Preschools provide the right setting to prepare your child for grade school. They are not just childcare centers for your child to play and interact with other children, but they are a place to learn as well. However, you need to pick the right preschool.
Among other things, such as safety and hygiene, pay close attention to the teachers when touring a preschool. Statistics show that the employment of preschool teachers will rise by 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, a rate higher than the average for all occupations. This growth is due to the increasing demand for early childhood education. However, not every preschool teacher will be right for your child.
Here are the qualities you should check in a preschool’s teaching staff before enrolling your child.
Good Education
Childcare centers are the initial points of education for your child. They offer your child grade school readiness. As you look around at a potential preschool for your child, consider the educational qualifications of the teachers.
Inquire from the school management on the criteria they use to hire their teachers. What is the minimum level of education that each need? A high school diploma is not sufficient. Preschool teachers should at least have a degree in education. It will ensure that your child receives a high-quality education.
Passion for Children
The best teacher will be working in the preschool because they love it, not because they cannot find any other job. Their passion for making a difference in a child’s life will be their driving force.
This passion will be apparent in their enthusiasm and motivation as they carry out their duties. Parents can sometimes be ungrateful, and some colleagues could be challenging to work with. Unless the teacher has a positive attitude and drive, they could unburden their frustrations in the classroom.
Creativity
The children in childcare centers will learn best using playful methods and things that involve using their hands. Every lesson needs to be fun for them to stay interested in. The preschool teacher, for this reason, needs to be creative. They should be capable of coming up with fun classes.
Creativity will not just help in assisting the children learn fast. It will come in handy when handling children from different cultures and backgrounds. They should come up with ways to make every child feel part of the class.
Warm and Humorous
Your child will be spending the better part of their day in the preschool. They need to be around friendly and fun teachers. It will help them warm up to the school and enjoy learning. When the teacher is free with the children, any child facing an issue will be more open to talking about it.
When finding the right preschool for your child, pay attention to the interactions between the teachers and the children. Is it strained? Are the children tensed? Do the teachers join in during games, or are they disengaged?
Patience
Patience is an essential quality of a preschool teacher. Children in childcare centers are between the ages of two and five years and they can be stubborn. It takes a patient teacher to handle a class full of them without losing their temper. An impatient teacher may be tempted to apply harsh disciplinary actions instead of positive and negative reinforcement methods.
Besides, children come with different learning capabilities. Some will be fast learners, while others will require special attention. Others will need the teacher to remind them about proper manners and good hygiene practices repeatedly, and this will require patience.
Final Thoughts
One factor you should pay keen attention when you’re assessing childcare centers is the teaching staff. You want your child to learn from well-trained and experienced teachers. The teachers should portray a passion for teaching children, high levels of creativity, and patience. They should be witty and easy with children. With the assurance that your child is in good hands, only then can you have peace of mind.