Careers in Education: Preschool Teacher

Careers in Education

You and I may start our days in the same way. We might wake up in the morning, get dressed, head for the office, grab coffee, check e-mail, review tasks for the day, chat with coworkers, and settle in for eight or so hours of the task at hand. That’s considered a normal start to a workday. But for preschool teachers, practically none of this is the same.

Sure, they get up and get ready the same way we do, but from moment they enter their workplace everything is different. Their coworkers, in a sense, are small children and there’s no talk about the game or last night’s episodes. Kids roll in to start their day, some with good attitudes, others not so good, and a teacher must marshal their charges and begin a carefully regimented program to get them through the day.

And these are small children—four years old or even younger. “Class, turn your books to chapter 13” is not going to cut it. The day might start with something like “Circle Time” where there are songs and the sharing of stories. This get kids into the mindset of organization and participation. Teaching children to take part in a schedule of activities and contribute to a general program everyone is taking part in is a part of the basic idea of preschool.

Snack time is another facet preschool teachers may have a more challenging time with. Sure, all kids eat at some point during a school day, but the older ones (generally) don’t need as much guidance with, say, utilizing utensils or keeping their food out of their neighbor’s hair.

Recess, although also present in higher grades, is a bit more drawn out and incorporated into the curriculum. For example, there may well be indoor playtime as well as outdoor, involving more than just sharing the swings. Preschool teachers deal with the sharing of toys as well as other nuances more limited on a playground, such as the use, care, and eventual tidying of said toys.

As if snack time weren’t challenging enough, there is lunch. This mostly involves getting one’s many unpracticed youngsters to navigate the challenge of eating, not only more, but quickly, as time is limited. At home, children may be used to taking their time with their food, staying at the table until it is all eaten, or engaging in other practices with parents to accomplish the feat of eating that whole plate-full, but in preschool the food must be eaten in a timely fashion, something the teacher must ensure.

Then comes nap time, and if you don’t think preschool teachers can strategize like a regular military commander, think again. They identify that one kid who will cause a ruckus and let no one sleep if they don’t, and the teacher works to get that kid to sleep. Sometimes getting them to put a blanket over their eyes works, sometime a teacher might have to work their way down an exhaustive list of tricks to get the job done.

But once that’s done it’s time for them to wake up. That’s a whole other thing. One kid may wake up in tears with no idea where they are, another might wake up angry at nothing in particular, and some just want to color, whether it’s time for that or not. You never know.

At the end of it all, it’s time to send the kids home, making sure they have all their belongings and the parents get any necessary information. Then the classroom has to be readied for the next day and activities planned out, so teacher is ready to do it all again.

Want to learn more about becoming a preschool teacher? Visit our Careers page to learn more about salary, necessary education, and opportunities for growth.

Career Outlook
Enter a career to learn more about:
  • Top 5 Cities and States for Employment
  • Number of People Employed
  • Projected Job Growth

Find the schools and courses that match your career goals.

Add a comment

Recent Posts

  • August 11, 2014 Top 5 Artistic Careers that Pay Well
  • July 25, 2014 Careers You Can Have with No Bachelors or 4 Year Degree
  • September 11, 2014 Top Careers in New York City to Avoid
  • April 22, 2014 How Social Media is Impacting Careers in Health: Infographic