Teachers/non Daycare Question

[MommyMuffin]

This is not a daycare related question. I hope it is okay for me to post.
I know some of you have a teaching background. I plan to do daycare until I have more kids and they are all old enough for school. I would then get a job outside the home. My background is in nursing. I know that I never want to be a nurse again.
I have been entertaining the idea of going back to school to be a teacher. What are your experiences with teaching, the schooling, what did you like and not like about it? I am interested in k-6.

[QualiTcare]

it's definitely smart to get the k-6 endorsement. when i decided i wanted to teach, i already had most of my core classes completed for a different major - and i would've had to retake a lot of science and other classes to get a k-6, so i got prek-3 bc most of the classes i had aligned with the requirements for that. of course if you get k-6 your job opportunities almost double.

basically, all the stuff you hear about teaching is true. low pay compared to other jobs that require a bachelors (like nursing) :: but really it's plenty of money especially if you have a husband working also. the benefits are great - probably better than anyone's. i think if you like daycare at all, you'd love teaching. i didn't like daycare (not enough to keep doing it), but i loved teaching. funny - i went back to school to be a nurse. the grass is always greener!

as far as the college courses - if you could do nursing, you will have no problems. one nursing class has been harder than my entire ECE degree! i know teachers hate to hear their degrees are easy, but after working on a different degree - i can say my teaching degree was easy!

[momofboys]

This is not a daycare related question. I hope it is okay for me to post.
I know some of you have a teaching background. I plan to do daycare until I have more kids and they are all old enough for school. I would then get a job outside the home. My background is in nursing. I know that I never want to be a nurse again.
I have been entertaining the idea of going back to school to be a teacher. What are your experiences with teaching, the schooling, what did you like and not like about it? I am interested in k-6.

I am NOT a teacher BUT two of my sisters are & have been for many years (over 25 years for each of them!). Plus, it is my plan too after my kids get in school (youngest is 3). Do you already have your B.S.N? If so, you really will not have many courses to complete. I have a BA in English but not the education requirements (I worked in editorial work after college prior to having kids). Anyway, I guess what I am saying is if you already have most of the ground work for any degree completed you won't have to put in much work to get your teaching credentials. I think when I looked into it in my
state all I would have to do was complete student teaching & **maybe** have 1 year's worth of courses. My sisters love teaching & their summers off although they both have to complete a fair amount of work in the evenings after they are home.

[Blackcat31]

I am currently in the process of earning my Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education/birth -grade 3 teacher's licensure. I think it is rewarding and fun! I looked into programs and colleges in the evenings and it would have been difficult to do since I have childcare til 5:30-6:00 at night. Anyways, I contacted the local Childcare Resource and referral and was hooked up with grants that allow child care providers to continue their education...anyways, I found out that almost all the colleges and universities in my area offer programs on-line. I am now 12 credits shy of having my degree and have none almost the entire thing on-line. It is NOT easier than going to classes, in some aspects it is harder and you do a lot of work independently, but it is still worth it. My suggestion would be to start checking around about what types of classes and such are available to you on-line through your local colleges and universities. You can work towards a degree WHILE still doing childcare. It has been the best thing I have done in years. I just may continue working farther than the Bachelor's....

[newtodaycare22]

I was a kindergarten teacher before this job....

While going k-6 (or k-8, depending on your state) gives you more job opportunities, it also allows school systems to move you are more. I did prek-3rd and I knew that schools could not place me at a grade higher than 3rd...which was important to me because I only wanted the little ones. With standards so high for certififed teachers these days, they will only keep you where you are qualified. Just a thought, depending upon what age you want to teach

[busymomof2]

I have my multiple subject teaching cred and my masters in educational counseling. It is very hard to get a teaching job right now in Calif. I taught a year math at a middle school and loved it but would prefer elem. The pay is good if you earn more credits and continue your education. There are a lot of meetings, evals and the worse is discipline in over crowed classrooms. Many parents expect the school to teach their children everything including manners and listening to adults (but you know this having done dc). But nothing beats the look on a child's face when they get something they have been struggling with. Makes it all worth it plus the long vacations are nice too. I plan on searching for a teaching job after my son gets into kinder (5 years).