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How to Become a Kindergarten Teacher
Are you looking for a new career that will allow you to contribute to society, work with children, and enjoy a nice salary and benefits? If you are, the career of kindergarten teacher is perfect for you. While many people mistakenly believe that kindergarten teachers spend a leisurely day playing with children, this profession is much more demanding than that. Kindergarten teachers are highly educated and trained professionals perform one of the most demanding jobs in society. They also enjoy one of the top careers for personal reward and satisfaction. After all, what could be more fulfilling than knowing that you enriched the lives of children? If you are ready to go back to college to get your career training for this wonderful profession, read on to learn everything you need to know about how to become a kindergarten teacher.
About the Job of Kindergarten Teacher
Kindergarten teachers work a very full day, every day. Once you get the training for how to become a kindergarten teacher, you will have a wide range of responsibilities to the children, their parents, and your administrators. Kindergarten teachers have so many duties that many of them work past the end of the school day and often take work home with them.
One of the more important aspects of a kindergarten teacher’s job includes providing guidance and education to children between the ages of 4 and 6 years old. These teachers must teach these young students a variety of basic skills. This includes letter recognition, phonics, number recognition and basic math skills, colors, and sight word recognition. In addition, they must teach students social skills and the ability to follow school rules and procedures. Many times, kindergarteners look to their teachers as parent figures. As such, teachers must be patient and kind and offer emotional support and discipline, while letting students know that they matter. Your training for how to become a kindergarten teacher will help you to work toward this goal.
Aside from their duties to students, kindergarten teachers must perform a vast amount of administrative duties. This includes developing and implementing classroom policies, rules, and procedures. It also means planning for and assessing student learning and keeping complete, accurate records for each student. Kindergarten teachers must attend in-services and staff meetings, as well as prepare for formal and informal performance evaluations. Paperwork consumes many hours of a kindergarten teacher’s day and it often cuts into personal time.
How to Become a Kindergarten Teacher
As with any truly worthwhile career, the first step in how to become a kindergarten teacher is to get your college education. You will need to earn a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in education to qualify for this profession. Many colleges and universities offer great education degree programs that are perfect for aspiring teachers. Take the time to compare several of these programs to find the one that is right for your goals and needs. During your education, you will study a wide range of courses. This will include core classes in English, science, mathematics, history, and specialized classes. Upper level classes include topics such as child development, educational theory, teaching methods, literacy training, psychology, special education, and diversity training.
The next step in how to become a kindergarten teacher is to complete your student teaching. This typically occurs during the last semester of your degree program. During this hands-on training, student teachers will perform all of the functions of a classroom teacher under the close supervision of a university supervisor and a licensed cooperating teacher. Successful completion of student teaching is required in most states for licenses. You will also need to compile a teaching portfolio. This demonstrates your knowledge and skill in the ten INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) standards. Depending on your school’s requirements, this portfolio may be electronic or in hard copy.
The final step in how to become a kindergarten teacher is to attain a teaching license. In most states, this requires passing all applicable portions of the Praxis test, passing a background check, and completing your educational and student teaching requirements. Furthermore, some states may require a minimum GPA for aspiring teachers. Completing the necessary steps can take several years and a great deal of hard work and perseverance. However, the rewards are well worth the effort. Kindergarten teachers enjoy one of the most challenging, exciting, and rewarding professions in our society.
