Early Childhood Teacher (Certificate)

Maine has established a new requirement that teachers working in public school Pre-K classrooms must hold, or be working toward, Endorsement 081: Early Childhood Teacher.
K-8 certified teachers can apply the four required courses in this certificate in partial fulfillment of the State’s requirements for the 081 endorsement.

Objectives:

1. Teachers will be prepared to work with young children and their families across a range of early childhood settings. Teachers may apply courses from this Certificate to State’s Early Childhood Endorsement (081). The certificate supports teachers’ eligibility to teach in a variety of early childhood settings, including inclusive pre-kindergarten classrooms located in public schools.
2. Teachers will learn about early child development - both in the classroom and through hands-on learning experiences - and use this knowledge to design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences for young children.
3. Teachers will recognize that learning in early childhood environments lays a critical foundation for the young child’s later success in school, work, citizenship, and personal fulfillment.
4. Teachers will understand that through play in a content-rich environment, children begin to make sense of the world around them, building the foundations they will need to become capable, enthusiastic learners and responsible, healthy adults.

(All work is based on the state MDOE and NAEYC standards.)
 

Courses:
CHF 450: Early Childhood Special Education
HUD 521: Teaching Science for Young Children
HUD 529: Teaching Numeracy for Young Children
SED 505: Diversity of Development in Childhood

Contact: Dr. Julie DellaMattera, julie.dellamattera@maine.edu