Do you love children and have always wondered what it might be like to work with them? If working with kids, becoming a teacher, opening a daycare, or even becoming a child therapist are careers you've thought about, it might be time to consider earning an associate's degree in early childhood education. While this degree can be the first stepping stone on your way to a career working with children, it can also provide a wide variety of options and be a great way to find out just where you hope to use your love for children in the future. To learn more about what you can do with a degree in early childhood education, read on.
What is an associate's degree in early childhood education?
An associate in early childhood education degree is a two-year degree that can be used to secure work as a daycare provider, para educator, head-start teacher, and more. This degree will give you the basics in early childhood development, first aid, child psychology, and how to be a caregiver for infants and children up to age 10.
Combined with elective college-level credits, this degree is a fantastic start to any elementary education bachelor's degree program but could be used alone if your goal is to become a preschool teacher. As the first step toward the transfer of credits into a four-year institution, many two-year early childhood degree programs are best done online. For students who enjoy getting firsthand experience with children while earning their degrees, they can take online classes while working as assistants in special needs classrooms or daycare settings. Others may pursue their own daycare licensing in private homes and use this degree program as an anchor to the latest trends and continuing education on working with children and families.
Which fields could I work in?
While many students who earn a two-year early childhood degree hope to become daycare providers, the options are nearly limitless when it comes to ways you can use an associate degree in child education to pursue a career working with children. Some students go on to become pediatric nurses while others work as court-appointed advocates, in supervised visitation centers, and as forensic psychologists for at-risk children. While many of these positions require additional training, an associate degree program is a fantastic first step into the world of working with children.
Why does working with children make a difference?
If you've ever hoped to become a mentor to a young child as a coach, teacher, or health care provider, you probably already understand the importance of early education and socialization of children in their early years. What you may not realize, though, is that your work with kids in private schools, public settings, or even clinics will go a long way toward building healthier communities for the future, too.
That is, in working with children, you aren't just helping an individual student or students but working to build an entirely new generation. Your associate degree could play a part in building the future in a meaningful way. If playing a key role in making a difference matters to you, working with kids is a great way to do it.
At the end of the day, the future really does depend on the mental and physical wellness of our children. As an educator, mentor, caregiver, or daycare provider, your work with children could one day make a big impact on the world. Best of luck to you as you pursue a degree in childhood education. Starting off with that associate degree is a fantastic way to test whether or not working with children is the right path for you.