Median Annual Wage: $50,600
Education: Bachelor's degree (67%); Some college, no degree (10%); Post-baccalaureate certificate (8%)
Projected Growth: Average (8% to 14%)
Related Job Titles: Teacher; Elementary Teacher; Classroom Teacher; Kindergarten Teacher; Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher; Kinder Teacher; Kindergarten / First Grade Teacher; Title One Kindergarten Teacher; 4 Year Olds Kindergarten Teacher
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Source: O*NET OnLine information for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education.
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- Instruct students individually and in groups, adapting teaching methods to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
- Demonstrate activities to children.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
- Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to children.
- Prepare materials, classrooms, and other indoor and outdoor spaces to facilitate creative play, learning and motor-skill activities, and safety.
- Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine their priorities for their children and their resource needs.
- Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists.
- Prepare children for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, and storytelling.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
- Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.
- Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of kindergarten programs.
- Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
- Maintain accurate and complete student records and prepare reports on children and activities as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Assimilate arriving children to the school environment by greeting them, helping them remove outerwear, and selecting activities of interest to them.
- Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
- Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.
- Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress.
- Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
- Organize and label materials and display children's work in a manner appropriate for their sizes and perceptual skills.
- Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.
- Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems or special academic interests.
- Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.
- Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
- Perform administrative duties, such as assisting in school libraries, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
- Involve parent volunteers and older students in children's activities to facilitate involvement in focused, complex play.
- Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
- Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.
- Attend staff meetings and serve on committees as required.
- Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guests, or other experiential activities and guide students in learning from those activities.
Source: O*NET OnLine information for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Source: O*NET OnLine information for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education.