Early Childhood Education

Great teachers have many personality traits in common.

If you want to become a teacher, ask yourself these questions: First and most obviously, do you love children? Can you communicate difficult concepts to kids in ways that they could easily understand? Can you spot children's talents and nurture them? Do you possess the patience to deal with misbehaved or inattentive children? Do you critique kindly and praise fairly? Could you be diplomatic toward pushy parents or parents who criticize you for giving their child a bad grade? If you found yourself answering "Yes" to many or most of those questions, your personality might be a great fit for a career in early childhood education or K–12 education where you'll boost youngsters' brainpower and shape them into well-rounded students.Before committing to a career, though, it's important to check out industry trends to make sure the market is healthy and demand is strengthening. Good news: Between 2006 and 2016, the number of preschool teachers is expected to rise 26 percent! Expect growth in other age brackets as well — kindergarten teachers are slated to grow by 16 percent, and elementary school teachers should increase by 14 percent.