Preschool teachers differ from other teachers in the field of education. In comparison to formal schools, ECE schools focus more on teacher-child interactions, small group emphasis, and adult relationships. A teacher’s role is not restricted to just working with the children, they have to play multiple roles. They need to supervise and manage their classroom, interact with children and a number of adults. They also need to attend meetings, write reports, organize parent conferences and purchase materials to plan and prepare the activities.
In the beginning, the teachers may have some anxiety but as they pass through several stages of teaching they gain confidence and become more effective.
“A teacher is like a light-house which shows the right path to people in darkness”.
Teachers’ role in promoting Learning
The different tasks of a teacher are to nourish and channel children’s natural curiosity and provide/create a stimulating environment for their growth and development.
The essentials for successful teaching are:
Preparing a Stimulating Environment
Teachers make things available for children to explore, manipulate and to work on problems by themselves. Materials are arranged in a systematic manner so that it is easy for children to get used to the activities. They plan the activities according to the developmental needs of children and cater to their all-round development. Teachers guide children in using play material by giving necessary instructions using simple, clear and understandable language which facilitates learning. They provide opportunities for the kids to explore and discover new things through observation, guessing, testing, manipulating, etc. They also invite experts in the field of puppetry, creative drama etc to stimulate the imagination of children which provides plenty of opportunities for self-expression.
Organizing Activities
Teachers set the rules and explain the sequence. They guide individual children through a series of exercises. This prepares children in terms of reading, writing, physical activities, mental growth and facilitates a sense of understanding. Ex: storytelling, dance & music, art & craft, outdoor games for the development of motor skills, senses and memory.
Physical aspect
Motor skills, both gross and fine muscle coordination and eye-hand coordination.
Mental aspect
Discrimination power, memory, ability to follow directions, working left-right, top to bottom of a page.
Reading readiness
Verbal exercises.
Writing exercises
Tracing, cutting, drawing, coloring, etc.
Number concepts
Objects counting and action songs.
Thus, we can understand how important a teacher is, in the life of a child. They play a vital role in planning, organizing and providing a stimulating learning environment for children, which in turn contributes to overall child growth and development.
On this note, let us wish our teachers a very “Happy Teacher’s Day” and thank them for paving the way to a brighter future.
Author: Ramya S
