The preschool years are a time when young children make leaps and bounds in cognitive, emotional, social and physical development. During playtime, preschool teachers should act as a catalyst to aid in the growth of all four developmental domains. This can be done by planning or arranging developmentally appropriate activities and projects. Examples include facilitating a simple card game of memory, creating a dramatic play scenario for the children to expand on, providing appropriate materials such as pretend housekeeping items or paints, and designing and monitoring group games that necessitate listening to others and/or sharing.
During playtime, a preschool teacher can use "scaffolding" to enhance development. This term is based on Lev Vygotsky's educational/child development theory of the zone of proximal development, in which every child has a space or zone between their current perceived developmental level and the level that they can attain. Scaffolding includes providing assistance (or a scaffold) for the child to complete an activity or task that may be considered challenging or at the higher end of the zone of proximal development. This does not mean that the teacher does the task for the child--instead, he or she supports the child in completing the activity through verbal cues, breaking the task down into smaller/less-complicated tasks, or modeling (i.e., showing examples).
Safety and health concerns are of utmost importance to most early childhood and daycare centers. A preschool teacher should serve as a safety monitor who constantly checks that the children are not engaging in risky behaviors. This may include evaluating play equipment for wear and damage, mediating in any physical altercation between children, and verbally directing a child away from unsafe actions such as throwing blocks or standing on furniture. Additionally, a preschool teacher can promote a healthy school environment by controlling the spread of germs. During playtime, the teacher should remind children to cover a sneeze or cough and wash hands regularly.
Sometimes a preschool teacher must serve as a mediator between children. As preschoolers' social and emotional skills develop, arguments and skirmishes may still erupt. A preschool teacher may need to redirect an angry or oppositional child, facilitate a discussion on emotions such as anger or sadness, or put a direct stop to a physical altercation--or even rough play.