What Are the Requirements to Become a Pre-Kindergarten Teacher?
Pre-kindergarten teachers work with 4- and 5-year-olds in public schools and child care centers. They lead activities by teaching the children skills to increase their physical, emotional, and social development. Depending on where you live, you may need to earn extra licensing or attend extra trainings than those presented here.
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Degree
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Depending on what state you live in, some schools will hire you in with a regular K-8 Elementary Education Degree, while others would prefer you have a degree in Early Childhood Education, which specializes on teaching children up to 6 years old.
Curriculum
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According to the Foundation for Child Development, new curriculums for pre-kindergarten teachers include more on diversity and special needs students. They will be taught developmental milestones for all kinds of children and learn cultural differences about diverse populations.
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Experience
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Many schools or centers prefer to see you interact with the children as an Assistant Teacher before moving you up to a Lead Teacher. In fact, some states require you to work at least 960 hours before you are promoted to a lead position.
Training
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If you want to work as a pre-kindergarten teacher, your CPR and First Aid certifications must be current. You will also need a negative tuberculosis (TB) test. According to the Foundation for Child Development, more schools are requiring their teachers be trained in a second language.
Continuing Education
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Once you are hired, some schools require you to partake in a set number of training hours each year, ranging from 18 to 24 hours. You may cover topics such as Fire and Safety, Child Abuse and Neglect, or Professional Ethics.
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