Preschool Teacher Requirements

Think you’re ready to dive into a position in early education? Make sure you meet all of the preschool teacher requirements before you do:

Associate Degree

Most preschools require their teachers to have achieved an associate degree as a degree minimum. Some prefer their staff to hold bachelor’s degrees instead or only require a two-year, but give preference to candidates with a bachelor’s.

CPR and First Aid Certifications

One of the many roles of a preschool teacher is to help keep each and every child in the classroom safe. This means that CPR and first aid abilities make up part of the preschool teacher requirements.

Patience

While teaching little ones has many rewarding aspects, patience is mandatory when it comes to preschool teacher requirements. Without it, both the students and the teacher will wind up frustrated, exhausted and learning very little.

Communication

Preschool teachers must excel when it comes to communication skills. Communicating with little ones can be challenging and it takes a special gift to be able to successfully get onto their level. They must be able to use their strong communication skills to teach, inform of rules and enforce discipline. They must also hone in on their listening skills to make sure they are attentive and willing to fix problems or concerns that the children may have.

Creativity

Creativity is a must-have for any future preschool teacher. At the preschool age, little ones are just beginning to discover new adventures in the world around them. They’re creative, imaginative and a little creativity of your own will add a lot to their learning experience. Early ed teachers should be able to lead their students in fun crafts, games, songs and dress-up activities.

Artistic Ability

We don’t mean you need to be the next Monet. We just mean you should be able to dig in and get a little messy. You should be able to draw cute pictures to help kids learn, or dive into the finger paint along side them.

 

Sources:

-“Education Requirements for Teaching Preschool” Yahoo! Voices

-“Preschool Teacher Requirements” Chron

-“Preschool Teacher Requirements and Career Information” Study.com

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