Role of Preschool Teacher
Teaching preschool kids is a challenging job but also immensely satisfying. The fact that, preschool teachers are training the innocent children to become successful leaders of tomorrow is sufficient enough to describe the importance of this job. Teaching as a profession has always been in demand. Good teachers are always respected, well paid and greatly sought. No parents would like to go to a teacher who does not have requisite credentials. After all, they are assigning the future of their wards to someone who is supposed to shape them. Because of boom in child education in last few decades, numbers of young individuals aspiring to become preschool teachers has increased significantly. Daycare centres, preschools, kindergartens, elementary schools etc offer great employment opportunities to the teachers. The demand for preschool teachers has kept on increasing and this trend shows no signs of changing any soon. Because of the huge demand, most often than not, preschool teachers command attractive salaries and perks.
A preschool teacher plays a major role in child’s life. A kid’s experience with his teacher can literally make or break his interest in education and learning. The role of preschool teacher is not just limited to teaching lessons. They are also expected to make the kids socialize and interact with each other. When children join school, they often go through separation anxiety. Their innocent mind is not really aware of what they will face, how they should act etc. They find strangers all around. In such scenario, role of preschool teacher becomes immensely significant. They try to understand the emotions and feelings of the kids. They help children in overcoming their separation anxiety.
Preschool teachers encourage kids to play indoor games. This helps in developing aptitude. Preschool teachers focus on each and every child individually. No two kids are alike so it’s important for preschool teacher to observe and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each child separately. They devise strategies keeping in mind individual kid so that they grow properly. Regular discussion of kids’ performance is also one of the important roles performed by preschool teachers.
Regular interaction between parents and preschool teachers is very important. Both sides can discuss the growth and development process of the child. In fact, it is one of the major responsibilities of a preschool teacher to make the parents aware of progress made by the child. Most of the preschools have play based curriculum designed keeping in view the age of the kids. These play programs prepare children for the school environment.
For a child, successful preschool experience is very much dependent on quality of the teachers. If they have been treated and taught well, they will always be inclined to go back to schools. It is the role and responsibility of a preschool teacher to instill a sense of comfort and lifelong love of learning in the child. Though, qualifications for preschool teachers vary according to country and states, but the most important qualification is the ability to instill a joy of learning. And this experience will forever stay in the lives of children as well as the teacher.