What is a Pre-Kindergarten Associate Degree?

One good way to start a career in early childhood education is to get a Pre-Kindergarten Associate Degree. Also known as Pre-K or Early Childhood Development, this program is designed for people who are interested and are passionate about working with young children. Emphasis is provided for training professionals who are competent to work with infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers – basically children up to 5 years of age – with regards to developing children’s cognitive, affective, social, language and communication skills in a classroom environment. Just like any other associate’s degree, one could finish the program within 2 years, that is around 4-5 semesters of courses in pedagogy, early childhood development, developmental psychology, curriculum development and modification, evaluation, and educational material design.

What are the job opportunities of a Pre-Kindergarten Associate Degree?

Lots of career opportunities are open for those who finish a Pre-K Associate Degree. After finishing the degree, one could start out quickly start out as a teacher in daycare centers, Head Start programs, early childhood learning centers, nursery schools, and preschools – basically, entry-level careers in the field. One could also work with community outreach programs, or for specialized establishments that deal with children’s activities. After completing the appropriate bachelor’s degree program, one could then move on to other subspecializations in childhood education, including special education and developmental psychology. As discussed earlier, a Pre-Kindergarten associate degree could also be a lot of help for the beginning parent, especially those who are interested to homeschool their children.

Can a Pre-Kindergarten Associate Degree be finished online?

Definitely, and there are lots of online programs available for the interested student. Just look for Associate degrees majoring in Pre-Kindergarten, Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Development or Child Development Studies and you’re good to go. Just remember that a High School diploma or a GED certificate is needed to apply for an Associate degree.

What are the benefits of taking a Pre-Kindergarten Associate Degree online?

Taking your degree online is a more convenient option that going to a brick-and-mortar school. For starters, you could easily hold an internship position in a daycare center, preschool, or any institution specializing in child development while studying, making it a good option for working students. For those who want to shift careers, online study provides accommodations for life experience and academic credit which could make finishing your associate degree faster. You are also provided a schedule that you could tweak at your own convenience, making learning a self-paced (and easier task).

Quick Reference for Pre-Kindergarten Associate Degree:

• Online degrees: Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Development, Child Development Studies, Pre-Kindergarten

• Duration: 2 years, 4-5 semesters depending on the program

• Job opportunities: Teacher/Teaching Assistant/Childcare Assistant in daycare centers, Head Start Programs, preschools, nursery schools, or community outreach programs

Qualified individuals teaching English as a Second Language are very much in demand so if you have a knack for teaching and are good at the English language, you might want to consider teaching ESL as a career option. In fact, teaching English as a second language can not only be a good career choice, it can also help you find jobs abroad.

Teaching English Jobs – Common Questions

If you are interested in a career in teaching English as a second language, there are plenty of jobs available out there.  Here are some common question that are asked by those interested in teaching ESL.

• English is my mother tongue, do I still need a certificate to teach English as a second language?

Most schools and institutes (in the country and abroad) prefer teachers with the appropriate certification for teaching English as a second language. While English may be your mother tongue, a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate gives you the skills required to teach the language to others. While some schools may accept untrained teaches, most will prefer if you have the right certificate for teaching ESL.

• Do I have to attend classes or can I pursue it long distance?

The advantages of a TEFL course is that you can either attend classes or pursue the course long distance – depending on what suits your needs. Distance learning courses for teaching ESL are becoming increasingly popular as they allow you to achieve the required skills at your own convenience. In addition, distance learning courses are usually more cost effective as well.

• Where can I find a good TEFL certificate course?

A TEFL course can be pursued from any part of the world and there a number of certificate courses for teaching English as a second language worldwide. You can check with your local British Council or even simply do a Google search for TEFL courses. When choosing a course for teaching ESL, just make sure it is properly accredited so it is recognized by potential employers.

Teaching English Abroad

One of the biggest advantages of pursuing a TEFL certificate course is that it can help you travel the world. From South America to South East Asia, there is an increasing demand for individuals teaching ESL. With your certificate you can travel to several countries, teaching and seeing the world at the same time. Teaching English as a second language puts you in a position to accept teaching positions anywhere in the world. If you are looking for jobs teaching English abroad, get in touch with your local TEFL certificate course provider and ask them the best resources for job hunters. In addition, you can also do your research online and see which places have a high demand for individuals teaching ESL.

Teaching English as a second language can be a rewarding career where you meet and interact with people from across the world. In addition, it offers you opportunities for travel that not many other jobs can rival.

MA/M.Ed/Certificate in Special Education – If you’re passionate about children with special learning needs and want to master individualized curriculum design, educational materials development, action research, and curriculum/material modification then an online degree in special education is a good choice for you. Most online universities have specific programs in special education that cater to those who want to focus on gifted education, learning disabilities, autism, adult needs, assessment/diagnostics, deaf education, blind education and elementary education. This online degree is perfect for the teacher who want to expand his job prospects and for international students who want to start a new career in special education. With the constant demand for special education teachers around the world, this is one of the most popular and recession-friendly online degrees available today.

MS/M.Ed in Educational Technology – Perfect for teachers who are interested in designing teaching applications and for engineers with a passion for teaching, an online degree in educational technology prepares the student for developing technological solutions to educational challenges. Those studying educational technology will be schooled with courses on instructional design, computer applications, database design and management, software engineering, and hardware implementations. Some specific online programs also focus on distance learning and online teaching/management, making graduates of these courses also candidates for employment in the same online universities they studied under.

MA/M.Ed in Educational Administration – Long-time educators who are gunning for the top spot should consider taking up an online degree in education administration. Aside from the benefits of continuing education, finishing an education administration degree prepares the student for positions of leadership in their respective schools (i.e. education supervisor, school principal) and further on to the highest positions in educational management. Those who study educational administration will be trained in the theories and applications of organizational development, community building, educational leadership, curriculum design, policy management and implementation, human resources, and financial management. Want to be the next educational leader? Get an online educational administration degree.

MA in Educational Psychology – Also one of the hottest online psychology degrees, a degree in educational psychology prepares teachers for supportive roles in an educational organization as school psychologists or counselors. Trained in the theories and applications of psychology in the school setting, educational psychologists focus more developing solutions to the challenges of teaching and learning, the improvement of learning environments, the evaluation of the over-all educational implementation of schools, and the management of student psychometrics. If you’re a trained psychologist wanting additional training in education or a teacher who wants to further his skills in psychology then this online education degree is for you.

MA/M.Ed in Elementary Education – There will always be a demand for elementary teachers, and those who want to master their craft all the more may well be interested in taking up an online degree in elementary education. This online degree is also perfect for those who want to shift careers to the field of education; given the convenience that a distance-learning program gives, one could be starting their career in teaching in no time at all. Those who study elementary education will be trained in teaching strategies, instructional design, principles of learning and education, test metrics, action research, and curriculum design. If you are serious about being a teacher then get an online elementary education degree.

Online Student Asks – Who Are The Educators Online?

The reputation of any school largely depends on its staff and lesson teachers and the same holds true for any institution that offers distance learning courses. For an online student, it is very essential to have educators online who can not only provide them with a quality curriculum to follow but also the support that every student needs. Therefore if you pursue your online distance learning course from a reputed institution, you will have access to online educators who are well trained, adequately qualified and have sufficient experience in online tutoring and teaching.  These online teachers often have degrees relevant to their area of teaching, a wealth of experience and some have even pursued and completed online distance learning courses themselves. Accountants, lawyers, designers, journalists, marketing professionals, health professionals, art experts, psychologists, IT professionals and many others are now educators online as well.

Online Teaching Responsibilities For A Distance Learning Course

Online teaching for a distance learning course is obviously very different from regular classroom teaching and hence online lesson teachers have to be trained accordingly. A large chunk of distance learning course involves self-study, so it is important that online teachers design the curriculum and online distance learning course material accordingly. In addition, an online teacher will have other responsibilities similar to regular teachers, except most of their work will be done online or via correspondence. So apart from constructing or aiding in the design of the distance learning course material, online teaching responsibilities will include providing online tutoring assistance to students, providing homework help, grading assessments and providing a support network to online students.

Teachers Online – Qualifications And Experience

Like lesson teachers in a regular classroom, teachers online are required to have a certain standard and if you are pursuing your distance learning course from a well known institution, you can be rest assured; the online teachers will be adequately qualified. Unlike a regular teaching job, there is no license requirement for teachers online; however their merit should not be doubted. Most online teachers have Bachelors or Masters degrees in their field of teaching, and some have even achieved their degrees by pursuing an online distance learning course. While these online lesson teachers might not necessarily have a teaching degree, they do have enough experience to guide online students.

How To Find Online Teaching Jobs

For a newcomer to the field of online tutoring, online teaching jobs may be slightly challenging to find. These jobs are usually not advertised on regular job search boards and for teachers online, a little innovative searching is required. Some regular universities offer online distance learning courses as well and if you would like to teach online, you can approach the university and ask them about the application process. Other institutions are online only and to find online teaching jobs, your best bet would be to visit the institution’s website, look for a career or job section, and if not, send them an email enquiring about more details. Since many online teachers work from home (full time and part time), there are several websites that advertise online teaching jobs and other online tutoring opportunities. However, when looking online for online teaching opportunities, choose carefully because there are some scams out there.

A correspondence course is the first step towards a good career in education. A degree in teaching from a reputed online school or university will provide you the qualifications you need to apply for an education job. These correspondence courses in teaching are available at the certificate, undergraduate, graduate and doctorate level, making it easily accessible to students, irrespective of their previous education level.

Correspondence Courses in Education

The good thing about a career in education is that there are a variety of online teaching degrees to choose from. Whether you want to teach primary school children, university students or take up a teaching degree for special education, there is a degree in teaching that you will let you do exactly what you want. Some of the online teaching degree options available to you are:

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Early Childhood Teaching Degrees
• Elementary Education Correspondence Course
• Secondary Education Online Teaching Degree
• Degrees in teaching Physical Ed, History, English, Math, Science
• International Education
• Correspondence Courses in K-12 Education

Teaching Degrees With A Difference

The ever-expanding world of education is offering an increasing list of course to students. As a result, teachers are also required to teach these new courses as well as undertake other specialist responsibilities within the field. Some of these are unique and specialist courses and to prep teachers for the task, several online teaching degree schools are now offering unique correspondence degrees in education. Some of the teaching degrees available to you are:

• Correspondence Courses in Curriculum & Instruction
• Administration & Supervision Teaching Degrees
• Paraprofessional Ed
• Library Media Teaching Degrees
• Online Teaching Degree for Students with Disabilities
• Counseling & Guidance Correspondence Courses
• Teaching Degrees with Multiple Subject Credentials
• Teachers of English Correspondence Course Certificates
• Educational Leadership Courses
• Adult Education Online Teaching Degrees

Is An Internet Degree In Teaching Accepted?

Since education is a profession where you will be interacting and possibly even influencing several new people, your teaching degree is very important to your employers. However, it is an online world and even education has moved online so if you choose the right online degree in teaching, there is absolutely no reason for your future employers not to accept your qualifications. Before you enrol yourself in a correspondence teaching course, make sure you do your research well so you are not duped by a scam institution. To check if your degree in teaching will be accepted, here are some quick tips that might help:

• Check if the online teaching degree is accredited and certified by the board of education.
• Get in touch with some of the employers you hope to work with it and ask them what they think of a teaching degree from the school you are interested in.
• Google the degree in teaching you are about to pursue and the school to see if there have been any complaints.

A degree in teaching can open up a world of possibilities for you so if you are interested in working in education and making a difference to the lives of your students, an online teaching degree is probably what you need to consider.