer

  Don't stress, at such a young age, you have plenty of time to adapt and you'll only learn from here! I assume you would go through a teaching school where you would learn how to properly teach, so just do well in your studies until then. And yes, you should make your sentences simpler if you are talking to small children. But hey, it would be good for them to learn a couple of new words now and then.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

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• Question

  What's the most important thing to remember?

  

  Mzm555

  Top Answerer

  Remember kids are kids - they haven't yet had the life experience to develop social skills and many other different avenues of thinking and reasoning. There a million points that can be brought up here, but above all it is important to remember most kids value fairness highly. Make sure everyone has the same access to activities and games, and treat all kids with fairness, kindness, and respect. Kids usually remember when an adult has done something "unfair" to them, such as being too strict, not allowing them a bathroom or drink break, etc.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

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