Any preschool teachers out there? I have a few questions..?

Question

I am going to college to be a preschool teacher. I have loved kids for as long as I can remember and I want to be a mom more than anything on this planet. . . and I figure I might as well have a motherly job that I enjoy. If there are any preschool teachers out there I would love to have your opinion on your job and the pros and cons you deal with. I've considered it all but I would like other people's opinions as well. It's good benefits and awesome vacation time and although the money is not fabulous it's still secure..... so..... more opinions and thoughts please!

MJ

Answer 1

I taught for 5 years, We had no benefits and only 5 days of paid vacation after one year of employment. The pay sucked! The parents and their parenting skills sucked! The kids were great! But when you don't get parental support, its like pounding sand up a camels butt.

I would advise volunteering in a private preschool (perhaps even a religious based one) for a few months and then see how you like it.  

I left the preschool and became a private nanny. I make $8-$12 an hour for a 40 hr week.  Its way better money but still lacks time off and benefits. I love it tho! You get to know the child(ren) and parents so well!

Hope this helps :)

Answer 2

Good Luck.

For the amount of money you paid into your education, you get nothing back, other than a few kiddos making you smile now & then.

No vacation, benefits, and very little sick leave.

Most schools run year-round...no summers off.

State licensing requires extra hours of                     professional development..often unpaid.

Germs, germs, lots of sickness.

PARENTS. They think their kids are God and treat you like a slave.

Most schools do not have the funds for a custodian..so YOU are left sweeping, garbage, scrubbing toilets.

I would go into upper middle school teaching.

Answer 3

Teach Kindergarten in the public schools.

Yes it takes longer but it is well worth it. Pre school the pay is REALLY low and in some cases you work all year.  In some cases (not all) the parents see you as a babysitter and not a teacher. The hours can be very long i.e. if you work at a daycare center(I do not advise this option). Some parents can think their child can do no wrong or is a genius. The pro is the kids are sweet at that age and you get to be creative and it is fun but so is kindergarten.

Answer 4

Well, I have read the answers on here and am in agreement in most ways. I have had two experiences now, one before i finished my degree teaching in a daycare/preschool and now, with my bachelors in elementary education and early childhood, teaching preschool for Head Start/Pre-K Counts (run by head start, still employed by head start, different name).

working in day care-

lots of fun...little pay. no benefits.12 sick days, 12 vacation days a year. but it really was fun. i did it for about 1 year while i was still in school and it's fun to see some of those kids now. it is very rewarding and yes, i agree with those who mention the pros and cons above.

working for head start-

WAY BETTER! i am salary, with benefits, i stretch my pay check out so i get paid year round, more job security and *hopefully* my foot in the door to working in a public school. i'm on the same work schedule as my daughter- same days off, summer off...just like public school teachers. preschool is such an amazing age to teach because of the growth you see in just one year! i seriously love my job and love my partner (that makes a big difference, too). i feel secure in knowing that i have health insurance and will be starting the retirement plan next year. we get 10 sick days a year (for working 9.5 months, that's not bad). but realistically speaking, it doesn't pay well. i make $24,000 a year with my bachelors and i graduated with honors and am certified to teach through grade 6.

however, my point of telling you all this is that yes you can have a job in preschool with health insurance, retirement, sick days, summers off, etc... you can't do that in a day care. if you can afford it, it is a very rewarding job.

i advise that you get a double major in early childhood education and elementary education. this will make you more marketable and in the future, you might wish to work in Kindergarten-3 (still considered early childhood).

good luck! it's great to see someone who is excited about early childhood going into the field!

Answer 5

In a nutshell:  nothing is more rewarding than teaching young children.  The only con we run into is the parents.  Most are wonderful, but then you have Mr. & Mrs. HBO/Wrestling/My son isn't doing purple that will drive you nuts.

I do half day church preschool, first as teacher and now as a director.  While hardly any money in it and absolutely no health or retirement benefits, it's been a wonderful ride for the past 15 years.

Answer 6

Secure? My school that I taught at was bought out by Hardee's because they wanted the space. I got no benefits just a phone call to find a new job. Benefits? yeah..a crappy lunch and goldlfish crackers. Vacation what is that? I make more working at Wal-mart...get your college degree and teach in a private school.

Answer 7

Good Luck to you.

This is my 2nd year.  I love children, the parents on the other hand need a swift kick somewhere. It is nothing more than a babysitting job. The best thing if you want to teach is to teach older children, because the parents of preschoolers just want babysitters and that is all. Unless you find a very good preschool to work for.  Now the children are the best part of it all, they sure can't help anything their parents do. I have 2 children of my own and they were in pre-k at age 2 I had a very good preschool and they did very well, I sure wish I could work there. My advice is to find a public school or private school and teach there or a very small preschool. The pay on the other hand, really really bad. Vacation all summer. Very Good. I sure hope this helps. I don't want to depress you but this is just the truth. Good Luck again.

Answer 8

I've read what others have posted, and for the most part I tend to agree.  The parents are most times difficult to deal with, the children have the 'my parents will just buy a new one' attitude, and then there's the back-stabbing, sniping women that you have to work with who always know how to do your job better than you do.

BUT on the other hand, if you remember why you went into the profession then it's all worth it.  Sometimes you can change those parents attitudes, the children can learn respect, responsibility, and other values (if you teach them) and you can chose to not participate in the office gossip mill and raise that bar.

As for the vacation and pay issues.  I was a director for the YMCA and we all got 2 weeks paid vacation per year plus a week of paid sick time plus all paid holidays.  So you really got 3 weeks vacation plus holidays. We also had insurance and retirement (12% company paid retirement per year), plus a free health membership.  So you might check them out as well as preschools in your public schools.  After working for years for the 'retail' centers I'd stick with the YMCA anyday.

Answer 9

All i can say is that it has 2 be the most rewarding job on the planet.

Yes the parents can get a bit much sometimes although if you speak to them professionally regarding their child's development they tend to realize that we are not a baby sitting service.

I love my job sooooooo much and I also enjoyed my training.

Go for it - u will love it.

Good luck