Educating the Next Generation: Qualification
and Skills for Early Childhood Educators
Educators play a crucial role in society because they equip children with the knowledge and skills needed for their future. Teachers can ignite a child’s imagination and inspire them to pursue their interests and talents, paving the way for students to enjoy a satisfying life and career.
Educators of all grade levels become favorites, leaving a lasting impression on their students for decades to come. One Australian study found that 60% of students found their favorite teacher before reaching high school, stressing the impact preschool and elementary school teachers have on students.
You may like children and wonder what it takes to start a head start job, whether you have the skills to pursue career opportunities in Early Childhood Education, and what qualifications you need to become a preschool teacher. Let’s look at the skills and qualifications early childhood educators need and the career options you can pursue in this field.
What Skills Are Needed for Early Childhood Education?
From the earliest months of life, people begin developing skills. Babies develop fine motor skills when learning to hold things in their hands and start developing verbal skills by imitating sounds.
Those are foundational skills; the skills needed for careers in Early Childhood Education are qualities of a person’s character. Essential skills for early childhood educators enable them to create effective learning environments and respond appropriately to their students’ needs.
Critical skills that Early Childhood Education professionals need include the following:
- Communication and interpersonal skills: Early childhood educators must instruct and interact with students to address their daily needs. They must also communicate effectively with colleagues and their student’s parents, requiring them to communicate clearly with people of all ages.
- Creativity: Early Childhood Education programs include creative arts, such as music, art, and storytelling. In addition to teaching creative arts classes, early childhood educators strive to make their lesson plans engaging, and creative educators find ways to capture their students’ interest and appeal to students with varying educational needs and learning styles. While a college professor may only give a lecture relaying information, preschool teachers often use various centers to reinforce concepts and information in their curriculum. Suppose your class is learning about Japan. In addition to reading stories set in Japan and showing the class pictures or videos, you can use your art time to have them construct a pagoda. You could also have a cooking class where students help cook Japanese dishes.
- Organizational skills: Being an early childhood educator involves more than instructing students. Preschool teachers create lesson plans that comply with their state and center’s academic requirements and must monitor and document each student’s progress. Preschool teachers are responsible for classroom management and must ensure they have the supplies for lessons. They are also responsible for maintaining an orderly space.
- Patience: Children can be demanding, and preschool children do not typically have the same emotional control as older students. Consequently, some days can be challenging, mainly if students are sick or have something bothering them. Preschool teachers need patience to cope with student conflicts and behavior.
- Physical stamina: Young children can have a lot of energy. Preschool teachers need energy to keep up with their students and lead physical education classes.
- Teaching skills: Strong teaching skills enable preschool teachers to find engaging ways to relay essential information in a way young children can understand!
In addition to these critical skills, early childhood educators benefit from active listening skills that enable them to identify their students’ needs and concerns. Preschool teachers should also be adaptable. Last-minute schedule disruptions and opportunities can arise, forcing teachers to restructure their lessons and schedules.
What Is the Most Important Qualification for an Early Childhood Teacher?
An associate’s degree is the primary qualification for an early childhood teacher career. Associate degree programs require students to earn 60 credits that meet the subject requirements for their major. It usually takes students two years of full-time studies to earn these credits. Typical Early Childhood Education associate’s degree courses include the following:
- Child safety, nutrition, and health
- Creative activities for preschool children
- Curriculum planning
- Early childhood development
- Interpersonal communications
- Introduction to Early Childhood Education
- Special education
Early Childhood Education majors also take psychology, mathematics, and written communications courses.
Becoming an Early Childhood Educator
The Early Childhood Education qualifications you need for a career depend on the type of career you’re pursuing and your location.
Preschool Teachers
Preschool teachers must have an associate’s degree, although some programs prefer to employ those with a bachelor’s degree. In addition to a degree, preschool teachers must meet state regulations. In Nevada, preschool teachers must have a bachelor’s degree and be licensed.
Teacher Assistants
Teacher assistants support teachers and students in several ways. They may work with small groups or individual students who need additional support to understand concepts or complete tasks. Teacher assistants also help educators set up lesson materials, organize supplies, and complete records.
Like preschool teachers, teacher assistants typically need an associate’s degree to enter their career field.
Early Childhood Education Careers
Early Childhood Education jobs include opportunities as center directors, assistant center directors, Early Childhood Education teachers, disabilities support specialists, and substitute teachers.
While many interested in Early Childhood Education careers begin with Early Head Start jobs, some preschool teacher assistants and teachers continue their education and move on to opportunities as administrators, working as preschool center directors or assistant directors. These Early Childhood Education professionals hire and train new teachers, prepare budgets, establish protocols, and ensure their programs meet state academic requirements.
Learn More About a Future as an Early Childhood Educator
Explore our Early Childhood Education resources to learn more about programs, career requirements, and how to launch your Early Childhood Education career. Sunrise Children’s Foundation also has an Early Childhood Education career FAQ resource where you can find more information.
Becoming an Early Childhood Educator means taking on a role with the opportunity to impact hundreds of lives throughout your career. In addition to filling a critical role in society, you’ll enjoy a rewarding career shaping the young minds of future generations.
