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RinTinTin 
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 Topic: Attn Early Childhood Teachers/Workers
Posted: 08 November 2009 at 2:07pm |
Hi All
I'm looking at studying Early Childhood Education once baby is born and we are settled and ready.
As I've already done my Cert. in Carin for Children (Passed with distinction), I won't have to do ECE Level 3 (I can do it, but probably won't need it as a pre-requisite) but can go straight into Level 5, then on to study up to Level 7. 4 Years full time study or 8 years correspondence.
So as you can imagine, this is a lot of time and money, so I'm hoping that there is someone out there can chat to me about the pro's and con's of being an Early Childhood Educator.
Best way to study? How is it best to get into a centre to train? What kind of hours or work are involved? What kind of pay is on offer? What do you love about your job? And what do you hate about it? What level of work can you progress to with the qualifications I'm looking to do?
No need to say where you work or anything and you are more than welcome to PM me about it if you'd prefer.
TIA
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lilfatty
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Posted: 08 November 2009 at 2:25pm |
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Im abit confused why four years? (is that part time)? My husband is doing his degree at the moment and its three years and he couldnt cross credit anything (he was in the airforce so complete lifestyle change)!
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ElfsMum
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Posted: 08 November 2009 at 2:31pm |
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i have no idea what all the numbers mean though so not much help there i did my training at t coll here and ACE in auckland (primary then ECE so i am a little different)
I did my upgrade 15 months and did 4 days a centre and one at uni/t coll.. bloody hard to do it that way for me though:( I much preferred full time study.
Best way to study?
I am not sure while having a baby but lilfattys DH does this so he may be able to help there.. for me i found full time worked best but having done both both ways are workable..
How is it best to get into a centre to train?
I just applied for a job and got the job and went from there but things are different now with people having to have a certain amount of training etc.
What kind of hours or work are involved?
For training I did 4 days work and one day at school and then study at night and weekends..that was crazy!!!! or do you mean once you work? most places need fulltime staff..there are a few part time jobs but not a lot.
What kind of pay is on offer?
Depends where etc.. but ECE isnt brilliantly paid as they dont have pay parity like kindy teachers do.
What do you love about your job?
I loved the interaction with the children and the care of the little ones(people tend to either like babies or bigger ones) and loved watching them grow and helping them learn,.
And what do you hate about it?
The stuff that comes with a bunch of women working together but some places are far better than others :)!
What level of work can you progress to with the qualifications I'm looking to do?
Sorry unsure there!
Sorry not really much help but i say if your heart is in it go for it.. :) I loved it before I had kids but I'm not sure I love it so much now as my caring side etc taken up with my own child:) there are some places that you can take your child and train as happens at E's school but that would not have been an option for me..
Edited by Four_eyes
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sarahm
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Posted: 08 November 2009 at 2:50pm |
Im a bit confused about what the levels mean too. I trained years ago and what was then teachers college, took me four years to get a B.Ed and a diploma but like LF husband the girls at work are taking 3 years to get theirs. Most of them work 3 days and are at uni the other 2.
Re pay, the company I work for pays teachers in training around $14-$18 an hour depending what year they are. Trained teachers earn around $20-$25, asst. managers around $25 and centre managers $30 (these are all approx.)
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jazzy
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Posted: 08 November 2009 at 3:04pm |
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I worked in a childcare center for a few years when I finished school, trained at teachers collage & also did a correspondence course in-between.
It is hard work working in my center as we had to cook, clean, plan sessions, do all aspects of care for the children...now as a mum to 3 it feels the same. lol.
I left due to poor pay, lack of holidays & got a much better paying job. I think looking back now I would have been better going in to kindergarten than daycare. You have a better chance of working your way up to a good position & you don't get burnt out as much. They have school holiday & you might want to branch off in to school teaching later on.
Having a child & in your case a baby is hard work so think about what you want out of it & how much you can put into it.
As for doing a correspondence course I have do several & with baby/children, so know how hard it is to get/make time to study but it can be done.
I would not redo any you do not need to do, I would do lever 5.
You can go around centers in your area & volunteer to get experience or maybe they will give you a few hours (hard with baby), you could join play-center they also offer free courses & you will get an in site in to it.
If you are planning on putting 8yrs into study make sure you pick the outcome you will be happy with in 8yrs time because then your child will be 8yrs old you may have more children & may not want to do the baby thing all day with other peoples babies & you may find that you are better suited to kindy or primary school teaching.
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LJsmum
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Posted: 08 November 2009 at 5:02pm |
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What provider are you thinking of studying with?
if you can do a dregree B.Ed(teaching) ECE is the best to do, if you do a diploma you may get paid less. I'm not sure where you are but in Auckland a degree is 3 years full time part time is offered as well.
Pay depends on each individual centre and your expereince, level of qualification ie diploma or degree and how well you can negioatate (sp).
Kindy has a pay scale that tou can access on the union website which is nzei. great union to belong to when you work in ece.
I've worked in this sector for around 10 years and in various centres, kindy's e.t.c. great sector to work in when you have kids as some centre allow you to have them with you and you may get discounted childcare just depends.
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RinTinTin
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Posted: 08 November 2009 at 10:23pm |
 lilfatty wrote:
Im abit confused why four years? (is that part time)? My husband is doing his degree at the moment and its three years and he couldnt cross credit anything (he was in the airforce so complete lifestyle change)! |
1 year full time for level 5
3 years full time for Level 7
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RinTinTin
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Posted: 08 November 2009 at 10:30pm |
Milo1 wrote:
What provider are you thinking of studying with?
if you can do a dregree B.Ed(teaching) ECE is the best to do, if you do a diploma you may get paid less. |
If I go part time/correspondence I'll go through the Open Poly, thats a Diploma.
If I go full time I will probably end up with Bay of Plenty Poly, thats a Bachelor.
When I line up the course content of each one side by side, there is little to no difference. I don't know what the difference is between Diploma, degree, bachelor and stuff.
Edited by AmStaff
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emz
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Posted: 08 November 2009 at 11:30pm |
A degree is a bachelor  Basically (from the way I understand it) if you do part time study (1 day on campus or whatever, then the hours at the centre for 3 years) thats a diploma. Full time study for 3 years is a degree.
Diplomas by themselves earn less, unless its a graduate diploma (which you have to have had a degree in something else previously).
Personally, knowing what my cousin is on, and could potentially be on if she did a degree not a diploma, I'd go for the degree option.
So basically, most places are:
Diploma - 3 years part time study and in-centre training (less pay, but earn while you learn)
Degree - 3 years full time study or 6 years part time study (if your provider offers this).
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RinTinTin
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Posted: 08 November 2009 at 11:43pm |
See now that makes no sense to me.
To me personally, an employee who has worked in the feild while studying is far more valuable to me due to their hands on experience, as opposed to someone who has sat in a classroom for 3 years and has a piece of paper that says they know more than the next guy/girl.
No offence by the way to anyone who has studied full time. I just think that real life and hands on experience is far more valuable than a certificate.
It's like, ok, you got 2 mechanics. 1 had spent 3 years at tech learning how to be a mechanic but has never touched a car in his life. The other has worked a 3 year apprenticeship in a workshop.
Which one would you let fix your car?
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lilfatty
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Posted: 09 November 2009 at 6:36am |
DH is doing a Bachelor (Degree), he has one full day on campus, one night class and two days practical in a centre (which you have to find yourself). They work in the centre for the entire year except for when they do practicums (and during holidays)
Also all providers send their students on practicums (which range from three weeks to three months) every year so technically they do gain hands on experience.
We chose DH's provider as he felt getting hands on experience "day in day out" would help him understand the book work part (and it has)
Sorry - I still dont understand why it's going to take you four years (I dont know what the numbers mean), but im glad its only taking DH three!
Oh and DH finds it quite hard bringing up kids and studying "fulltime", especially now we have two, he used to be able to get some study in during nap time, but now its harder to get them both sleeping at the same time, so he has to do all his study and assignment writing at night.
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I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year LFs weight blog
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jazzy
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Posted: 09 November 2009 at 6:39am |
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I studied while working in a center, not sure how easy it is now days to get a position in a center unqualified, maybe easier down your way. What are you going to do with baby while working?
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flakesitchyfeet
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Posted: 09 November 2009 at 8:17am |
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DH manages a center owned by the inlaws so I'll ask him for specifics later, but they have teachers with them who do their degrees by centre based training, so 4days at kindy one at college. Not sure how long it takes, but by having 4 at kindy that you get paid for I believe, it becomes a more viable option.
I'll confirm that though!
Yay for your DH lilfatty, they have two guys next door and you can imagine how rare that is! Kids love it though :D
edited for grammer and spelling. prob. still reads terribly!
Edited by Flake
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lilfatty
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Posted: 09 November 2009 at 8:23am |
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Flake - yep its a rarity .. with the 100+ students in DH's year he is the only male (there is also one male a semester behind him). We are thinking it should help with his job prospects when he goes looking for fulltime work.
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Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year LFs weight blog
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minik8e
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Posted: 09 November 2009 at 8:25am |
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I can't help much...but have a look at Massey, as they do the Bachelor by correspondence as well, so you could do it part time if you wanted to.
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RinTinTin
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Posted: 09 November 2009 at 11:29am |
lilfatty - it's possible, being that I'm guessing he's older than me and also that you have children, that he was accepted straight onto the Teaching course because of his life experience.
I'm saying 4 years because I may (most probably) will have to do a pre-requiste course first (I'm only 23 and have no kids and don't have much life experience with kids) which is a years full time study, then plus the 3 years of the teaching degree. That makes it up to 4 years.
Hope that makes sense.
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lilfatty
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Posted: 09 November 2009 at 11:41am |
Ahhh yes, that makes sense!
They used DHs UK school exams as pre requisites, but to be fair he got into all the institutions he applied for, and I think that had more to do with the fact he was a male than his outstanding marks 
One of the woman on DHs degree backtracked into the pre requisite course as she was having trouble keeping up with the pace (the degree is hectic, with a high drop out rate), she said its amazing .. so you should really enjoy it (if you have to do it).
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RinTinTin
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Posted: 09 November 2009 at 11:58am |
Just been having a look at the Massey website (thanks Kate, totoally forgot about Massey).
If I do it all through them extramurally, it's 5 years. 2 years for my Cert in Early Years Education, which I HAVE to do as a pre-requiste to the Bachelor of Teaching - Early Years, which is 3 years extramurally.
*sigh*
It's a lot to take it. Perhaps I should really ust concerntrate on the pre-requistes I need to do. For all I know I might get halfway through them and decide I don't want to do it anymore. Or I might not be able to keep up with the pace of it all.
Infact, I might have my own kid and decide "bugger this, I can't handle my own kid let alone everyone elses" LOL
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Katep
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Posted: 09 November 2009 at 12:00pm |
AmStaff wrote:
lilfatty - it's possible, being that I'm guessing he's older than me and also that you have children, that he was accepted straight onto the Teaching course because of his life experience.
I'm saying 4 years because I may (most probably) will have to do a pre-requiste course first (I'm only 23 and have no kids and don't have much life experience with kids) which is a years full time study, then plus the 3 years of the teaching degree. That makes it up to 4 years.
Hope that makes sense. |
I was 19 when I was accepted into Teachers college with nothing higher GCSE's (5th-6th form). If you WOW them in an interview, you'll have no problem getting in.
If you get an ECE degree, I'm pretty sure you get pay parity with primary teachers- so a start rate of 44grand (approx).
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Peanut
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Posted: 09 November 2009 at 1:14pm |
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I am pretty sure ECE doesn't have pay parity with primary as far as I am aware the only teachers that have pay parity are primary with secondary teachers but could be wrong.
I am guessing that if you have the grades from school that are required you then don't have to do the pre course.
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Attn Early Childhood Teachers/Workers
