Patricia Bentham, author, kindergarten-lessons.com
Becoming a kindergarten teacher
Thinking about teaching young children?
If you are considering the possibility of becoming a kindergarten teacher or early childhood educator, it is helpful to consider the skills necessary for the job.
Even the most unruly child wants to be accepted, appreciated, spoken to in a polite, respectful manner and wants to feel that he or she is good at something. If you can instill confidence in each child, you are well on your way to becoming a successful preschool or kindergarten teacher.
Skills to develop when becoming a preschool or kindergarten teacher
Teaching Skills:
During the process of earning a four year education degree you will learn a great deal about how children learn, learning styles, types of instruction and curriculum. Take as many opportunities as you can to experience classroom teaching and work with children.
Although you may feel nervous and on the spot during your first efforts, remember to relax and have fun. Provide the children with something interesting to do and establish clear expectations for during and after the lesson and things should run smoothly.
If children do not seem to understand a concept, always ask - How can I present this concept differently? Do the children have the vocabulary to understand this concept? Do I have to backup a few steps? What can I do differently?
Never assume that young children understand what you are asking them to do. Always show them (don't tell) and then give them hands on experiences. When teaching kindergarten be aware of learning differences and offer a variety of activities and experiences.
Organization Skills
In the process of becoming a kindergarten teacher, learn as much as you can about being organized. Every system you put in place will save you hours of work in the future.
Although it takes a lot of work in your first year, plan the year in advance. This way you will have plenty of time to order resources, borrow books and DVDs, and organize field trips and classroom visitors for each theme you teach.
Storage systems for both your own personal belongings and classroom equipment make it easier for you and your students to clean up and put things away. For more information on teaching children classification skills through clean up, read the teacher tips on "Teaching with math manipulatives".
Problem solving skills
If something can go wrong it will! Be a creative problem solver. I remember early in my teaching career when I first had a child with special needs in my class. Every well-planned lesson was disrupted. You either get frustrated or go into a creative problem solving mode. Define the problem, and then ask… How can I make this work? In what ways can I solve this problem? What can I do differently? Do I need to ask for help or advice? Avoid blaming at all times, just focus on solving the problem.
Page 2 - More skills necessary in becoming a kindergarten teacher...
- writing and spelling
- learn to appreciate parents
- learn to communicate and set boundaries
- patience sense of humor
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