Teaching Tip: How to Get Toddlers to Love You

A two-year-old’s experience at preschool serves as their introduction to the world of education. Preschool teachers must cultivate a fun and safe learning environment where preschoolers can learn social skills, make friends, and express themselves openly and creatively. While no two preschool teachers are ever identical, beloved teachers share a number of common qualities.

Here are some of the qualities a preschool teacher should have to get loved by preschoolers:

Personality

Working with two-year-old preschool children requires patience, creativity, enthusiasm, and a love for education. Strong teachers foster a classroom environment in which all students are comfortable and feel supported by the teacher and each other. These teachers must reach both the children and their parents, which includes developing and maintaining strong home-school communication.

Knowledge

Teachers should be knowledgeable about their student population and the academic subject matter at hand. Teaching requires a devotion to life-long learning that extends well beyond degree programs. Early childhood teachers must seek out regular opportunities to further their teaching skills and knowledge bases.

Classroom Management

Managing a classroom of young children can be a challenging task. An early childhood teacher is able to maintain a classroom environment that is both educational and fun. Children should be able to learn while they play in an engaging and motivating setting. A respected teacher is viewed as an authority figure, but does not scare the children.

Dedication

A high degree of dedication is a necessary component of being a great teacher for any student population. Even though teaching the preschoolers can be exhausting and frustrating, it can be extremely rewarding. Dedicated teachers can look past the bad days and keep focusing on the good days that make the job worthwhile.

Patience

Patience is an essential quality for a teacher as it helps teachers handle their students, explain concepts, and answer questions.

Encouragement and Acknowledgement

A teacher should inspire the whole classroom by encouraging children’s ideas and equally acknowledging everyone’s contributions. This will help children feel comfortable to express their ideas and build on their abilities. 

Greet Them

Whether it is morning or afternoon, take the opportunity to greet your students when they arrive. Call by their name, say hello, and ask some engaging questions, such as how their day is going, preparing for exams, etc. This will help create a close connection between you and your students. 

Individual Attention

If you notice something may be wrong with a student, take the time to speak with them and ask if everything is okay. Giving a student individual attention shows you care about them, can provide them with the courage to talk about what happened, and help them find a solution to whatever is going on.

Be a Role Model

Explore your interests and passions to be a great role model for your students. Show them that you are passionate about the subject you teach, helping them spark their interest and get engaged in listening and learning. 

Preschool teachers must strongly believe in what they are doing and be fully dedicated to every student in the class.

Also Read: Making the Most of Conference Time with Your Kids' Teacher