Early Childhood and Elementary Education as a Career Path

Introduction 

According to Egan (2012), the United States Department of Education defines an early education educator as any professional that works in the area of early learning and development programs. Examples of spheres that an early education teacher could be found include center-based and family child care providers, early administrators, infant and toddler specialists, preschool teachers, and teachers’ assistants among many others. People would want to become early education specialists for various reasons including wage and benefits, to enhance good education programs, and obtain critical schools for managing developing children among others. Also, critical to appreciate is the fact that preschool is an important stage for the development of the toddlers. The Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance illustrates that preschools began in Europe in the 19 th century and spread to the United States in the early 20 th century (Morrison, 2013). Early childhood and elementary educators usually instruct their children until they attain the age of five. They are an important part of the child's education and development because of their activities in providing the social, intellectual, and physical guidance needed in for primary education. 

Subfields and Specialization 

Just like many other fields of expertise, early childhood and elementary education is among the most flexible areas one could work. As earlier intimated, the US Department of Education through the early education sector highlights several subfields that make up the early education. One of the main areas is the center-based and family childcare providers. Here, teachers mainly focus on the mental and physical development of the students. Educators form a healthy relationship with the students that enable them to possess a greater understanding of the students in a manner that will benefit the student with their needs while also inculcating them with necessary values. Teachers in this field can also decide to be infant and toddler specialists who work with this group of learners mainly between 3 and five years by developing programs that build on their cognitive and behavioral development. Egan (2012) further appreciated that educators who have acquired higher education in this field could open up their opportunities of working as an early administrator. In this capacity, professionals mainly work on programs and services meant to run operations for early childhood. They also carry out roles such as administration and the provision of instructional and program leadership. Other advanced roles that these individuals can engage in include managing budgets, compliance with regulations, and the safety of children. 

Furthermore, an early childhood professional can also specialize to become a head start teacher. Gordon and Browne (2013) asserted that the head start is a program funded by the federal government where children are provided with early education program including other critical needs such as nutrition and healthcare. Teachers in this area of specialization mainly work in prekindergarten classes with children between the age of 3 and 5. Their main duty is to improve the learning outcomes and academic standards of their children. Alternatively, professionals in this field can decide to work as preschool teachers where teachers nurture, care, and teach children who are yet to be enrolled in a kindergarten. Such educators plan and utilize a curriculum that covers some critical requirements of a child including motor skills, development, emotional and social development, and also language expertise. 

Employment Opportunities and Salary 

Before employment, an early education professional must first meet the licensing requirements. However, these provisions differ from one state to the other. Some states require a bachelor’s degree in an area of early childhood education while others want a certification by a nationally recognized authority. Morrison (2013) asserted that one of the most common types of certification is the Child Development Associate (CDA). With regards to the employment opportunity, the early education field is experiencing a growth that is faster than average in the US. The main reason for the growth is due to the renewed importance of pre-school education among the children. Spodek and Saracho (2014) pointed out that the Bureau of Labor and Statistics approximates that this field will continue experiencing growth of up to 25% by the end of the decade. Also, the demand for early education professionals continues to grow across all the 50 states. However, one important thing to note is that elementary teaching professionals do not enjoy a similar guarantee. A critical tenet that early educators should follow while looking for employment is the population. States that are experiencing a high population growth mainly offer more job opportunities especially for people at the entry-level. 

Therefore, despite the employment prospect and uneven funding across all the states, graduates in the early education field face a job market that is significantly above average with regards to full-employment prospects and growth. It is a good field especially for those with a passion for teaching because it provides myriad career opportunities for specialization and advancement. States that have committed to more funding of higher education receive more funding have proven attractive to many graduates. States such as New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and California among others have created more job opportunities for professionals due to their increased funding. With regards to the salary, professionals that wish to venture into this field could expect a starting salary of approximately $25,700 (Essa, 2012). Additionally, those who have higher qualifications or who pursue leadership position have a prospect of earning a considerable high amount of money. Professionals in these positions can expect an average salary of about $42,000 per year. Another factor that can cause an individual’s salary to start at a higher place includes those with a major in childhood education but instead take a job in the public school system, teaching kindergarten or one of the higher grades in the elementary school. 

In 2010, the median pay for an elementary school teacher was at $51,380. In the assessment, this is almost twice the amount of money earned by a pre-school or a daycare employee. As such, many teachers would consider the option of the concentration in elementary teaching because it pays well. However, job expansion in elementary teaching is not as flexible as that in early childhood education. However, the future for early childhood profession remains brighter especially with better funding and the increase in population. 

Advantages and Disadvantages 

The pre-school education profession is an interesting field that has attracted praise and critics in equal measures. With regards to the advantages of the profession, the employment prospects of early education professional look brighter than ever before. Essa, (2012) noted that the inception of the No Child Left behind Act had boosted the job because of its emphasis on early education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that in 2018 alone, the preschool teaching positions will be expected to grow by a whopping 19%. The increase is higher compared to other professionals in the country. One of the major indicators of a good job is its employment outlook and professions in early education have proven to meet this. As a career, educators in early education enjoy several perks that come with the job. First, Denham, Bassett, and Zinsser (2012) intimated that the work environment is relatively pleasant and the career entries are also easily manageable. Most preschool programs run in tandem with that of the regular school day meaning that teachers can enjoy summers and holidays off. In some states, schools allow a discount on preschool tuition available for the children of the teachers. Teachers also enjoy additional benefits such as healthcare benefits among others. 

Personally, the teacher has a chance of improving through their day to day interaction with the students. Teachers will be required to work on their interpersonal skills and show marked improvements in their communication techniques. They must also learn to show patience and care, and this will eventually impact their overall character and transfer it to the rest of the life. However, it is noteworthy to appreciate that early childhood educators also face several problems that make their profession one of the most resented. Denham, Bassett, and Zinsser (2012) illustrated that dealing with parents poses one of the biggest problems with this career. Most parents tend to insist that their children receive special treatment and also attempt to guide the teachers on how to handle their children. Parents can also be the source of a teacher's stress in scenarios where the parents tend to be neglectful or fails to follow school regulations such as picking the children on time. It is common to find out that a teachers works pretty well with the students but finds it increasingly difficult to interact with the parents. 

Teaching preschool children can also be one of the most physically exhausting jobs. Teachers are always moving or bending in an attempt to give the children the match-needed attention. They must always remain vigilant to check whether children are doing the right thing or that they are safe. Therefore, Gordon, and Browne (2013) noted that the job could prove to be physically and mentally demanding. Another major problem arises with regards to the salary. Most states and school districts have neglected the early education program hence leading to low funding. Therefore, one of the biggest implications that follow is that teachers are paid low salaries hence making the profession less attractive. Because the children and young and relatively underdeveloped, implementing programs would prove difficult and in most cases, the teachers could be forced to go with the pace of the children or work according to the situation at hand. 

Interview 

The interview begins by asserting that a career in early education is good and above all fulfilling. She has been in kindergarten for 14 years and also in second grade for four years. The professional is currently working as a teacher in the third grade. Her greatest inspiration to pursue a career in teaching was due to the satisfaction she got while helping her younger brother solve various learning problems. She names the kindergarten teaching experience as a major development year despite the many challenges she faced in her 14-year tenure as a teacher. She further draws a comparison between teaching in the kindergarten and the third grade. Although third grade comes with its challenges, the students are more matured than in the kindergarten, and most fundamentally, they can communicate better, two factors that bring out the difference. The interviewee further highlights how the school environment is critical in teaching and how camaraderie influences positive relationships in the teaching career. Her main role as a teacher includes impacting the learner with not only academic skills but also social values needed to turn them into all-round adults. 

The interviewee asserts that she also puts more emphasis on co-curricular activities despite the fact that not many people like it. She further intimates that her work schedule is tight and almost none stop. The program begins at 8.15AM in the morning where the teacher assesses the basic needs of the learner and takes another 45 minutes where she focuses on the intervention skills which basically attempts to find areas where the kids are struggling. The program begins with math in the morning and ends with reading in the afternoon. Currently, the teacher makes a gross salary of $80,000 in comparison to when she started which was at $36,000. However, she intimates that the benefits that accompanying the salary are not as good as they use to be. Other benefits include vacations, maternity leaves, and sick days. Male counterparts enjoy paternity leave as opposed to before. With regards to joining the professional, the interviewee notes that during her entry time, it was difficult to get a job and the lower pay also discouraged many people who would rather seek for better-paying jobs. However, she intimates that getting a job today would be much easier than it was years ago. 

Some of the things that the interviewee likes about her job include having time with the students, feeling appreciated, and seeing them succeed. The only set back she notes in the career is the high level of stress that emanates from the fact that she demands too much from herself. Teacher-parent conferences are important in identifying the problems of the learner and determine the solutions. Regarding the promotion, the teacher notes that teaching is not a career with many opportunities for promotion and if they were there, one would be required to pursue graduate programs. 

Conclusion 

Teaching in the early education system is an interesting career because one gets to be an important part in the development of young children and shaping them for future endeavors. The career prospects such as job opportunities continue to be on the rise especially with legislation that has increased funding and the increased population of students. The career has its challenges including dealing with parents and the stress that comes with enhancing educational and development skills among students. If both the federal and the state government devote its resources towards improving this field, early education profession will be one of the most adored. 

References 

Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., & Zinsser, K. (2012). Early childhood teachers as socializers of young children’s emotional competence.  Early Childhood Education Journal ,  40 (3), 137-143. 

Egan, K. (2012).  Primary understanding: Education in early childhood  (Vol. 27). Routledge. 

Essa, E. L. (2012).  Introduction to early childhood education . Cengage Learning. 

Gordon, A. M., & Browne, K. W. (2013).  Beginnings & Beyond: Foundations in early childhood education . Cengage Learning. 

Morrison, G. S. (2013).  Fundamentals of early childhood education . Pearson Higher Ed. 

Spodek, B., & Saracho, O. N. (2014).  Handbook of research on the education of young children . Routledge.