Skills Every Preschool Teacher Must Have

If you are up for a preschool teacher job role, you surely know how much you need to invest on the young kids out there. The job goes beyond the qualifications you hold and requires you to captivate the young minds in the most efficient as well as tender ways. They are not just learning the alphabets and numbers from you but growing as emotional and social beings discovering all that is new to them. You are opening up a wide world of learning that shapes their mind and personalities. They just notice everything and always look up to you. It is your responsibility to set things right from the very beginning.

You might be wondering what exactly makes an excellent preschool teacher. Well, it requires you to have a love for children and for the job so much so that you are capable of transforming the classroom into a hub of knowledge, care and vibrant scope for explorations. It is not about the subject knowledge but readiness to know the young minds with measured understanding of each situation. The demand for skilled and experienced early childhood educators is always high across the globe. Here is a curated list of what you need to make your teaching up to the mark.

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Must-Have Skills to be a Preschool Teacher

In a Montessori setting, you need to have a fine grip over the role you play with your proficiency. Whether you are new to this or already an established professional, picking up and refining your skill as a teacher is crucial. Here is a list of the most essential skills every preschool teacher should have.

Deep Understanding of Child Development

You need to have a good understanding of how important your role is as a preschool teacher. You are bound to have age-appropriate behaviour with the kids enabling them to feel comfortable and confident in the classroom environment. As the kids are coming from different backgrounds picking up peculiar habits and behaviours, you will have cognitive, emotional, physical and language milestones to cross. You should be well aware of the needs of these kids and help them develop independent exploration of things around them.

Strong Communication Paired with Active Listening

Speaking the language of the little ones will make them feel at home with you. You should leave behind all the jargon and speak in a simple and engaging manner that keeps the kids active throughout the day. Along with this you should be always ready to hear what they have to say. The kids have their own version of stories, curious thoughts and unending questions for you. It is important that you make them feel heard and encourage them to speak, think and learn further. 

Making your communication clear with their parents is also important. Keep them updated about their child’s progress, what activities they are engaged in and any particular concerns about them. This helps build trust and partnership with them resulting in an effective and collaborative effort to make things better for the child. 

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Emotional Intelligence, Empathy and Patience

Just think about your experience as a preschooler. How do you remember it? Have that preschooler in your mind along with the kids you had around you then. Everything is new to the kids. It is important that you understand how excited and overwhelmed they might be. Recognizing the child’s emotions and staying calm during their tantrums is very important. 

You must be able to understand their non-verbal signals and act accordingly. Make them feel they are not alone and have someone they can come to. You need immense patience as each student has peculiar needs and the way they act can be unpredictable. There will be a talkative child you need to silence and a shy kid who needs to be encouraged to speak. You might need to repeat the lessons over and over again. Be ready for all this with the presence of mind that never shatters.A Creative and Playful Curriculum 

As you are not giving a lecture, a well-crafted lesson plan can give you a strong holding on the kids. You need to design each class in a way that you can engage all the students with activities and rhymes that keep them energetic. Learning can be made an enjoyable activity that makes things feel natural and pleasant. You will need a creative angle to ignite the spark of learning.

Preschool, in fact, thrives on creativity and playfulness.

Observational Skills for Individualized Understanding

A preschool teacher needs sharp observational skills to assess the students’ strength, weakness, learning style and progress. This can include spotting interests as well as challenges. Keeping a watch on each kid can help you craft your lessons and activities that cater to their unique needs to grow.

Organisational Skills and Adaptability

Keeping record of all that happens in the school can be a challenging job. It includes curriculum and lesson structure, student details, their progress records, daily routine and every single thing that ensures the safe keeping of the kids. In addition to all this you might be encountering daily challenges that demand on the spot improvisations. So it is significantly unavoidable for you to be adaptable to unexpected and unforeseen situations with a positive approach.

Classroom Behavior & Conflict Management

As a follow up to the previous section, the preschool teacher is expected to enable kids to find their own ideas and solutions. Before they acquire that, having effective behavioral strategies and conflict resolution skills will always come in handy. Encouraging emotional and social growth in the students will be a tedious task that demands immense patience. You might need some tender discipline measures that are rooted in psychology and not physical torment. In short, you will need to polish your problem-solving skills to ensure they learn it as well.

Basic Tech & Educational Tools Integration

The rapid shift in the learning process has made basic tech knowledge a necessity. Montessori-style activities, in particular, can be enriched with child-friendly educational tools. You can also rely, if not entirely, on educational apps for reference and incorporate them in your curriculum. 

Fix your Mindset on Professional Growth

Like in every other career choice, the teaching profession also needs consistent learning and updating. You can keep on track with the current pedagogy by attending workshops and being part of the teaching community. These would ensure continuous evaluation and scope for improvement in your career. Working in collaboration with specialists will further enhance your growth with extensive learning as well as teaching experience.

Enthusiasm and Passion is Key 

The level of passion and enthusiasm this job demands is unmatched. You cannot just do what you do to save your job with a self-centered attitude. The subject does not confine into a textbook but they are sitting in front of you staring and open to fresh experiences. Once you are a preschool teacher, you are bound to create a positive environment for them to learn and grow. A dedicated mind with passion can spread your enthusiasm to the kids and make things work well for both.

Conclusion

Every passionate preschool teacher signs up for blending expertise with compassion, innovation and professionalism. A Montessori Preschool teacher should be well equipped with all the skills listed above with a readiness to make eventual improvements on the go. While most of the skills can be fostered naturally, you might need some structured training programmes to set things right for you. Investing in such programmes will benefit you and your prospective students in the most efficient ways possible. The impact and influence you have on the young minds is intense and so make the right choice while blending emotionally, socially and intellectually.