At this point in a child's life, creativity plays an important role. Creativity allows kids to use their imaginations, understand how things work and develop a sense of individuality. The preschool atmosphere relies on a combination of lessons and creativity. Arts and crafts can be used to teach children about the alphabet, and dress-up games can help them learn about important holidays. As such, a preschool teacher should possess a creative quality -- one that inspires and encourages children to be creative in the classroom. A creative preschool teacher thinks outside the box, comes up with unique activities and games and keeps the environment colorful and filled with stimulating toys or wall art.
It is important for a preschool teacher to have a strong educational background in areas such as education, early-child development or human behavioral studies. Preschoolers are still developing cognitively, socially, physically and emotionally, and preschool teachers with the knowledge of how the developmental process works can support those changes and work with children through various types of behavioral challenges. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, each state has its own educational and licensing mandates for preschool teachers, so preschool teachers come with a diverse academic background.
Communicating with 4- and 5-year-olds is different than communicating with adults or older students. Preschool teachers must know how to communicate at a level that preschoolers understand. These communication skills range from being able to understand what children need, knowing how to give kids instructions and being patient when communication streams are more challenging. Communication skills also expand to the relationship a preschool teacher has with the parents.
The ability to remain energetic throughout the day is an important quality for a preschool teacher to possess. Keeping track of a classroom full of 4- and 5-year-olds can be too exhausting for some. And when the energy of the teacher deflates it can have an impact on the students. Patience can start to decrease and children may even get bored in class. A good preschool teacher manages her energy and knows how to keep her energy levels high so that she can keep up with the young kids around her.
Classroom management refers to a teacher's ability to control the classroom environment. This is achieved by managing student behaviors, setting rules for the classroom, instilling consequences for the breaking rules and rewarding positive behavior. It is necessary for a preschool teacher to have good classroom management skills because it shows that he knows how to keep the environment balanced. You do not want a preschool teacher who constantly punishes students, which is what someone with poor classroom management skills might do.