How to become an Early Childhood Teacher

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Have you ever wondered how to become an Early Childhood Teacher? Whether it’s hearing the ABC song, seeing Sesame Street ads on TV or a copy of Where the Wild Things are, we all have things that trigger those childhood memories of our first learning experiences and teachers we had.

early childhood

What is an early childhood teacher?

Early childhood teachers teach young kids before they start their education at primary school. They follow the guidelines in the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) which focuses on the development of small children. They would assess and evaluate the needs of every student and identify those that have special needs and other concerning issues. The teacher would monitor students progress and identify how fast pupils understand the information given and any areas for concern. Most of the learnings are taught through games and activities.

Teachers would conduct meetings with parents to discuss their children, and they would work with other professionals, such as social workers, depending on the needs of the students. They would take training courses to be fully equipped and knowledgeable with new health issues or legislation changes.

It takes a lot of patience to deal with groups of children under 5, to maintain their focus and to have them understand the lessons. Early childhood teachers need a bucket full of patience. They also need to be very imaginative and creative to inspire the kids and come up with new learning activities. Little kids are often naughty and a teacher needs to be able to deal with challenging behaviour and communicate well with the kids about what’s wrong and right.

Hours & Conditions:

Early childhood teachers follow a standard number of working hours per week but it varies depending on the environment and level they would be teaching. If working in a formal preschool then the hours are school hours, if working in a long day care centre the hours would be longer. On top of this there is time needed to plan activities, organise meetings with the parents and attend training sessions, which are usually done on top of normal working hours.

What is an early childhood educator?