Open Discussion Forum

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time. 

Do you have knowledge and experience currently that you can share with other ECE educators or are you hoping to learn from the school you go to and then share with others?

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time. 

I already do trainings and through some learning communities I'm a part of. I'm also a go to person in my area for information regarding changes occuring in early education in my area, licensing rules, handbook policy. I'm a part of several advisory committees too regarding early education. 

Do you have knowledge and experience currently that you can share with other ECE educators or are you hoping to learn from the school you go to and then share with others?

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time. 

That's wonderful! Consider you don't need more degrees and debt to share your wisdom. Simply create workshops, submit them to local ECE focused organizations AND national events if you want to be a national presenter and then build up your speaking career. And I mentor ECE speakers because I love to and I have ECE keynote speaker mentors that helped me explode my business. 

I already do trainings and through some learning communities I'm a part of. I'm also a go to person in my area for information regarding changes occuring in early education in my area, licensing rules, handbook policy. I'm a part of several advisory committees too regarding early education. 

Do you have knowledge and experience currently that you can share with other ECE educators or are you hoping to learn from the school you go to and then share with others?

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time. 

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time. 

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time. 

Hi Trisha,

I am the poster child for taking the long path in education.  I too earned an A.A. in early child development many years ago.  I felt I needed to go back to school when I started to feel less respected in the field for my level of education. What I learned through my early childhood degree has been the touchstone to all that came after.

After many years going back to school, starting and stopping at least two times, I earned a B.S. degree in psychology at the age of 48.  (I was inspired by Julia Childs who didn't make it big on Television until the age of 48).  Haha.

Wanting to learn more about curriculum and instruction, I went back to school again and at age 60 obtained my masters.

All this to say that everyone is on their own path.  With an A.A. in Early Childhood and experience in the classroom, you are well on your way to achieving your goals.  You have a unique perspective that will serve you well as you continue your education.  Look up course offerings at various colleges and see what strikes your fancy.

Best,

------------------------------
Jenny James
Director
First Lutheran Preschool
Ellicott City, MD
www.jjames@firstlutheranec.org">www.jjames@firstlutheranec.org
Co-author Dig In! Outdoor STEM Learning with Young Children

Original Message:
Sent: 04-29-2023 12:03 AM
From: Trisha Dart
Subject: Continuing my college education. Advice!

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time. 

------------------------------
Trisha Dart
Owner/Teacher
Little Ones Learning Early Education and Care
Comstock Park, MI
------------------------------

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time. 

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time. 

Trisha, many others have made the point in this space that experience can be a much more powerful learning tool than theory, and I totally agree. However, I hear from your posting that there are some doors that you are not able to open to see if you want to pursue them without a bachelor's degree. You have a lot of credits, but a bachelor's degree usually requires credits at a 'higher level' of coursework than what comes from an associate's program. So I don't know if the TEACH scholarship will help you get where you want to go. Check out what courses and levels it applies to. Be pragmatic and keep your eye on whatever the prize you choose may be.

So, as someone who worked in higher ed for a long time, my suggestions are these: (1) Talk to someone at your former associate's degree program schools - someone in a career services position perhaps? - and ask them about articulation agreements between their school and 4-year colleges or universities in the area. Sometimes that can help you with getting equivalencies evaluated quickly so you don't have to repeat stuff you have already learned. Some higher ed institutions have specialized programs for adults, where you put together a portfolio documenting what you have learned through life experiences and earn credit for that. You will pay for that credit  (someone has to guide you, then review and evaluate the portfolio) but usually it's less than enrolling in a regular course.
(2) Check out online colleges as they can sometimes be more flexible and offer alternative pathways. There are many of these now, some of which advertise in NAEYC publications. In my state (NH) we have one branch of the public university system that is totally focused on meeting the needs of adult learners through flexible and online programs. I would presume Michigan has something like that as well.
(3) Visit any 4-year college or university in your area with programs you might find interesting, so you can talk with someone in person. They may be able to advise you as to the best program match to your goals. Most colleges offering bachelor's degrees have what is known as "individualized" or "liberal studies" as majors, and you might find that route to be helpful.

Finally, don't waste time or money repeating content you have already mastered. Be an advocate for yourself and find an ally at the institution you choose to attend. ECE, Human Development, Human Services, Family Studies, Psychology or Sociology, Social work.... so many possible fields that will build on what you already know and stretch you in new directions.

Good luck!  ~Dottie

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time. 

Thank you for the ideas. I have done a couple of them and there are a couple online universities that would possibly work and there is one that does take life experience. I so wish you all my years of experience counted more for some of these positions I've seen that I would love to do but because I don't have that piece of paper I don't qualify.

Trisha, many others have made the point in this space that experience can be a much more powerful learning tool than theory, and I totally agree. However, I hear from your posting that there are some doors that you are not able to open to see if you want to pursue them without a bachelor's degree. You have a lot of credits, but a bachelor's degree usually requires credits at a 'higher level' of coursework than what comes from an associate's program. So I don't know if the TEACH scholarship will help you get where you want to go. Check out what courses and levels it applies to. Be pragmatic and keep your eye on whatever the prize you choose may be.

So, as someone who worked in higher ed for a long time, my suggestions are these: (1) Talk to someone at your former associate's degree program schools - someone in a career services position perhaps? - and ask them about articulation agreements between their school and 4-year colleges or universities in the area. Sometimes that can help you with getting equivalencies evaluated quickly so you don't have to repeat stuff you have already learned. Some higher ed institutions have specialized programs for adults, where you put together a portfolio documenting what you have learned through life experiences and earn credit for that. You will pay for that credit  (someone has to guide you, then review and evaluate the portfolio) but usually it's less than enrolling in a regular course.
(2) Check out online colleges as they can sometimes be more flexible and offer alternative pathways. There are many of these now, some of which advertise in NAEYC publications. In my state (NH) we have one branch of the public university system that is totally focused on meeting the needs of adult learners through flexible and online programs. I would presume Michigan has something like that as well.
(3) Visit any 4-year college or university in your area with programs you might find interesting, so you can talk with someone in person. They may be able to advise you as to the best program match to your goals. Most colleges offering bachelor's degrees have what is known as "individualized" or "liberal studies" as majors, and you might find that route to be helpful.

Finally, don't waste time or money repeating content you have already mastered. Be an advocate for yourself and find an ally at the institution you choose to attend. ECE, Human Development, Human Services, Family Studies, Psychology or Sociology, Social work.... so many possible fields that will build on what you already know and stretch you in new directions.

Good luck!  ~Dottie

I have been in early education for nearly 20 years in the classroom and I have my Associate Degree in Child Development and my General Education Associate Degree with a total of 103 credits. I have started getting a feeling that I need to leave the classroom and expand my early education career in more of a mentoring or coaching type position. I would love to work with families or new early education professionals.

Here I am almost 40 years old and I'm not sure which path education-wise I should go. Should I stay with an early education or child development degree program or should I look at a different type of program? What would you recommend?

I am located in Michigan where the early education profession is in a huge shift and we are on the verge of universal Pre-K.

The TEACH scholarship is available here and I would like to utilize that if possible.

I appreciate your time.