Study childhood education at JCC
Teach future generations of students. When you earn an associate degree in Childhood Education at Jamestown Community College, you’ll be able to work in the education field with children in grades 1-6. You can also pursue your bachelor’s degree and become a public school teacher.
As an education major in the Liberal Arts and Sciences programs, you will select a concentration or content (subject) area of expertise. Appropriate concentrations should be discussed with your advisor and are highly dependent upon your transfer school. Some examples of concentrations are English, modern languages, social sciences, math, math/science, general science, and specific science areas.
The A.S. degree prepares you to transfer to classroom teacher preparation programs in the areas of childhood education (grades 1-6) with middle school extension (grades 7-9 subject area) at four-year institutions with New York state teacher certification authority. You can also apply for teaching assistant positions directly after graduation from JCC.
2023 median pay for kindergarten and elementary school teachers: $63,670/year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Where to study at JCC
Childhood education skills
After you complete the program, you will be able to:
- Compose a basic personal philosophy of education using established criteria based on their combined experiences integrating course instruction, reading, reflective writing, discussion, and field placements.
- Demonstrate and practice basic applications of tenets of effective teaching through presentation projects, reading, reflective writing, discussion, and field placements This includes, but is not limited to, principles of lesson planning, classroom management, and reflective teaching.
- Understand how elementary school age children learn and develop, and will demonstrate this by designing and implementing appropriate and meaningful learning opportunities that support elementary age children’s intellectual, social, and personal development.
Your career after JCC
To become a public school teacher, you will need to transfer for a bachelor’s degree in education. Once the bachelor’s degree in childhood education is completed, you’ll be eligible for initial certification as a teacher for children grades 1-6.
If you do not transfer and instead move directly into the workforce, you will be eligible for positions such as a teaching assistant or teacher’s aide in a public or private school setting.
You can also specialize in special education, education administration, curriculum design, and student counseling. Consider roles in youth organizations, residential life, student activities, prison systems, rehabilitation centers, and tutoring in addition to teaching in public schools.