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Education - Inclusive Early Childhood
The Bachelor degree program in Early Childhood Education is both a major and a license preparing students to work with children ages 3 through 8, as well as their families, other professionals, and representatives from community agencies. With increasing numbers of dual-career and single parents, there exists an increasing need for those trained in the care and education of the very young.
Students completing this program are eligible to seek licensure from the state to teach children ages 3 through 8. The program’s emphasis on child development and learning will enable students with this major/license to be prepared to work with children in preschools, day care centers, and elementary schools (grades 1-3).
While maintaining its focus on young children, this license affords students a breadth of employment options depending on their interests. For example, a student with this license may choose to work in an elementary school setting, providing formal education to children up to age 8; or the student may elect to work with pre-school children, teaching basic skills, supervising meals and naps, and implementing instructional play activities designed to prepare children for formal education. Furthermore, students may also choose to supplement their license by pursuing a Reading Endorsement and/or a Computer/Technology Endorsement.
Like other teachers, early childhood educators need creativity, sensitivity, tenacity, patience and enthusiasm. They must genuinely enjoy interacting with infants, pre-schoolers, and young children while understanding how the very young child learns.
OCCUPATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Administrator
Child care residential worker
Curriculum development specialist
Educational consultant
Elementary school teacher (to age 8/grade 3)
Pediatric ward teacher
Preschool teacher
Teacher supervisor
RELATED OCCUPATIONS
Day care director
Editor
Media specialist
Play therapist
Publisher consultant
Researcher
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
Overall demand for elementary school teachers is expected to increase 14 percent nationally and 9 percent in Ohio between 2006 and 2016. The job market for teachers also continues to vary by school location and by subject taught. Job prospects should be better in inner cities and rural areas than in suburban districts. (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos069.htm, http://www.acinet.org)
POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS
Camps
Colleges and universities
Community agencies
Department of Education
Department of Defense
Private schools
Public schools
Publishers
Self-employment/consultation
State Department
SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Books (* denotes books available in the Career Center Library)
- *Eberts, Marjorie & Gisler, Margaret. Careers for Kids at Heart & Others Who Adore Children, Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons, 2000.
- Edelfelt, Roy. Careers in Education, Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons, 2004.
- *Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance, Vol. 2, Chicago, IL: Ferguson Publishing Co., 2000. Fine, Janet. Opportunities in Teaching Careers, Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons, 2005.
- *Gallagher, Joanne & Kersten, Thomas, editors. 2008 Job Search Handbook for Educators, Columbus, OH: American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE), 2008.
- *Morkes, Andrew, editor. Ferguson's Careers in Focus: Writing, Chicago, IL: Ferguson Publishing Co., 2003.
- *Warner, Jack & Bryan, Clyde. Inside Secrets of Finding a Teaching Job, Indianapolis, IN: Park Ave. Publications, 1997.
Professional Associations
- American Federation of Teachers, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001, http://www.aft.org.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1313 L Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington DC 20005,
http://www.naeyc.org.
- National Education Association, 1201 16th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036-3290, http://www.nea.org.
Web sites
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