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Preschool Lead Teacher
EducationYou graduated from 'watching kids' to 'teaching kids' — which means you now plan lessons for people who eat glue and can't tie their shoes. You need a real credential now, and the pay bump is real but modest. Your classroom is controlled chaos with learning objectives, and you somehow make finger painting educational.
Salary Range
Low
$28k
Median
$36k
High
$48k
10-Year Growth
3%
US Workers
420K
Education
CDA credential or Associate's in Early Childhood Education
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Early childhood development frameworks
- ▸Lesson planning for ages 3-5
- ▸Developmental assessment tools
- ▸Classroom environment design
- ▸Parent communication platforms
- ▸First aid & CPR certification
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Patience
- ▸Creativity
- ▸Communication
- ▸Nurturing
- ▸Adaptability
- ▸Observation skills
- ▸Team coordination
Learn the skills
Courses and certifications to get you job-ready
Parent communication platforms
First aid & CPR certification
What you'll actually do
- 01Plan age-appropriate lessons that disguise learning as play
- 02Lead circle time, storytime, and activities for 15-20 small humans
- 03Document each child's developmental progress
- 04Communicate daily with parents about their child's milestones and meltdowns
- 05Manage classroom behavior with more patience than should be humanly possible
- 06Supervise assistant teachers and classroom aides
Related Shifts
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