How to Become a Nursery Teacher
If you'd like to become a nursery teacher, make sure that you have the patience and energy to deal with a room full of preschoolers. You'll also need to spend long hours on lesson plans and student evaluations, and be able to work effectively with other teachers, parents, and administrators. In order to start teaching, you'll need to receive a certification, like the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation. You may also need to be certified in your state by taking an exam like the Education of Young Children PRAXIS test.
Research what preschool teachers do. Many people who want to become preschool teachers do so because they love working with children, but it is a very intense and grueling profession, often involving long hours crafting lesson plans or writing student evaluations. However, it is also an invaluable profession that helps the youngest students become lifelong learners. The following are among the content and skills you'll be responsible for guiding students through: Learning to recognize letters and sounds Learning numbers and counting Learning the basics of writing Learning to follow directions, voice their needs, and socialize Consider your own strengths and weaknesses. Preschool teaching is not for everyone, especially given the long hours and relatively low pay. In addition to a passion for working with children, you should have the following characteristics: Ability to communicate with different kinds of people. Communicating with a four-year-old requires different skills from communicating with her parent or presenting to colleagues and administrators. Creativity and adaptability. Not only must you be able to develop engaging lesson plans, but you must also be able to adapt these lesson plans. Different students will have very different needs. Organization. You will need to make careful notes about your lesson plans (what you did, what worked and what didn't, what you would change in the future). While preschool teachers generally do not give their students formal grades, you will also need to keep track of your students' work so that you can write regular progress reports. Patience. A room full of preschoolers can't help but be frustrating at times, but you cannot become overwhelmed by this inevitability. Can you maintain your calm at all times? Energy. Preschoolers are also physically exhausting. Do you have the stamina to interact with them for seven or eight (or more) hours a day, most of it standing, and then spend several hours writing lesson plans afterwards? Consider job prospects and pay. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that preschool teaching will continue to grow over the next several years, meaning that there will be more jobs, these jobs will continue to pay modestly. The number of children between three and five is expected to grow over the next several years. Many of them will be enrolled in preschool. You will have a much easier time finding a job if you have some education past high school, especially if you have a bachelor's degree. However, even those with bachelor's degrees will likely make less money than people in other closely-related professions. Preschool teachers had a median salary of $27,130 in 2012. Kindergarten and elementary school teachers had a median salary of $53,430 in 2012. Part of this difference can be attributed to the different places in which nursery teachers work, with those employed in schools making more. Keep these factors in mind when it comes to pursuing different qualifications. Research the qualifications for different institutions. These range from a high school diploma to a bachelor's degree. Childcare centers require that you have a high school diploma and a special certification for working with young children. The most common certification is the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation. Head Start programs (founded to serve low-income children) require you to have an associate's degree, although half of their teachers must have bachelor's degrees. Public schools generally require you to have a bachelor's degree. Get experience. In some states, you are legally required to have experience working with young children to be hired as a preschool teacher. Even if it is not required, prospective employers will certainly look for it. Experience could be in a daycare, summer camp, after-school program, or as a teacher's aide. Get an associate’s degree. At two years, an associate's degree can put you on the path to your desired profession faster and less expensively than a bachelor's degree. Community colleges in your area will frequently offer associate's degrees in early childhood education and related fields. You will take courses in subjects including educational principles, child development, administration and management, and language arts instruction for young students. You will also complete some student teaching. Pursue a four-year degree. A bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field will combine coursework in core social sciences and humanities subjects with both courses and extensive fieldwork (observation and student teaching) in education. These programs will also prepare you to become certified in your state. Become certified in your state. Most states will require you to pass additional tests before you can become certified to teach in public schools. In some states you will take a test called the PRAXIS, while others develop their own testing materials. Online guides have also compiled directories of each state's requirements, though much of the content will not vary. The Education of Young Children PRAXIS will test your knowledge of subjects including child development; appropriate observation and assessment techniques; professional behavior, communication, and development; level-appropriate content; and pedagogical strategies. State exams may be structured differently, but they will test much of the same knowledge, including your understanding of both the subject matter and how to teach it and your ability to interact with children and families from diverse backgrounds. Once you have completed testing, complete your state's certification application (go to your state's Department of Education or visit its website), and gather some or all of the following: transcripts, test scores, previous teaching certifications, recommendations, and background check results. Mail the application and required documents to the address specified on the application. Know that it might take some time. Although preschool teaching is a growing field, people are also waiting longer to retire, and state and federal funding for education is an often-contested field. You might not find your dream job at first, but there are steps you can take to increase the likelihood of long-term success. Look in the right places. Find job listings for positions in public schools on state Department of Education websites. The National Association of Independent Schools posts listings for jobs in private schools. Cast a wide net. While you become certified in a specific state, many states have reciprocity with one another. For instance, if you are certified in Pennsylvania, you will be able to teach in public schools in Delaware and other neighboring states. It might make for a longer drive, but in many cases it is doable. Prepare for interviews. While every school is different, employers will be looking for many of the same qualities in potential hires. You'll be doing yourself a disservice if you go into your interviews blind. Instead, be prepared so that you will meet--or even exceed--your interviewers' expectations. Practice answering tough questions. Being able to speak extemporaneously is important, but that doesn't mean you should avoid practicing answers to difficult questions. Be ready to discuss the following: Why you decided to become a preschool teacher Addressing different styles of learners Your pedagogical approach and the theories underpinning it Communicating with parents Assessing student progress The specific school or school district where you are interviewing Bring the right materials. You've already sent them your resume, letters of recommendation, and perhaps a portfolio, but interviewers will be impressed if you bring copies of these materials on interview day, as well. Don't overwhelm them with content--just bring enough to appear organized and professional. Be prepared to do a teaching demonstration. You may be asked to conduct a sample lesson in front of administrators and current teachers. This is usually not something that happens at a first interview. Teaching demonstrations are time-consuming, so schools will generally only invite finalists to do so. Be persistent and patient. The turnover rate among preschool teachers can be high, so schools are sometimes left scrambling for a qualified candidate just days before the school year begins. Just because you did not get a specific job that you applied for in April, you are not necessarily out of luck come August. If possible, you should submit applications even to schools without advertised openings just in case such a situation occurs. Consider different settings. Part of this will depend on the qualifications you have, but some of it will also be preference and job availability. Believe it or not, only 16% of preschool teachers work in public or private elementary or secondary schools. The rest are employed in daycares (54%), religious and other independent centers (21%), and individual arrangements (3%). Teachers in schools will generally teach during the school year, although they may also work in camps or elsewhere during the summer. Teachers in daycares and other centers will generally teach all year long, and they may be with children for more hours of the day. Sign up for substitute teaching. Requirements vary greatly for substitute teaching, and they can differ even on a district-by-district basis. While some locales require that you be a certified teacher, others ask only for a high school diploma. Substitute teaching can be a great way of gaining experience and getting your foot in the door. You'll need to contact the school district (or specific school, if you are interested in substituting in a private school where requirements may be less strict) to determine if you are qualified. Be prepared to provide the school/school district with any transcripts and the results of a background check. Don’t rule out starting as an Assistant Teacher or teacher’s aid. Since preschool children require so much attention, many schools hire other adults to perform various instructional, organizational, and preparatory tasks. Like substitute teaching, this is both great experience and a way to make yourself a known quantity in the school. Some states have special programs where you can become an Assistant Teacher after completing two years of a bachelor's degree program. This way, when you graduate you will have a degree, a certification, and lots of experience—a good combination for being on the job market. 
Research what preschool teachers do. Consider your own strengths and weaknesses. Consider job prospects and pay. Research the qualifications for different institutions. Get experience. Get an associate’s degree. Pursue a four-year degree. Become certified in your state. Know that it might take some time. Look in the right places. Cast a wide net. Prepare for interviews. Be persistent and patient. Consider different settings. Sign up for substitute teaching. Don’t rule out starting as an Assistant Teacher or teacher’s aid. 