Debunked! 5 Myths About Working in Early Childhood Education
Posted On February 13,2018
Early childhood education is a career many people choose to pursue because of the personal fulfillment that they know it will provide as well as the fact that there will always be a need for early childhood education professionals.
Make sure you’re in the know and debunk these 5 early childhood education myths about this interesting and rewarding career.
1. It’s An Easy Job
You don’t need to have a formal education in order to get a job in early childhood education. However, this doesn’t mean that the job is easy and a degree can go a long way in helping to better prepare you for the tasks you’ll be responsible for.
However, as far as the job itself is concerned, anyone who has ever had a child or known someone with a child knows that it can be quite challenging dealing with just one young child for a short period of time.
If you plan on working in childhood education, then you better be prepared to work with groups of demanding young children for long periods of time.
This requires patience, commitment, enthusiasm and, above all, a love for children.
2. It’s a Job Better Suited For Babysitter-Types
Just like any job, there’s a stereotype for the type of person that works in early childhood education.
However, it’s important to understand that the job is suited for anyone that cares about kids and wants to help them to develop.
You don’t have to be a Marry Poppins-type in order to be able to do this successfully.
Don’t go into the job thinking that it’s just like babysitting except with a little bit more responsibility.
3. It’s Not Really a Teaching Job
A lot of people dismiss early childhood educators as glorified babysitters because they think that the children are too young to really be taught anything substantial.
They couldn’t be more wrong.
Early childhood educators are preparing children for their next level of schooling and not just simply finding ways to pass the time.
It’s why so many parents try to get their children into reputable pre-schools and kindergartens.
They know how important it is to get their kids off on the right foot.
Many children even have to undergo testing in order to get into such schools.
Teaching is a vital part of being an early childhood care professional.
4. You’ll Only Have to Work Until 3:00 PM
Most preschools do end at 3:00 PM, but that doesn’t mean your workday ends then too.
Many schools have after-school care programs that you may need to run.
Even if they don’t, you’ll still need to spend some time cleaning your classroom and prepping for the next day.
Many early childhood education professionals will end up working until 8:00 PM.
5. You Won’t Really Have To Deal With Adults
Yes, you will be dealing mostly with children throughout the day. However, you will also be interacting regularly with adults, including other teachers, parents, family members, nannies, supervisors and more.
It’s going to require plenty of patience and understanding to deal with them.
After all, many parents are under the assumption that all that matters is their child, which can make them a challenge to work with.
It’s important that you’re aware of these myths about working in childhood education so that you don’t have any misconceptions about pursuing a career in this field.
For more information about pursuing a degree in early childhood education, contact us at Athena Career Academy today.
