Should it be a requirement for k-12 grade teachers to have a child development degree in order to teach?

Question

For k-12 grade teachers do you have a child development degree? Is it a requirement? If not did you take any on your own?

Answer 1

I am a college prof who taught at the Junior high and high school level before moving into my present position in the Sciences and am also a certified college student teacher supervisor. Our teachers have a child dev. course suited to their area...mine 7-12...not a degree in it. We are certified in our subject area and have core requirements in education before student teaching. The best teachers have knowledge in their subject area and how to meaningfully present it for easy understanding with many down to earth examples to make the topic able to be identified with, have a handle on class management that works with the current school population, respect and rapport with students, are responsible, honest, caring and sincere, organized, willing to go the extra mile...etc.....Now the teacher must know the "whole student" in and outside of the class to recognize and adjust to their total needs....many external factors play a role in educating each and every individual.....These teachers have wonderful mentors in their cooperating teachers and are accepted by willing host schools. The classroom is the place to best experience, practice and hone skills to develop into a professional who will be an asset to a future school system who notices their qualifications and trustworthiness to educate the children they entrust to him/her. I've produced over 25 excellent teachers in the past 5 years with constant communication, encouragement in both good and bad times, and by having faith in their abilities to make it through one of the roughest semesters ever in their educational training. I love my job and the people I meet.

Answer 2

I currently am a sophmore in college majoring in early childhood education (k-3). I don't think that having a child development degree should be a requirement. In the state of Maine it is not, however the required courses to recieve a teaching certificate and a degree in teaching include child development. I like this idea because I believe it is important to know about where a child should be developmentally and what modifications may be necessary in the classroom.

Answer 3

We don't have to have a child development *degree* (in fact, I'm sure there's no such thing); however, we do have to have a child development *course*. This is course is only required. however, if your certification includes kindergarten.

My certification is ECE, so I am certified birth through 6th grade, and thus Child development is required.

Elementary/Middle degrees (1st-8th) and Secondary degrees (9-12) do not require child development courses, typically, because the child development course only covers through age 8 or 12, depending on the course.

I do feel the Elem/Mid degrees should be required to take the child development course, though, b/c they very well may be in a 1st through 6th classroom.

Answer 4

I do have a K-12 certification in music, and the states I'm certified in do require that we take courses in child developmental theory. As for an actual degree, however? No, we do not, probably because in the end, child development is only one facet of what we need to know when we teach. Is it good to know? Yes. Is it everything that I need to know? Definately not.

Answer 5

I was a middle school teacher for several years. Of the teachers I knew, the best ones didn't even have degrees in education; one was a science teacher with a degree in science, another was a businessman teaching social studies part time, another was ex-military. (I myself never took a teaching class before I started; I taught math and had degrees in computer science) They took a few classes to become licensed, but they had several things in common:

1) They cared about the kids
2) They were passionate and knowledgeable about what they were doing
3) They were effective at managing a classroom

While a child development degree might be very useful in some positions (such as special ed), making it a requirement for general teaching positions would just result in turning away highly qualified teachers. In high school especially, it's more important to have teachers who are passionate and knowledgeable about their subjects.

Answer 6

I took a course on early childhood development for my undergraduate degree. A good resource book is YARDSTICKS.