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If you are looking to become a teacher, it is likely that you are not doing it for the paycheck. Most teachers get into their profession because of their love of learning and their care for students. Now, there are more ways than ever to help aspiring early childhood education teachers get through school.

Early childhood education is about honing and molding the holistic child, which will eventually form the basis of their lifelong journey.

In these 11 terrific TED talks, some of the brightest minds in the world rise up to the challenge and give tremendous insight into the growing minds of our kids.

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Since the end of the Sputnik era, our nation has lacked the urgency to make education a national priority—until now. Global competition for human talent and innovation, long-standing educational achievement gaps, low high school graduation rates, and the pending retirement of 77 million baby boomers have placed tremendous workforce pressures on American business. These pressures, if not checked, will jeopardize our national economic security and the viability of the American dream. Because the business community understands the importance of having…

The expansion of state-funded prekindergarten programs and a new federal Preschool for All initiative (www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/early-childhood) to expand access to early childhood education to all Americans have led to renewed discussions about early childhood teacher qualifications, current career pathways, and related degree programs. What investments and models can increase the number of early childhood teachers who hold bachelor degrees? What strategies and policies will support degree completion and transfer for a diverse early childhood workforce? Read more here.

In April 2015, the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council of the National Academies released a report, entitled “Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation,” asking the question: How can the science of children’s health, learning and development inform how the workforce supports children from birth through age 8? The report highlighted a number of key messages, chief among them was the notion that the “adults who provide care and education of children birth…

Programs and policymakers face numerous challenges as they develop and implement professional development strategies for the early childhood workforce. The field lacks consistent standards and requirements for professional preparation, and, as a result, low levels of education and a minimum of specialized training in early childhood education are the norm. Less than one-third of the institutions of higher education offering two- and four-year degrees have programs in early childhood education, and those programs that exist must address the needs of…

Professional preparation and ongoing professional development (PD) for the early childhood education workforce is essential to providing high-quality services to children and families. Consistent terminology and definitions related to PD methods, roles, knowledge, and capabilities have emerged as a critical issue for the early education field. Recently, states have experienced new early childhood education system challenges and needs related to training and technical assistance (TA). The urgency of these issues grows, particularly as states increase their focus and work on…

Though one method of PD delivery is generally predominant in a given situation, training, technical assistance and education frequently overlap. All three of these may be organized and sponsored by institutions of higher education. College and university instructors may be engaged in delivery of all three types of PD. Many college students are already working in the field and may be participating in training or TA as part of or parallel to degree completion. For example, all teacher education programs…