Louisiana Preschool Teacher Requirements

<p>Preschool teachers are responsible for educating students who are learning cognitive fundamentals in the years prior to kindergarten. You'll need to pass several exams before earning your qualifications to teach at the early childhood level. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td>Education/Experience Required</td><td>Bachelor's degree; teacher education program</td></tr> <tr><td>Exams Required</td><td>Praxis Core <br /> Praxis PLT: Early Childhood <br /> Praxis content exam</td></tr> <tr><td>License Validity</td><td>Five years</td></tr> <tr><td>License Extension</td><td>Three years after renewal of valid teaching credential</td></tr> <tr><td>Average Louisiana Salary* (May 2018)</td><td>$32,290 for preschool teachers</td></tr> <tr><td>Job Growth* (2016-2026)</td><td>8% for preschool teachers nationwide</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---JobDescription">Job Description</h3> <p>Teachers at the preschool level have a special responsibility of instructing the youngest students in the education system. Along with teaching, you'll be responsible for direct supervision outside of the classroom during lunch and break periods. You will also introduce each student to certain rules they must follow while in class. You will likely work inside a school building or a day care center as part of your career. Most preschool teachers do the bulk of their work during the traditional school year. </p> <h3 id="section---EducationAndTrainingRequirements">Education and Training Requirements</h3> <p>All aspiring teachers in Louisiana will obtain a bachelor's degree. You'll study early childhood education, which could take the form of a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. Along with your regular lecture courses, you'll participate in a teacher education program, which is necessary before you begin teaching preschool on your own. You'll earn your degree in four years before taking the required certification tests. Some of the topics you will study can include classroom management, teaching reading, and utilizing technology in the classroom. </p> <h3 id="section---ExamRequirements">Exam Requirements</h3> <p>For preschool teachers, you have a bit of flexibility when the time comes for your certification. You can select certification for Birth-Kindergarten or Early Childhood PK-3. For both of these certification levels, you'll have to pass the same core tests that every Louisiana educator needs: the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators exams. You'll take three of these exams, with one test in reading, one in writing, and one in mathematics. You'll need to respectively earn a 156, 162, and 150 on the tests to pass. You'll also be required to pass the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT): Early Childhood exam with a score of 157. </p> <p>For Birth-Kindergarten certification, you can choose one of three content exams: Early Childhood Education, Education of Young Children, or Pre-Kindergarten Education. Each test comes in multiple-choice format, and the Writing section of the Core Academic Skills requires essay responses. For those seeking certification for Early Childhood PK-3, you'll take four subtests that make up the Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects content test. </p> <h3 id="section---LicenseRequirementsRenewal">License Requirements/Renewal</h3> <p>Upon passing all of your exams, you will be issued a license to teach in the state of Louisiana. This license will remain valid as long as you apply for regular renewals, with the first necessary after five years. The renewals are valid for three years, and you'll need to ensure that you remain an active teacher during your time with a license. If you go 90 days or one academic semester without teaching, your license will lapse, and you'll need to renew it. You can do this with six college or university credits at an approved institution.</p>