Legit Preschool Teacher?

Little kids don't need a teacher with a degree. They need someone who will sit down and play with them, and teach them their abc's and 123's. A teenager can do that. School will come soon enough.

My daughter's preschool had her writing her name, some simple words numbers shapes colors. A whole variety of educational information. When she started kindergarten she was completely bored the first 2 months because half the kids were still just learning to write their letters. So while the educational part is a good idea I'd focus on the emotional and psychologic information the kids are being taught. You want to ask parents who already have kids in that school. Are their kids well adjusted and happy at their school?

I would observe her with the kids.. I would ask for parent references.. and I would go with my heart.. you do not need a phd in teaching to be a great preschool teacher. we had a great teacher who had no degree but she could handle the class of 3 and 4 year olds..

Preschool teachers are paid very low wages. You'll typically find most places just require a few early childhood education units.

I don't think a college degree is essential at this level. What you want to look for is enthusiasm and real ability to connect with young children. If you feel inspired and happy walking around a particular preschool, chances are so will your child. After sending two kids through preschool, I'd say experience trumps formal education. Anyone with a college degree working in preschool is just there as a pitstop on the way to bigger and better things.

I don't think a formal education counts so much as a genuine passion and interest in caring for children.
In California only 12 ECE units are required to be a preschool teacher, and the classes are not so difficult to pass.
I would look at the character and quality of the director and program above all else. I would take a loving, mature person with real experience over a person who simply has the required ECE units any day. Not saying the ECE units are worthless, just saying they are only a small part of what makes someone qualified to care for children.

Working in Kindergarten it is very easy to see which kids come from crappy preschools. It is SO important to really take the time and choose a great one. crappy preschools use time-out a lot, rather than preventing problems. Kids are so used to be in time out before they get to K that it doesnt phase them, this is just what school is for active children. They are not taught better behavior, just scolded. Crappy preschools push kids to perform things they are not ready for. Crappy preschools use lots of worksheets and dont teach children how to socialize and play together and develop their language. bad preschools push handwriting and not enough time building fine motor skills thru DAILY use of scissors, peg boards, play dough, pasting, etc etc. They only do beautiful craft projects never creative anything. Observe, ask questions, choose carefully

Years of experience and a good attitude would work as well as a degree. I'd give it a try.

Kindergarten teaches reading and writing. In my area, many children have not had any formal teaching by the time they enter Kindergarten. I suggest that strong academics are not so important at at this age tho some exposure is helpful. We push our kids too hard too soon. When do they get to be kids?

Based on other questions, your child is a toddler. IMO he has the rest of his life to be in school. Why the rush. Put him someplace where where he can have fun and be a kid.

Great responses so far! I would think about what it is you are hoping your child will gain from the preschool experience. Personally, I was less concerned with academics (though I greatly value academics) and more concerned with social skills. I wanted my kids to learn how to listen to adults in charge, follow rules, play with other kids, etc. The preschool my oldest went to was wonderful. The did work with the kids on numbers, letters, colors, shapes, writing their name, etc. The teachers there had 10-15 years of experience (not sure about certification) and had the perfect balance of challenging the kids without pushing them too hard. They believed in allowing them to progress on their own as much as possible.

Really think about what you are hoping your child will gain from the experience, talk to some parents (especially parents with grade schoolers) and look at a few different programs. You'll know what makes the most sense for your child.

Speaking from experience I don't think you need a formal education to teach preschool. Attitude is so important when working with little kids. If you are creative, enthusiastic and have a good awareness about opportunities to teach little kids I believe that it is sometimes better than a "formal" preschool.

I would ask for references. You do want to look for a place that emphasizes play based learning and socialization. In early ages kids learn best through play. But play doesn't mean just running around. play should include things that encourage small and large motor skills, creative imaginative/pretend play, music, movement, being read to etc... and they should work on things that are pre-k readiness when the kids are developmentally ready. For example kids don't need to come out of preschool knowing how to write, but they should know how to hold a pencil and write curves, lines, x's, circles, arcs... that will prepare them to write letters.

Most of all they should have social exposure and be encouraged to use words to solve their problems and express feelings. Be kind to others, take turns. And a big one, try to do things for themselves without giving up too quickly.

If you're happy with the references and you like the school I would go for it. I see lots of families where I live that go to certain preschools because the school has been around a long time or the teachers have been there a long time. Working with kids day after day can be draining and years of experience can sometimes be good, and other times can make the school stale and somewhat inflexible.

Good luck~ the right person in a small setting could be a wonderful environment for your kiddo at this young age.

DD's teachers have degrees in early childhood education. It is a small program in a church. I think it's proof that a program doesn't need to be fancy to be quality, and you don't need rows of desks to be a positive preschool experience. Many kids learn best by playing at that age and DD has learned quite a bit this year. She put drops of water on cotton balls and came home and told me all about the water cycle. They have a curriculum they follow.

That said, though, you should ask her what training she's had in lieu of a degree. If she can't provide proof that she has done any homework whatsoever, then it may not be the school for you.

You also need to decide what you ultimately want for your child this year. Do you want her to know her ABCs or do you want her to know how to sit in a circle, listen, follow directions and play well with others? And how well would this program get your child to those goals? Can she show you what they do over the course of the year and tell you what she expects your child to know at the end of it?

The philosophy of early childhood education is complex and just as important, in my opinion, as pedagogy for older children. I would want my child to go to a preschool where at least the head teacher had a masters in education, just like I had to receive to be licensed to teach middle and high school. A good knowledge of child development is a must, at the very least. Even for toddler school. That's why I send my son to an accredited Montessori school. I don't think quality early childhood education, especially when it comes to prepping for and guiding a whole class, is something just any teen can do. As for your situation, why not ask her some probing questions about her methods and knowledge?

Follow your intuition, and I think experience does trump the degree! and I have about 4 of those, they really may have given me a little theory, but experience is better. Also she may still be reading and attending workshops and seminars and self-educating herself . . .
Good luck!

you do not have to have any type of degree to be a preschool teacher. When I started out teaching I all I had was 12 early childhood ed. units. That's it. That's actually all I have now too and I taught preschool for 5 years before I had my kids and I have taught again this year, so 6 years total of teaching.

You're not rolling the dice any more with this than you would be in a preschool. Do you really know how children are dealt with in these places? Really, for the most part it's baby wolves raising baby wolves. Some are better than others, of course, but these places go against the natural attuning to children.

You don't have to be necessarily a formally educated person to be a good and caring and intelligent care person of children. The ones that are formally educated are only going by what they've been taught by the main stream even though most of it' s been proven erroneous for years, it's jsut that most people don't know about it. Recently a government study was done about how children have been affected by the years of early education and the study came back with the results that it actually made them less intelligent, less educated in the long run, and yet more money was put on early ed. Now why is this? You tell me and we'll both know.

Years of experience doesn't neccessarily trump formal education either, it really gets down to the person taking care of your child. People can be doing something all their lives and think it's right and good, only to find out 30 years later it was all wrong. So you have to ask yourself what you like about their philosopy, what is it based in. Do your research too. What kind of person is this person? Does she love children, really love them? Does she see the magical side of life, will she be into the child's wonder? Or will it just be a home based version of mainstream stuff including the attitude of being a animal trainer as so many have but won't admit.

It depends on your state, but usually most anyone can get certified by going through the state classes.

I have taken care of many children throughout life and have treated each one with care and dedication. I really loved each one for who they were. I've had many parents tell me what a difference it made in their child's life and especially the ones that came from a preschool situation or a bad babysitter. Within days the child was better and the mom amazed. What was the difference? I actually cared, I treated the child as a child with respect, not pansy-wamsy stuff, but just simply being there as an adult that entered the child's needs and sense of wonder. I would let myself be guided as to the child's needs. I also have studied child development and education for many years now, starting with the mainstream and at the time fully buying into it for the most part. Now I know better.

You have to spend some time in this home, spend some time with this person. Go again when she least expects it and just see how it is. How many kids are there? Personally, I think there shouldn't be more than a few at any given time. People that think they can handle 10 all the same age are ridiculous. These are the homes that aren't really given the children what they deserve. When I did it I finally learned through experience to write up my policies and philosophies and have the parents sign an agreement. And I was always interested in learning more and sharing and coming to an understanding. If you don't jive w/the parent it won't work well. I considered it almost like co-parenting after all the chld was in my home 9-10 hours a day 5-6 days a week.

Go with your heart, what is your heart of hearts speaking.

Maybe the owner had kids of her own?

I don't personally think you need a degree to be a great preschool teacher. Other grades maybe. Preschool, definitely not.

I would ask for references, L.

I worked with kids for 20 years with no 'formal' prior education (I was a machinist by trade before that). What I did was found good teachers to work with, learn from them, and to read and study and research early childhood ed on my own. I attended OAEYC and NAEYC workshops, trainings, seminars... I didn't have the money or opportunity to get my ECE but chose to immerse myself in learning about my profession.

When I did have my preschools (one was a neighborhood co-op and one was in my home), I hired a kindergarten teacher I knew to come and do observations and review my lesson plans. I wanted some peer review. I also connected with other preschool owners to talk shop, bounce ideas off of them, and to consult with them when necessary for a second opinion when we had a child who was needing more help than usual.

I will say this: spend time observing the program. Ask to see what the lesson plans look like. I had a blog which I updated weekly and detailed what the children were learning/doing, how that was happening, and who I felt the activity augmented the learning.

All that to say, someone can have no formal training but be able to both sell it and bring it in regard to their preschool program. Being able to have great references, good word of mouth, being able to explain my program's focus and why my program was worthwhile... and then to deliver-- this is what I personally would look for. Experience, the desire for further education, and the desire to work with children... all of these are just as important as the ECE. It's really about the teacher.

And just for the record, I've seen, subbed at and had my own high-quality in-home preschool. When you walked into our home, it looked like a preschool (no couch, tv and stereo concealed)... we had child-sized table, chairs, smaller furniture for the different activity areas (library, housekeeping/fantasy play, science table, etc.) and sensory areas. I ran it as I would at my other preschool; snacks prepped before the kids came and had a daily routine with a full, seasonal emergent-curriculum lesson plan tailored to that specific group which was made up each month which incorporated where the children were, what they were interested in, and each child's abilities and areas which needed more development. The preschool my son went to is one of the best in our city and is also a home-based preschool with a rich environment and curriculum.

What matters more than the owner's degrees is whether this preschool is licensed and registered with your state.

If she is operating an in-home preschool or daycare informally and is not on the state's formal register of people licensed to care for children in the home -- do not send your child there, because no one, anywhere, but the parents knows that she has charge of young children.

If this is a "legit," licensed preschool, proceed from there. Like someone else who posted below, if it's called a preschool, I personally would prefer a school-like setting rather than a home (because too often anyone can toss around the "preschool" label when it's really a day care without preschool curriculum). If you feel assured that this person really does do preschool-level activities in a consistent way, then try it. But be certain it is on the state's radar, so it is under state regulations and subject to state inspections.

A agree with what others are saying. I am a preschool teacher as well. I have over 40 units of child development units, as well as a California Teacher Permit. You can start working at most preschool with just 12 units, but where I am at, they require the permit.

When I researched for my sons preschool, they were open all year so I went on the tour of the school I. The summer and asked if we could stay a few days during their instructional time so I could check it out. I stayed about an hour for 3 different days. My son loved it and so did I. He stayed 3 years at a church preschool. He was at a home base from 3 months - 2 hears old before that. It suggest you stay with your child and see how it goes, because just because it looks nice, doesn't necessarily mean that it will be what you expect.

I personally would not send my child to a home-based preschool even if the teacher has credentials, experience, etc.... I would prefer an actual preschool with actual classrooms. Home based preschools have always seemed more like daycares to me rather than school.

We chose 2 year academic based pre-school for both of our kids, for very separate reasons. It is in an elementary school, and all of the teachers have degrees and teacher certifications.
For our son (now 5) he showed signs of being ready to learn so early. He was writing letters (some of them) at 2, his full name at 3, and is now at 5 reading Grade 2 books. He is a sponge, and we wanted to give him the learning he craved then, and still craves today.
For our daughter (3) she will be starting in the same program in August. She is not as learner centered as her brother. She is just starting to write letters, she shows no interest in drawing, none of the learning interest that he has shown. She also has issues with her hearing that I know as a teacher could potentially have a negative impact on her learning.
Both my husband and I work full time, so the options for our kids were daycare or preschool. The pre-school still allows them to be kids, they have loads of play time built into the day, but it also is helping them with a strong foundation for the future.
Good Luck in your choice!

I am not sure how all areas handle this, but my local preschool is through our school district and all of the teachers are certified. This does not mean that a home based preschool can not legit though. Does the teacher/owner have a curriculum they follow. Even at the three and four year old level our school had markers that they strive to meet, and could supply us with those markers up front so we could follow the progress as the year went on.
I understand how hard of a choice this is, considering they have to be reading and writing etc by the end of kindergarten. I have had concerns about the pace and amount of information the kids are responsible for since three year old preschool and my daughter is just now finishing kindergarten. She is doing just fine but I still worry :) Her four year old preschool teacher explained to me that what they do in preschool now is more of what they would have done in kindergarten in my day (which was quite some time ago) Good Luck!

One of my kids best preschool teachers doesn't have a formal childhood or education degree either, but she's amazing!

I agree that the licensing of the pre-school is very important.

As to the degree, ask about them. 'So, where did you earn your degree?'
Ask for references.

If you are looking just for a daycare that has some pre-school aspects, then no, as long as it is licensed, you are not rolling the dice.

If you are looking specifically for a pre-school, then unless you ask, and like the response, you are rolling the dice as to what your child will learn.

My home-care provider is licensed, and has an early education degree.