Kindergarten Teaching?

[Ginger]

I think I must be going nuts from being a SAHM for too long because I can't stop thinking about being a Kinder teacher.
Before I go any further, I should state that I am already a qualified Secondary and Primary School teacher. Do you think I'm crazy? DH will kill me if he finds out I'm thinking of studying again He already thinks I'm the eternal student.
Are there any Kinder teachers on here who could tell me a bit about the job? Pros and cons etc.?
Thank you xoxox

[meow]

I'm not a kinder teacher yet- I'm still in training. I have my child care diploma and have worked in child care & preschools but now I'm a SAHM and doing my degree by correspondence. A couple of pros and cons vs primary school teaching for me are:
Pro- More flexible curriculum/play based learning. I much prefer the teaching style in early childhood and I don't want to work in schools because of this.
Con- the pay is less. People keep telling me that kinder teachers are getting the same as school teachers but apparently it's still phasing in... I'll be glad when it happens.

How much study would you need to do? I imagine it's not too much- equivalent to one year full time?

[Ginger]

thanks so much for your reply Meow. where are you doing your course by correspondence? is it lots of work?
the pay doesn't overly bother me, as long as i'm happy iykwim?
if i only had to do 1 year that would be fantastic. i think i might have to start contacting some unis to get info.

[MrsFabuloso]

I'm an early childhood teacher too and I love it. I agree with meow with the pros and cons she has said. The pay sucks, and other con would be that you don't get holidays off in alot of early childhood centres, (except a few weeks at chrissy usually) and definately not as much as you do in schools, unless you're employed in a Dept of Ed pre-school. You get alot of conditions from primary teaching that you don't in early childhood even though you have the same sort of quals. While I'm a SAHM, I am considering doing my primary teaching degree though, because of the benefits you get from it, especially the holidays. When you have young kids and no help from family, it helps to have school holidays free because childcare fees are through the roof!! Especially for me for (soon to be) 3 kidlets.....

[Ginger]

thanks lilias, i just assumed you would get the same hols. that really puts a dampener on things!
hmhmmm now you really have me thinking....

[meow]

Victoria is good for the school holidays- kindergarten is so big here. I used to live in Sydney and I agree- there are not as many preschools so most ECTs are working in long day care which sucks in terms of the teacher perks. I want school holidays! I know in Melbourne many of the ECTs in long day care still get school holidays and a diploma staff member takes over the room for the holidays, as the expectation that teachers don't work in the holidays is pretty strong here.

I'm studying through Charles Sturt Uni as they do all distance ed (no weekend classes etc) but check the Vic Unis too. I know a few people studying with Ballarat Uni and also University of New England has a great distance ed program.

[MrsFabuloso]

Ah, lol, sorry didn't check the location!! Some conditions are different in different states/territories.

FWIW, I did my degree through charles sturt too and I found it relatively easy. Just prioritising with time and stuff with family ect is a bit tough at times, but I didn't find the work terribly difficult.

[luna moth]

Ginger, RMIT does a one year graduate course.

I'm like meow, have a childcare diploma but currently studying the Advanced Diploma. Still umming and ahhing over whether to go with the degree - it's really a matter of when. Will definitely be floating around in the industry for a long time though.

[Ginger]

thanks so much girls

audux- i'll going to check out RMIT right now. i wonder if i can do it off-campus?

[Floweryfields]

Not a kinder teacher either, but I can say that in Queensland, these positions are very hard to come by - they are such great jobs that once people get them they hold onto them!! In Qld kindy is the year before formal schooling starts, so 4 year olds. If you are talking the year formal schooling starts then that is a bit of a different kettle of fish - the prep (in Qld) teachers are usually over worked and can have massive numbers (last year our one had 34 children in one class) - very busy and full on!

[luna moth]

Not a kinder teacher either, but I can say that in Queensland, these positions are very hard to come by - they are such great jobs that once people get them they hold onto them!! In Qld kindy is the year before formal schooling starts, so 4 year olds. If you are talking the year formal schooling starts then that is a bit of a different kettle of fish - the prep (in Qld) teachers are usually over worked and can have massive numbers (last year our one had 34 children in one class) - very busy and full on!

It's a pretty different system in Vic - there is 3 year old and 4 year old kindy, and all 4 year olds have a year of kindergarten that if government funded. So there are a lot more positions available, and there are a lot of stand-alone kindergartens, without childcare attached. And, they don't all conform under one large umbrella organisation, like they do up here So there's a lot more variety between them, which I think is great for children, staff and parents.

[Olive]

ginger i think you'd be a great kinder teacher!! dont forget it probably wont be fulltime either!

[Ginger]

aw thanks
i'm gonna check around some unis and then speak to dh. if i could get the qualification in one year i think he'd go for it