Joana
What are the pros and cons of becoming a preschool teacher?
I just graduated from high school. And I am going to start college this fall but I am still undecided for my major. So I am thinking of working with kids? I think they are cute and adorable. I want to know what are the pros and cons of becoming a teacher at an elementary school? #college #teacher #education #children #freshmen
3 answers
Gary Petito (Veteran)
Gary’s Answer
Hi,
Good question, I found this information online...I am pasting in some information from a website in case you cannot open the link... here is the website:
http://www.earlychildhoodteacher.org/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-preschool-teacher/
Good luck!
When you work as a preschool teacher (as with any other job), the first half hour or so after arriving at work is mostly spent waiting for the coffee to kick in. You are still adjusting to being awake and out in the world. Your social skills aren’t really accessible yet. However, unlike someone in a non person-facing job, who might be able to ease into their day by answering emails and spending a few minutes scanning the day’s headlines, all in the comfort of their own chair and desk while sipping a mug of their caffeinated beverage of choice, a preschool teacher does not have that luxury. It is in these first moments of the day that a teacher must spring into action.
The start of your day could very well look like this:
As a teacher of all ages. I have taught K-12 at some points during my career. Preschool is a fast paced classroom. Young children are not very independent which means your job as a teacher will be busy. Th older the child the more independent they'll be. If you enter an education program you will have a wide variety of teaching experoences to decide. However preschool is separate license. I would suggest finding a part-time job at a preschool or daycare that serves 3-4 year olds.
Maija Klees
See if that kind of pace suits you.
Maija Klees
Katy Meyerhoff
Katy’s Answer
I worked as a Preschool teacher post graduating with my undergrad. I had wanted to get into education and had a connection to a steller private preschool close by to become a Pre-K to someone going on maturity leave. I LOVED that job. It was so fulfilling and you're right- the kids are adorable. I eventually had the opportunity to lead a 3-year-olds classroom which meant building my own curriculum and really seeing the kids progress. While I love working so closely with the kids and helping them with their education, I, unfortunately, did not have access to any sort of medical benefits, and when working with kids and their germs, that can be difficult. This may be something you'll find available to you depending on the school you work at as this was very specific to me.
The other thing to consider when working with younger children is parent involvement which can be a bit daunting at times. There will be the parents that are overly involved in their child's education and each aspect of it and on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those that are not as involved as you and the child might want. Just as in any career, communication is crucial to the success of you (and the child). Open communication with the parents on both successes and troubles are important- no parent only wants to hear from their child's teacher when there is negative news. Celebrate the wins, work together on the difficulties.
Overall, working with kids can be demanding and trying but incredibly rewarding. A strong level of patience with the ability to adapt to their level of willingness is key. Having too many expectations can make the job seem tough- but being able to go with the flow while keeping boundaries is the key to finding a balance. It truly is a fun and rewarding career choice!
Best of luck!
Dana Blomberg
Dana’s Answer
I worked as a preschool teacher while I was in college. Overall, I loved it! It gave me a great sense of running a classroom and I was able to get some great classroom management skills that I can still use today. The pros are that you get to be with the kids most of the day and it’s a lot of fun most of the time! You also can get a sense if you are considering becoming a teacher what it would be like to work as a k-12 teacher.
The cons, in my experience the pay isn’t always great and it’s hard to make ends meet on just that pay alone. Also, there are times when you are extremely short staffed and it can make you feel stretched pretty thin because kids will be moved around to be able to make the day run successfully.
Hope this helps!