Teaching young children – a teacher profile

"Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning" because as a teacher, you are not only a person who comes and delivers some information. You are a model; you have one of the most important roles in a child’s life. Moreover, in early years, children need active stimulation and interaction with others.

Early childhood education focuses on “learning through play” by providing a hands-on, interactive atmosphere where children learn about themselves through playing and interacting with other children.

Based on a scheme originally developed by M. Hildebrand, 1971, the effective teachers should:

Be organized and come prepared: They explain clearly, they are well prepared, and make difficult topics to understandable. They come with resources, materials according to the children’s age. They are ready to answer to questions. In the same time they are able to say ‘I don’t have this answer for you now, but I will find out’ and they will.

Be open-minded: They should understand and respect their own culture and value but they open to learning about different points of view, different cultures and values and they are willing to learn from experience.

Be flexible: ‘if a child can’t learn the way with teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn’. Some children might not be able to receive the information how a teacher wants to deliver it, so it is important for that teacher to learn how to interact with each group, to understand that each child is ‘unique’ and come with new strategies. Sometimes it is just enough to try later.

Be consistent: Teachers should have the same rules and attitude towards everybody and in every moment. Being consistent gives the child the sense of security and he will be more willing to trust and follow the routine and learning process.

Be active and enthusiastic: They love teaching; they are energetic, dynamic persons and have an aura of self-confidence. They know how to ‘play’ with words and how to involve children in the activities.
Be creative and encourage creativity: Teachers should always come with new ideas and they should encourage children to use their ideas, to experiment, to give opportunities to make choices. They give you a clue, not pushing you to follow exactly their thinking. ‘’A teacher shows you where to look, but not what to see’.

Be a model: As a teacher of young children, you become somewhat of a surrogate parent, their first source of guidance in playing with others and forming friendships. You teach them how to share, how to take turns, how to have manners--lessons that stay with them and evolve with each crucial phase of their life. ‘Children learn more from what you are than what you teach’!

Be caring: They show empathy, sensitivity and respect for the needs and feelings of others.
Have availability for play: In early years, children’s favorite thing to do is ‘to play’. As they are learning thorough play, it is a necessity for a teacher to be ready to be the child’s partner in his/hers games. It is allowed to be silly sometimes, it is important to follow children’s interest, but in the same time to be the one who sets new challenges.

Be balanced: They understand the importance of physical, mental and spiritual balance. So you will see a teacher being able to do gym in the morning, a math lesson later and a lot of singing in every appropriate moment. He knows that a healthy body will make the process of learning easier and he will reinforce this every day.

Be inquiring: Teachers should desire to learn daily about new things and be inspired to research and engage in inquiry.

Be sociable and good communicator: They should be able to express himself clearly and correctly and he should be willing to collaborate with others and understand different point of view. It is healthy for the team, but who will benefit the most for this collaboration is the child.

Be a risk-taker: They take on unfamiliar and uncertain situations with good sense and determination.

Be reflective: They encourage independent thought and accept criticism. They evaluate their own learning and experiences. They know their own abilities and limitations and use them to continue his professional development.

SMILE: Teachers smiles a lot, they use their humor effectively and encourage children to have a friendly behavior, to cooperate rather than be competitive.

Teaching young children requires nothing short of complete devotion and perseverance. It can be a difficult and challenging task, but to a truly committed teacher, it is worth the effort.