7 Signs You Should Consider Becoming a Preschool Teacher

Are you considering becoming a teacher? Many feel a calling to impact the lives of students while others enjoy being around kids and think working in early childhood education would be a fun and fulfilling career field to explore. Teaching preschool can be a challenging profession but it’s also one of the most rewarding. So, how do you know you’d be a good fit for teaching preschool?

1.You Are Patient 

Young children are still learning how to manage their emotions. It takes a considerable amount of patience to work with the youngest students. Those interested in becoming a teacher understand that mistakes, accidents, and misbehavior are bound to happen when dealing with young kids and there’s no time to dwell on frustrations. 

2.You Are Optimistic  

Having an upbeat, perky attitude is an extremely valuable trait for a preschool teacher to possess. Your interactions will play a key role in helping young children develop confidence and self-esteem. Children are drawn to cheerful, positive adults, and tend to shy away from grumpy, negative people. A happy, optimistic attitude is contagious and will help set the right tone in your classroom. 

3.You Are Creative 

Creativity is more than making arts and crafts projects with your students. You will be teaching children who come from very different backgrounds who aren’t on the same levels of learning or development, so you may need to pull from your creative side to craft engaging lessons that motivate students to want to participate and learn. 

4.You Are Energetic 

Preschool aged children are filled with bursts of energy that need harnessing. They have a strong desire to move, explore, climb, play, and run. That type of never-ending energy can quickly exhaust an adult, so having stamina is important in being able to keep up with excitable, busy children. It’s also the teacher’s responsibility to bring energy and life into their classroom. Energetic teachers create an enjoyable environment that will make students excited to take part in classroom activities. 

5.You Are Adaptable 

You may have everything planned out for each lesson, but preschool teachers know that unexpected events can occur at any moment, especially with this age group. If you’re adaptable and flexible when it comes to change, you can handle almost anything. An example is having an alternative plan for recess on rainy days or adjusting a project when the copy machine malfunctions. The very nature of teaching preschool aged children requires constant adaptation, so flexibility is an important trait for early childhood educators.  

6.You Are Organized 

Children learn through discovery and play but that doesn’t mean a preschool classroom should be disorganized and messy. Children behave better in a structured environment so being organized and tidy is important in cutting down on classroom chaos. 

7.You Are Dedicated 

If you have a passion and dedication to helping children learn and succeed, then you’re on the right track to becoming a teacher. Other traits can be developed with experience and the right training, but having a passion for early education is a must to remaining dedicated to your job and students. 

Ready to Launch Your Teaching Career? 

If you find yourself checking off the boxes while reading this because it describes you and your overall personality, that’s a great sign. You may have a natural inclination for teaching. If only some of the traits applied to you, don’t worry. The right training program will prepare you for becoming a teacher with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive as a preschool teacher, and you’ll have plenty of time to grow into a great preschool teacher. Contact our admissions team at Athena Career Academy to learn more about our comprehensive early childhood education program degree program.