Early Childhood Education Degrees in Washington
From the remote mountainous communities located throughout the state to the urban school districts found in cities like Seattle, Washington has a diverse education system. Educators in Washington aim to meet the complex educational, social, and developmental needs of children.
Many factors influence a child’s performance in school, and one of the ways to ensure a fair start in life is early childhood education. Giving all children access to early schooling helps them develop the foundational skills they need.
Becoming an Early Childhood Teacher in Washington
How can you do your part to strengthen early education in Washington? Each educator has the chance to make a big difference.
Find out how you can get started by contacting early childhood education WA programs below.
Washington is following the lead of many other states as the importance of early education becomes increasingly apparent. State legislators are pushing for education reform that would have a huge impact on early education (Seattle Times, 2016).
Some of the goals of this reform are to make early education classrooms smaller, provide more support to early education teachers, and fund all-day kindergarten. This type of reform may increase demand for teachers throughout Washington.
Washington is home to a wide variety of early childhood education programs that can put you on the path to teaching licensure.
Contact local schools to find out how you can get started.
Getting Your Early Childhood Education Degree in Washington
If this is your first venture into postsecondary education, you may want to start your teaching career with a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. This degree is well-rounded and multifaceted, giving you the broad knowledge base needed to teach young children different subjects.
Over the course of four years, you may earn 120 or more credits. Many of these credits come from education courses that tackle teaching theory and research, while other credits come from classroom experience courses that give you the chance to work in local classrooms.
Early Childhood Education Teacher Courses in Washington State
- Teaching Infants and Toddlers
- Learning Environments for the Young Child
- Child, Family, and Community
- Guiding Behavior
- Observing and Assessing Young Children
- Language and Literacy Development
- Art for Young Children
In the early stages of your teaching degree, you may spend 100 hours or so in local classrooms each semester. This enables you to build a functional set of teaching skills and improve on them each year.
At the end of your degree, you are assigned to a student teaching site. This is a full-time commitment that requires you to spend about 40 hours per week in your assigned classroom. You build a strong relationship with your supervising teacher and the students you teach, showing you what it’s really like to work as an educator.
As you near the end of your teaching degree, it’s time to prepare for the licensing process. This is regulated by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. You must pass a Praxis II exam and supply official transcripts to be considered for licensure.
The value you bring to the state of Washington as an early childhood educator is immeasurable. From birth through age five, children’s brains grow at an astonishingly high rate. The connections and habits they build now can completely change how they experience schooling as elementary, middle, and high school students.
Discover how you can use an early childhood education degree to start a career you love.
Browse Washington schools and contact local programs today.
Working as an Early Childhood Educator in Washington
The field of education changes constantly, so the duties you have as a first-year teacher may differ greatly from what you’re doing as a ten-year veteran teacher. It’s important to stay on top of local and federal changes to ensure that you are giving your students a thorough education.
Consider joining the Washington Association for the Education of Young Children to learn more about the future goals of this industry.
Anticipated job growth rates in Washington are higher than rates reported in many other states. From 2014 through 2024, O*Net expects job openings for preschool teachers to increase 19% (2016). During this time period, they hope to see an 18% boost in job openings for elementary school teachers (O*Net, 2016).
Your salary potential may change throughout your career. It is also affected by the school district you work in. The average income for a Washington preschool teacher is $29,640 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). Elementary school teachers earn an average of $60,140 per year (BLS, 2016).
Which early childhood teaching degrees are a good fit for your goals and talents?
Compare your options now by getting in touch with Washington teacher training programs.
