Today, researchers are learning that the education and training that occurs during the preschool years are vital for shaping a child’s future.  Personality, thought processes, and many other traits are often set before a child even walks into a kindergarten classroom.  As a result, if you decide to pursue a career as a preschool teacher, you’ll find yourself at the forefront of shaping a child’s entire future. 

Job Description

Just like elementary and high school teachers, you’ll be responsible for ensuring that children in your class master a certain amount of information.  This may include learning the alphabet, as well as recognizing numbers, colors, and shapes.  As you go through your classroom activities, you’ll also be indirectly teaching students good society behaviors, like how to follow rules and to respect authority figures.  Finally, you’ll also be responsible for helping children develop appropriate social skills through activities and games designed to encourage teamwork and group awareness. 

While the mechanical aspects of teaching are important, what you do in terms of socializing can be critical.  Even teachers can forget that a child is a unique human being with thoughts, feelings, and a memory that records everything that happens.  As a result, a child may pick up bad habits or learn ineffective socialization patterns, even if you don’t know you’re transmitting them.  Therefore, it’s vital that you learn how to reprimand students and help them to correct their behavior without making them feel uncomfortable.

Educational Background

It’s important to note that most preschools are not affiliated with school districts, so their education requirements may be less stringent than those for elementary and high school teachers.  In most cases, you’ll still need to hold a bachelor’s degree in education in order to qualify for preschool teaching positions.  However, many employers are more interested in your background and experience working with young children than your board certification, so you may be able to find employment as a preschool teacher before obtaining your license. 

Career Opportunities

Considering the importance of preschool teachers, you’ll have an almost limitless number of job opportunities available to you.  You may choose to work in a public school system that sponsors a preschool program or in a privately owned and operated nursery school.  Chances are, you’ll find that there are several preschool programs in your area, and that teachers are always needed.  After gaining experience in these positions, you may even decide to start your own nursery school and move into a more administrative position.

Not long ago, the first time a child walked into a classroom was the first day of kindergarten.  In these days, the learning potential of each child was determined by the parents, who may or may not have begun teaching their children the basics of reading and math.  As the world of knowledge continues to grow, giving children equal access to basic education through preschool programs becomes increasingly important.  Therefore, when you work as a preschool teacher, know that you’ll be choosing a career that’s vital to the shaping of young minds, as well as our future society.