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What They Do
About This Career
Instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.
This career is part of the Education and Training cluster Teaching/Training pathway.
A person in this career:
- Teaches basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
- Adapts teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Establishes and enforces rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order.
- Provides a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
- Serves meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.
- Attends to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers.
- Meets with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and needs, determine their priorities for their children, and suggest ways that they can promote learning and development.
- Organizes and leads activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips.
- Observes and evaluates children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
- Maintains accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
People who do this job report that:
- You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
- Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
- Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
Working in this career involves (physical activities):
- Seeing clearly at a distance
- Seeing clearly up close
- Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
- Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
Work Hours and Travel
Specialty and Similar Careers
Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
- Early Childhood Teacher
- Group Teacher
- Pre-Kindergarten Teacher (Pre-K Teacher)
- Teacher — Plans, organizes and implements an appropriate instructional program in a learning environment that guides and encourages students to develop and fulfill their academic potential.
- Toddler Teacher
- Child Development Teacher
- Infant Teacher
- Montessori Preschool Teacher
- Nursery Teacher
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts national surveys of wage data by occupation in every state and in all industry divisions. These surveys are conducted through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program.
The statistics collected for one year are published the next fall. For example, 2013 wage information was published in the fall of 2014.
There are over 800 occupations in the surveys, and these occupations cover the entire U.S. labor market. The surveys ask for reports in a scale of ranges for both hourly wages and annual wages.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics for a broad category, be aware that the salary data for a specific career may differ.
For more details about how wage information is collected and calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts a national survey of over 400,000
employers in every state and in all industry divisions. This survey is conducted
through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Every other year the
department publishes outlook information based on these surveys.
Each outlook period covers 10 years. For example, in 2003 the outlook information
was published for 2004-2014. Employers are asked to report the number of employees
in about 770 different occupations that cover the entire U.S. labor market.
From this information, staffing patterns for different industries are established.
Industry growth is projected into the future based on past trends and current economic
conditions. Industry staffing patterns are then applied to the industry projections
to obtain occupational projections.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties
of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational
category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics
for a broad category, be aware that the employment data for a specific field may
differ.
For more details about how employment information is collected and calculated by
the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
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