In This Article
Early childhood educators wear many hats. They help children build relationships and resolve conflict, much like a counsellor. Like a nurse, they help children when they’re hurt and encourage them when they come out stronger. Not only that – early childhood educators help children play and learn in safe, inclusive environments where they can be themselves and collaborate with others.
We’ll break down what early childhood education is, including the purpose, philosophy and key skills as well as salary and job opportunities in Canada.
What is the philosophy of early childhood education?
Early childhood educators play a pivotal role in child development. They help young children from all cultures and backgrounds grow intellectually, socially and emotionally by creating safe learning environments. Not only do they teach children key skills, they also teach them to play, build relationships and accept others.
Since the primary years are crucial for development, early childhood educators play an incredibly important role in shaping the lives of children in their community. It is their job to provide a well-rounded curriculum that supports intellectual development, nutrition and health, social relationships and emotional wellbeing.
What age is early childhood education?
Early childhood educators teach children from infancy up to around 8 years of age. The stages of development and children’s needs differ as they grow through the years.
Between 0-2 years of age, bonding is crucial. This is the time when children start forming relationships between their parents or caregivers and begin developing a sense of self. These attachments impact their education in the future.
When children reach 2-8 years of age, this is typically when early childhood education comes into play. Children experience their first “formal” education in environments like daycares, nursery schools or their kindergarten classroom.
Would you be a good fit for the role?
It takes a special type of person to work in the childhood education sector. If you have a handful of these characteristics, you could thrive in this career!
You enjoy working with children. It goes without saying but this is a must in this career path. You should be enthusiastic and passionate about working with children and want to make a difference in their lives.
You’re a patient person. Patience is key when working with youngsters. They have short attention spans and can be energetic for long periods of time, so it’s important to exercise patience and take every day in stride.
You like to make things fun. What’s one way to get children to want to learn? Make it fun! Use humour to engage children and take their learning activities to the next level.
You’re creative. This one goes hand in hand with using humour. The more creative you are, the easier a time you’ll have at crafting activities that interest children and keep their attention.
You’re compassionate. All children are different and you may work with some that are more difficult than others. Showing compassion and empathy will help you work with those children and support them when they’re struggling.
Early childhood education in Manitoba
Of all Canadian provinces, Manitoba has the highest demand for early childhood educators, exceeding the national average. Winnipeg in particular is a hotspot for early childhood education, with well over 15 times more active jobs than neighbouring regions. 70% (8,000) of the provincial jobs are found in Winnipeg. These educators are needed and highly valued in the city.
The national median salary for early childhood educators and assistants is $39,856. You can check out Manitoba’s Early Childhood Education website for more information about employment in the province. You can also check out the Government of Manitoba’s information resource and Indeed for job postings in Manitoba.
Where can you work?
Early childhood educators can work in a variety of environments, including:
- Childcare centres
- Daycare centres
- Kindergarten classrooms and elementary schools
- Agencies
- Civic and social organizations
- Amusement and recreation centres
- Local, municipal and regional public administration
Early Childhood Education at Robertson
We’re launching our brand new Early Childhood Education diploma program on December 5, 2022. Let’s go over everything you need to know to decide if this is the right career path for you.
Quick facts
- Program duration: 18 months
- Campus: Winnipeg Hybrid
- Next intake date: December 5, 2022
- Practicum: 13 weeks total
Early childhood education curriculum
Early childhood educators have the opportunity to truly make a difference in their community. While there are technical elements to the job, early childhood educators’ key skills are soft ones: compassion, empathy and enthusiasm.
When you graduate from our program, you’ll know how to:
- Create safe and healthy learning environments. Children thrive when they feel safe to explore. You’ll learn how to create learning environments where children can engage in complex, rich play and collaborate with others.
- Facilitate sensory, intellectual, social, spiritual and emotional development. You’ll learn how to create activities that stimulate and help children grow in a variety of areas.
- Promote positive relationships and guide conflict resolution. Children need a bit of guidance when it comes to early relationships. You’ll help coach them so they learn positive behaviours that enhance their social interactions and emotional well-being.
- Establish positive connections with children’s families and communities. Despite the name, early childhood education isn’t just about children – it’s also about their families. You’ll gain the skills to establish positive, supportive relationships with the children’s families and help them do the same. Fostering these positive relationships at home will help childhood development and learning.
- Advocate for children. As an educator in this field, you’ll work to eliminate unfair biases, stereotypes and barriers so children from all backgrounds and cultures feel valued, included and important.
- Create equitable, culturally-relevant teaching environments. In this program, you’ll learn how to address the needs of Indigenous children and families and incorporate cultural touchpoints into learning activities.
As an early childhood educator, you’ll have the gift of making children feel included, safe, valued and free to explore as they learn more about themselves and the world.
This program is accredited by the Child Care Education Program Approval Committee. Successful graduates will be able to apply for the Early Childhood Educator, Level 2 classification (ECE II).
If early childhood education interests you, we hope you’ll choose Robertson. You could start as early as April 12, 2021 at our Winnipeg campus in our Virtual Classroom. Apply today to reserve your spot with no enrollment fee and start your journey to a meaningful career.
If you have any questions about virtual learning, reach out to our Student Admissions Advisors — they’re always ready to help!