What Role Does a Preschool Teacher Play In Child Development

As a preschool teacher, you have an essential role in children's development. You know that they can be influenced by active observation and necessary intervention, so you exhibit this daily in your preschool classroom. Your ability to understand how your students learn best means you can provide them with the encouragement, praise, and direction they need to succeed! But your role goes more in-depth than just educating them about ABCs, numbers, colors, and shapes to ready them for kindergarten. In addition to providing education, preschool teachers perform many roles throughout the day, including:

• Activities Coordinator - providing a structured day of enrichment
• Play Partner - skill-building through creativity
• Safety Officer - maintaining a safe, judgment-free environment
• Welfare Manager - ensuring physical needs are met
• Ambassador - facilitating communication and influencing change toward common goals
• Student - that's right, teachers are learning and evolving too

Teaching Through Play

Teachers model appropriate social behavior and further develop cognitive skills in their preschoolers by facilitating play. Age-appropriate play encourages preschoolers to interact socially, problem solve, and question their environment. Gentle guidance from preschool teachers can provide a real-life learning experience in the classroom. Providing positive reinforcement while allowing preschoolers the freedom for trial and error also promotes self-confidence in preschoolers as they learn from one another during play.

Children are not only learning how to read and write at preschool, but they are also exposed to a vast array of developmental opportunities. As we've already mentioned, teachers continually direct social interaction and cognitive development while maintaining a safe, productive environment. It's no small task to incorporate these roles into a curriculum. When children feel supported, they grow intellectually. Preschoolers will march out of their comfort zones to explore and investigate.

Teaching Relationship Building

A trusting relationship does not just form overnight. Each day, you demonstrate to preschoolers vital skills for relationship building so that they can interact in the real world by forming healthy friendships and work-related relationships. As teachers carry out these diverse roles, you execute tremendous emotional support, including:

• Listening
• Engaging
• Cooperating
• Interpreting behavior
• Resolving conflict

Building healthy relationships with and among preschoolers will ease day-to-day transitions and let students know that they can express themselves appropriately. Students will be open to learning as their emotional needs are met.

Learning Box Preschool Is Here to Help Support Preschool Teachers

Learning Box Preschool is dedicated to providing a high-quality curriculum to alleviate the stress of planning lessons so you can focus on all the many roles required of you as a preschool teacher! For more information, check out our curriculum calendar or visit our shop.