Bureau of Labor Statistics, while those teaching in religious schools make about $10,000. The typical salary for kindergarten and elementary school teachers is about $59,000. Kindergarten Teaching Salary and Benefits But if you want to work in an elementary school and you’re ok with being moved into teaching at other grade levels – which can make you more valuable to the school – a degree in elementary education would be a better choice. As you choose a degree, it’s important to understand that if you’re committed to working a preschool, majoring in early childhood education is best. But in today’s climate of budget cutbacks in the educational system, this is becoming less of a reality, since teachers are frequently moved around from grade to grade to accommodate a shrinking workforce. It is possible to teach kindergarten in a public elementary school with an early childhood degree (with licensure). Many early childhood education majors teach kindergarten in a preschool setting that includes a preschool and a kindergarten, but no higher grades. However, this degree could make finding a job easier, as it covers twice as many grades as an early childhood education degree. You may also have to accept that you may not get a student teaching placement within kindergarten, and your first job could be teaching another grade as well. Instead of just learning about methods of teaching preschool children, your training will include teaching five-year-olds through twelve-year-olds, in most cases. While this makes you more versatile, you won’t be focusing only on the preschool/kindergarten-specific pedagogy, even though it may be your top interest.
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If you choose an elementary education degree, you’ll have to learn how to teach subjects like science, math, history and English in addition to methods of teaching younger children. So in addition to learning how to teach younger children like kindergarteners, you’ll also be learning how to teach a variety of subjects to older grades (up through middle school, in some cases) as well. This degree has a much broader scope than a degree in early childhood education, since teaching methods and techniques vary greatly among the grades you can teach with it. In order to teach in most schools, especially public schools, elementary education licensure is also required. Instead of teaching the more rigid academics of older elementary grades, teaching kindergarten in many ways bridges the gap between preschool and elementary school and provides an important foundation for each student’s future learning attitudes and experiences.Įarning an elementary education bachelor’s degree can qualify you to teach grades kindergarten through sixth grade, and in some cases, through eighth grade. This degree is great for teachers who love the preschool setting and want to specifically focus their energies on the kindergarten classroom and curriculum. If you earn this degree, you’ll learn about developing children’s minds through art, music, storytelling and the basic building blocks of academia: numbers, letters, colors and shapes. degree, in that it’s specifically tailored to learn about the educational and developmental needs of preschool-aged children. This degree has a more narrow focus than an elementary ed. Licensure is, however, essential to teach in a public school setting, and some states may require elementary education licensure on top of that. Many states offer early childhood licensure, although it is not required to teach in most preschools. Most bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education qualify you to teach and care for children from infancy or toddlerhood through kindergarten, and, in some cases, as high as third grade. Here’s an overview that can help you decide which of these two teaching degrees will help you meet your needs as you work on your kindergarten teacher qualifications.Ĭlick For A List Of Online Schools Offering Kindergarten Teacher Degrees But each may lead you into different teaching environments, with different potential salaries and different opportunities for advancement. A BA or BS in early childhood education or a degree in elementary education can both qualify you to teach kindergarten. If you want a kindergarten teacher degree, it can be hard to decide which kind of bachelor’s program will best get you there.