A Kindergarten Teacher plays the most important role in a child’s life, as far as teachers are concerned, as they are the molders and sculptors who help in the creation of personalities from the beginning. We may forget the teachings of most of our teachers, but that of a nursery teacher, who not only educates us on the alphabets and numbers, but also on way to sit, talk, walk, behave, and every other thing. Who teaches us to write and play with the same enthusiasm and dedication. They thus have an effect on our personal and academic life at the same time. It is the interactive sessions and hands-on-approach that makes this time of life so essential for all students.
If you love children and desire to contribute to their development – educational, emotional, psychological and personal, then being a Kindergarten Teacher is a good career option. It is soul-satisfying and a profession that will always make you smile in the company of innocent little kids.
To be a Kindergarten teacher, you will need a minimum qualification of a bachelor’s degree. Thereafter, you will have to complete a course specifically designed to be such a teacher. A B Ed degree is important, but most schools, demand applicants to have done the particular course, which teaches you how to deal with small children. The teaching pattern, handling and disciplining them, and other aspects of required to know as a kindergarten teacher, is quite dissimilar to that of higher classes teacher, when the emphasis is on studies and less on character building. At that age, children are unpredictable, incapable of understanding everything that is being taught, too much attached to home and family, and more inclined to play than study. Thus handling them is a task which needs special training. Some of the topics of learning may include Philosophy of education, teaching methods, and Psychology of learning.
You will be responsible for introducing to kids the alphabet and language, math, social studies, diction and spelling. Ways that help in doing so are games, figures, building connections, fun activities and tasks. Kindergarten may also be thus called development classes, as it is overall growth. Kids also should be taught to communicate with other classmates, play together and participate in group activities. They should be able to mingle, which they had earlier done only with family and friends.
The work also includes meeting other teachers to coordinate programs and discus issues; meting at regular intervals with parents to give a feedback about each child’s development and problems, and to understand the child better; innovating new and better ways of teaching and imparting knowledge. You should also be involved in constant study and research on various methods of teaching adopted by teachers elsewhere. Keeping a record of each child is also an intrinsic part of the work.
You should be in love with kids. And be extremely patient while dealing with them. You need to be a warm, approachable, gentle, empathetic and kind, so that children can connect with you, trust you, confide in you, and are willing to learn what you teach. Only those can command respect who are not stern but can discipline, and who are capable of influencing kids. Good communication skills in important to be able to promote a two-way understanding between teacher and students. Also to help the tiny tots to express themselves freely. Thus you have to be able to be the bridge – teacher on one end and a parent on the other.
