How long does it take to be a preschool teacher?

Question

My soon to be husband is in the Army National Guard but is considering going Active after he gets back from his deployment (he leaves next month), and we have a daughter who is 13 months old so it's hard for me to go to school and work full time so I'm interested in a job that doesn't take long for the schooling and I LOVE little kids.. I live in Iowa/Illinois as of right now and I was wondering if anyone knows how long the schooling usually is for a preschool teacher and if i can take classes for it online? And if i can do it online, where at? Thanks!!! Oh, And if you know of any other jobs that don't take long please let me know!!

Answer 1

'I'm in England so not sure how different it is:

Training for an assistant is about 1 to 2 years-in england this is level 2 or 3. If you want to be higher than an assistant then you will need a higher qualification so will take you longer.

I dont believe there's any online ones as you need practical experience in the setting not just personal experiences. However in England youy can train as you learn and an assessor comes to the setting to see you.

Pre-School hours can be quite long and often invovle a lot of paperwork esp the higher in rank that you go. IF you just want a part time job which is easy to fit around home I'd stick with an assistant rather than teacher...its quicker to train and less hours and not so much paperwork as you only do basic planning not the termly and yearly planning.

-Creche workers arent always trained they sometimes take on untrained but experienced staff

so may be worth looking that up.

Answer 2

For a preschool teacher, at a private center (meaning outside of public schools), you will need your Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. You can get this from most Community Colleges, and it only takes two years.

The community college in our neighborhood has it's own daycare/preschool center, so the students enrolled in the ECE program that have kids, can send their kids to daycare for a cheaper price, and this is a 5-star daycare.

Just because you love kids, does not mean this job is right for you. It is a hard job, and the schooling is NOT easy! It takes time and serious dedication, you HAVE to give it your full attention. No, you can NOT do this program online. Some community colleges may offer a part-time schedule, but not any in my area. check with local CC's about the different programs you can get enrolled in.

Answer 3

depends on if you want to work in a public school preschool or a daycare center.  in a daycare center you can just go by the state regs for your state at http://nrc.uchsc.edu/STATES/states.htm

if you want to teach in a school you need a bachelors.  most colleges you can take on line classes but at someo point you will probably have to do an internship or two.  good luck.