1.
How much training is required?
2.
I'd like to start a child care center in my own home. What is the first
step?
3.
Will my credits transfer?
4.
Would I be able to get my degree at night?
5.
What are practicums?
6.
I currently work as an aide. I want to move up to another position.What do I do?
7. Can I make a living in
this field?
8. I
have an elementary education degree but can't find a job. Do I need more
training to work with young children?
9. I
have a hard time learning. Is this program difficult?
10. I worked as a family child care provider for many years, and then in a
center as an aide. Can my experience be applied toward a degree?
11. I took
child development classes in high school. Will I get credit for that class?
Is there a difference in how the courses are
taught in high school and college?
12. What kind of positions
can I get after earning a degree?
13. How can I be a teacher in a child care center?
14. Do I need the entire program to work as an assistant?
15. How is this training different from that in a four-year college?
16. I'm not working with children right now. Can I take courses anyway?
17. Why should I choose HTC?
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much training is required? Some of it depends on the type of position you want. If you want to be an aide, very little training is required and your employer will share that information with you. For the positions of assistants and teachers, there are various combinations of training and experience that will enable you to obtain and keep those jobs. A document from the State of Minnesota outlines these requirements. lt is called Rule 3. Our program offers credits for you to meet any of those goals. Some students come into the program with the intention of only taking one class, some students want the diploma that is 33 credits, but most want the A.A.S. or A.S. degrees for 62 or 63 credits. Students can complete the degree program in as little as two years, or as long as it takes. Program credits are good for at least five years, and the general education credits are good forever. Many programs such as Head Start and public school early childhood family education programs require the more advanced training for early childhood teachers in their programs. Most school districts are also requiring Associate degrees for paraprofessionals.
If you want to be a public school teacher, you must have a Baccalaureate degree or a Master's degree from a teacher education program. There is also the PPST exam to pass. Our program has articulation agreements with Metropolitan State College and University for both A.A.S. and A.S. Degrees in their Early Childhood Studies and Psychology Departments towards Bachelor's Degrees. Those degrees meet the requirements for four year degrees set by some accredited programs that want their teachers to have four year degrees. At this time the Metro State option will not enable you to teach in a public school.
Another option is to transfer your A.S. degree to Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. Completion of their program leads to the ability to be licensed to teach in the public school system. For more information on this program, go to the "Schedules" link at this website, and follow the "SMSU" links.
I guess the final answer is just "It depends..."Specific information can be obtained by calling 651.296.3971. For more information on the certificate, diploma, or degree requirements, go to the program website.
2. I'd like to start a child care center in my own home. What is the first step? Call the Department of Human Services and talk to a licensor to discuss the current standards. Licensing requirements are outlined in a document called Rule 2. Local counties license these centers, and you can obtain specific information by calling the information line at your county. Graduates of the Child Development program have successfully started their own family child care business. The diploma requirements are actually more than what the state requires. However, to be a well rounded teacher, it is best to have all the knowledge you can.
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3.
Will my credits transfer? Again, it depends. Several students
have successfully transferred credits to the Metropolitan State College and
University Urban Teacher Program, or the Education Programs at University of Wisconsin -
Stout, St. Cloud State, Bethel, and Concordia. Some of the colleges
accept our credits as part of the regular program, and some will only accept
credits as elective. We actually have an articulation agreements with Metro
State in both their Psychology and Early Childhood Studies programs and also
with Southwest Minnesota State University in their Early Childhood Education
Department.
You need to apply for transfer of credit on an individual basis. Our program prepares students mostly for work in early childhood education. If you know you want to be an elementary teacher, we suggest you check with the school you want to transfer to before beginning, to see which credits will transfer. Our credits are usually less expensive with fewer students and more practical experiences so you still may want to begin with us.
4. Would I be able to get my degree at night? Both campuses offer courses during the day, in the evenings, and on-line. It will take you longer to get the degree if you take less than sixteen credits a semester. But practicums must be taken during the day.
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5.
What are practicums? These are experiences you get with children. Our
program requires two for the A.A.S degree, and one for the diploma or A.S.
degree. See the
HTC
Website for specific information on required practicums. These placements
need to take place in facilities with which we have a state contract.
It also should be a new learning experience. It is best to talk to
the program instructor about where the practicums could take place. We
have locations in many of the cities you live. All practicums require
150 hours of classroom participation, which amounts to 10-12 hours a week over
the course of the semester.
6.
I currently work as an aide. I want to move up to another position.
What do I do? Take
some credit courses. The state of Minnesota requires credits to move from
one position to another. Keep a record of which courses you take.
If you take them from here you will receive your grades at the end of the
semester, and this serves as a documentation of which courses you have
successfully completed.
7. Can I make a living in this field? There are low paying jobs in any field. Those positions working in franchised child care centers tend to be lower paying than positions in public school settings as early childhood family educators, or working in school age programs. Any program that is funded will offer more money and benefits than those that are not. Graduates with the Associate Degree usually have no difficulty finding a job. Their hourly salary could range between $9 and $14 to start. Positions as nannies could include room and board as well as travel opportunities. With more experience, that hourly salary could increase to $12 and $20 an hour.
8. I have an elementary education degree but can't find a job. Do I need more training to be an early childhood teacher? Yes. The state of Minnesota requires 520 hours experience and six quarter credits or four semester credits in early childhood education.
9. I have a hard time learning. Is this program difficult? Instructors are there to help you, and we do so by presenting information clearly, with lots of small group discussion and activities. We know that students learn better when they are actively involved in their learning. Each campus also has a Learning Resource Center where students can go for assistance. The first step is to go through the testing process at the college so we know how we can best meet your needs. We are not successful unless you are!
10. I worked as a family child care provider for many years, and then in a center as an aide. Can my experience be applied toward a degree? Sometimes it's possible for students who have a lot of experience to test out of a practicum. You will need special permission from the program advisor to do this however. There are some other courses you could also possibly test out of. Many of the courses are quite concentrated, however, and you would probably benefit from re-taking the course.
11. I took child development classes in high school. Will I get credit for that class? Is there a difference in how the courses are taught in high school and college? If you took the class with District #287 at Hennepin Technical College, or in another school that has an articulation agreement with us, the credits will transfer if you meet the grade level requirements when we receive the information from your high school teacher. Request that your high school transcript be sent to our transfer specialist. Yes there is a difference in how the courses are taught. In the high school you may have work time during the class for homework and assignments. You also probably meet daily. In the college courses you meet once a week, and you are expected to do your work outside of the class time. If you want to know more about the difference between high school and college courses, check out the brochure at the Minnesota Association for Developmental Education site.
12. What kind of positions can I get after earning a degree? There's a wide range of jobs you could get. Some begin their own family child care, and some work as nannies and work closely with their families. Some work in child care centers as assistant teachers, teachers, assistant directors, or directors (after experience). Positions are often available working with infants, toddlers, preschool or school-age children. Some work in school districts or other funded programs such as early childhood education programs or school age child care. Some work with special needs children as paraprofessionals. Graduates may also work for referral agencies supporting families.
13. How can I be a teacher in a child care center? There are different ways to do this as well. One method is by getting a diploma, having a year of experience, and four additional semester credits. One method is to get the degree. You can also get as few as eight semester credits and two years experience and be qualified in some programs. Head Start will soon require the two year degree, as well as most other centers where the pay and benefits are better. Ask yourself, "Would you want to place your own child in a program with a minimally trained teacher, or one with a degree?" More and more early childhood programs are requiring their teachers to have Associate's or Bachelor's Degrees.
14. Do I need the entire program to work as an assistant? Not in most child care programs, but then there isn't the opportunity to move to different jobs either.
15. How is this training different from that in a four-year college? In a four year college you are going to spend most of the first two years taking general courses, with lots of other students, learning a lot of theory. In technical colleges you spend some time learning theory, but are able to relate that theory to your practicum experience or your workplace. You have an immediate opportunity to practice what you are learning.
16. I'm not working with children right now. Can I take courses anyway? In most cases the answer is yes, but talk to one of the program advisors first to see which of the courses would be the best selections for you. Most courses have requirements of observations of children, or consistent access to a group of children.
17. Why should I choose HTC? Our program places an emphasis on hands-on training. Students complete three practicums for the degree, and they are able to transfer knowledge to a wide variety of of settings. Our program has the only on-site laboratory preschool program in the state that is in a technical college. The preschool teachers in the program are well educated and have experience as mentors. Instructors have many years of experience in the program, and continually work to keep current in the profession. Curriculum is revised to keep current, and we choose the best quality placements for practicums. We are proud to be a part of Hennepin Technical College, and we hope you will be, too!
