| I think I'd like teaching
children. How do I know it's the right choice for me? |
Working with children is exciting, rewarding
and provides an opportunity to really make a difference in
the lives of young peopleIt can also be challenging. Working
with children requires a variety of personal attributes and
skills, or the ability to develop them over time. Some examples
of skills are:
- Knowledge of child development
- An understanding of the important role of families
- Professional conduct and good communication skills
- The ability to plan and create a good learning environment
- Understanding and respect for cultural difference
Some examples of personality attributes are:
- Caring
- Flexible
- Respectful
- Patient
- Enthusiastic
- Dependable
|
| What kind of job could I
get? |
The two primary options for teaching children are in Early Care & Education
and in Elementary & Secondary Education.
Early Care & Education includes child care and development programs
for children aged 0-5 years and child care programs for
school-age children. For
example, you could be a teacher, or a program director
in a center-based child development program or you might
operate a home-based family child care program.
Elementary & Secondary
Education involves becoming a teacher in an elementary,
middle or high school, teaching a variety of subjects to
a single group of students or teaching specialized subject
matter to several different groups of students.
In choosing between the two options, it may be helpful to ask
yourself what age children you want to teach and what sort
of teaching environment you might prefer. |
What sort of education do
I need? |
| In the field of Early Care & Education, the
requirements for coursework range from a minimum of CPR training
to an advanced degree with specialized coursework in Early
Childhood Education/Child Development. The requirements depend
on the kind of child development setting you choose and the
level of position within that setting. Elementary Education
requires a Bachelor's Degree plus a fifth year of teacher training.
Secondary Education (middle or high school) requires a Bachelor's
Degree with a major in a specific subject plus a fifth year
of teacher training. For more information, check out Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ) about Careers in Early Care & Education and Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ) about Careers in Elementary & Secondary
Education. |
I've heard I may need a
license, credential, permit or certificate, what are these? |
There are several professional designations
for different settings and the terms can be confusing.
A credential is required to teach in public elementary, middle or high schools
in California.
A permit is required to work in child development
programs that receive state funding, and is an advantage to
anyone who wants to work in center-based child development
programs or receive state funding and demonstrate professional
growth in the field.
A certificate is awarded by an educational
institution (such as the Child Development Department at City
College of San Francisco) for completing a designated number
of units in Early Childhood Education/Child Development. A
certificate is not required but may be looked on favorably
by employers because coursework and professional development
are documented.
A license is for child care facilities, including
both home-based and center-based programs. It is important
to know that it is the facility that is licensed, not individuals
that own or work in the facility. Community
Care Licensing is the agency responsible for issuing licenses in San Francisco
and San Mateo Counties. They can be reached at (650) 266-8843.
Please refer to the Early Care & Education or Elementary & Secondary
Education FAQ sheets for further explanation. |
Will I be able to use my degree or college credit from another country? |
Degrees and college credit earned in a country other than the United States must be evaluated for their correspondence to California requirements. Be aware that evaluation services, though they can be expensive, are necessary if you want to begin the process of using your degree or college credit from another country to fulfill California requirements. The following organizations in California may be able to help:
World Education Services Inc.
San Francisco (800) 414-0147
Educational Records Evaluation Service
Sacramento (916) 565-7475
Institute for International Credentials Evaluation
Fresno (209) 278-7622
International Education Research Foundation
Los Angeles (310) 3906276
|
Besides education, what else is required? |
In addition to education, some previous experience is also required, both for obtaining the permits and credentials mentioned above and by most employers. Experience requirements vary depending on the child development setting and the position within the setting. Because it takes years to become a skilled, confident teacher experience is always a factor. In general the more you have the better. Anyone working with children must be fingerprinted, and must also be cleared by a Child Abuse Index and Criminal Records check. A TB skin test is also required for employment.
Please refer to the Early Care & Education or Elementary & Secondary
Education FAQ sheets for further explanation. |
What if English isn't my first language? |
Your home language can be a tremendous advantage in working with children. California's diverse population means that child development programs benefit by hiring bilingual staff. If you plan to work in child care/development programs you generally need to speak some English in order to communicate with English speaking children, parents and staff. In order to take ECE/Child Development courses at the college level an ESL proficiency of 7-8 is recommended though some courses may be offered in languages other than English.
There is also a great need for bilingual credentialed elementary school teachers. Bilingual teachers need written and spoken language proficiency in both English and another language.
|
How do I get started? Where can I get help? |
| Perhaps the most important first step is to talk to an academic counselor and a career advisor about your interest in the field. CCSF has two terrific resources that can help. Both are located in Bungalow 213, located on the corner of Phelan and Judson Avenues. Services are offered in English, Cantonese, Spanish and Vietnamese. |
For Early Care and Education:
San Francisco Early Childhood Professional
Development Project
(415) 452-5605
http://www.ccsf.edu/Departments/Child_Development/ChildNet/
For
Elementary and Secondary Education:
Teacher Prep Center
(415) 239-3890
http://www.ccsf.edu/Departments/Child_Development/Teacher_Prep_Center/
CAL Teach
(800) CALTEACH
http://www.calteach.com/
Other resources:
Child Development & Family Studies Department
(415) 239-3172
http://www.ccsf.edu/Departments/Child_Development/
Child
Development Training Consortium
(209) 572-6080
http://www.childdevelopment.org/
|
Two more detailed FAQ sheets are also available
at Bungalow 213: Frequently
Asked Questions about Careers in Early Care & Education or Frequently
Asked Questions about Elementary & Secondary Education. |
