Major Challenges of being a Preschool Teacher
Being a preschool teacher is a rewarding job, but as rewarding as it is, it has its own challenges. A preschool teacher has to deal with children from the age of 2 to 5. At this age, kids are generally very stubborn and moody. They have short attention spans, and they tend to get distracted easily. This itself becomes a challenge for a teacher. Most preschool teachers earn less than formal school teachers because parents tend to pay less for a preschool education than for a formal school. Their role is conventionally valued less than other professions. Managing the kids, teaching them, implementing the age-appropriate educational curriculum, and dealing with school administration and students’ parents, by and large, are the major sets of challenges faced by most preschool teachers.
Major Challenges Faced by a Preschool Teacher
Not only this, there is a list of challenges faced by the preschool teacher in the course of following their curriculum and teaching in a playschool. This article will highlight various types of problems faced by the preschool teachers in a classroom. Let’s expand our knowledge about the challenges faced by a preschool teacher in a playschool…
1. Managing Diverse Student Needs as a Preschool Teacher
Preschool is the first step in every child’s educational journey. Every child has their own learning pace and unique needs. So, it becomes a great responsibility for a preschool teacher to understand the diverse needs of every child. Also, preschool serves as the root of education and learning. So, it is the duty of a preschool teacher to make learning fun and interesting for every young learner in their foundational years.
Addressing Individual Learning Styles
A classroom full of young learners is fun and delightful, but teaching them becomes challenging. Attending to the diverse needs of every child and keeping up with their learning pace is a tough job. The preschool teacher is responsible for explaining the complexities of a topic by breaking it down into the easiest forms.
Supporting Children with Special Needs
Understanding children with special needs is the first step in supporting them. Teaching a special child is a demanding task for preschool teachers. Every child requires care and attention, but children with special needs demand extra attention, patience, and vigilance. Teachers collaborate with their parents and build a supportive and nurturing environment so that they can easily adapt to new learning.
2. Handling Behavioural Issues
Behavioral issues are very common in children. They undergo developmental changes and exhibit different kinds of behaviour. Some tend to act shy, quiet, or, at times, very stubborn, while others can be hyperactive. Handling these issues and maintaining decorum in class can become a challenge for a preschool teacher.
Managing Tantrums and Outbursts
A part of managing behavioural changes is dealing with meltdowns. Kids can have temper tantrums at times and it is totally normal. However, for a preschool teacher, it can be overwhelming sometimes. Teaching kids etiquette and the right behaviour is a vital part of a preschool teacher’s job.
Encouraging Positive Behaviour in the Classroom
Teaching children about basic behavioural etiquette requires the utmost patience. Children might throw things and hit others, and they can become restless. Preschool teachers need to be strict sometimes. However, telling children about the consequences of their actions and using positive reinforcement techniques to promote good behaviour can help maintain a positive environment in the classroom.
3. Physical and Emotional Exhaustion in a Preschool Teacher’s Life
Dealing with young kids requires constant attention and utmost care. It can be physically and mentally draining for a preschool teacher. Every young learner needs separate assistance and support, and catering to the unique needs of every child can make the days of a preschool teacher more hectic and tiring.
Coping with Long Hours and Active Days
Most preschools start at 8 in the morning and run till noon. The teachers are expected to arrive before the students and then leave the school premises after the students. Ensuring each child reaches their home safely and after-school responsibilities, along with long working days, all becomes very hectic, and coping with it can sometimes be very difficult.
Managing Stress and Burnout
Having high levels of responsibility and staying alert and engaged throughout the day can be tiresome. Following a disciplined routine, doing physical exercises regularly, eating healthy, staying hydrated, doing mindfulness activities, and meditating can help in coping with stress and burnout. It can prevent exhaustion and help a preschool teacher to be proactive and productive.
4. Communication Challenges Faced by Preschool Teacher
Communication is a major part of a preschool teacher’s job. One needs to be very vocal to become a preschool teacher because a teacher needs to be able to connect with kids and their parents through effective communication. Understanding the concerns of parents and ensuring them about their child’s learning and well-being is important and can be done through smooth communication only. But sometimes talking and speaking the whole day can drain energy.
Collaborating with Parents
Kids at a preschool come from various backgrounds. Collaborating with their parents involves dealing with all the cultural differences and barriers in communication. The education sector is highly digitalised these days, and most of the communication happens through technological and digital mediums. Some parents might not know how to use such platforms. So, it poses communicational barriers as well.
Coordinating with School Administration
Preschool teachers bridge the gap between school administration, students, and parents. School administration usually makes the rules and curriculum and provides resources for learning, but implementing the rules and using the resources provided by the administration to propagate learning for every child is the job of a preschool teacher. Also, preschool teachers address the needs and concerns of parents and students to the school administration so that the right policies can be made.
5. Curriculum Planning and Implementation
Forming and planning the curriculum, designing age-appropriate activities that aligns with the different developmental levels, teaching kids, and evaluating the assessments are just another task but equally tedious. Along with other assessments and evaluations, teachers need to prepare report cards as well.
Designing Age-Appropriate Activities
A preschool doesn’t follow a conventional paper-and-pen learning method. Learning at this age should be more play-based to keep the child engaged, and simultaneously the child will learn through different activities. So, crafting an age-appropriate learning curriculum that includes engaging activities is equally important and challenging.
Adapting to Changing Educational Standards
The field of early childhood education is continually evolving, requiring teachers to keep up with new methodologies, teaching strategies, and curriculum updates. Adapting to these changes while ensuring children receive a high-quality education is a constant challenge.
6. Navigating Professional Development
Navigating professional development can be challenging for preschool teachers due to a combination of factors, including limited time during the workday, the demanding nature of this profession, keeping up with the training requirements and staying updated on various educational trends.
Keeping Up with Training Requirements
Preschool teachers must undergo regular training to enhance their teaching skills, understand child psychology, and adopt new teaching methods. Meeting these requirements while managing daily responsibilities can be demanding.
Staying Updated on Early Childhood Education Trends
Education trends continue to evolve, with new research and teaching techniques emerging regularly. Staying informed and implementing these trends ensures that teachers provide the best learning experiences for their students.
Conclusion
Despite the challenges, being a preschool teacher is one of the most fulfilling careers, shaping young minds and building the foundation for lifelong learning. At Bachpan Play School, we recognise the dedication of preschool teachers and provide extensive support to make their journey smoother. Our well-researched SPROUT curriculum, coupled with innovative teaching tools like STORE (SPROUT Teacher Oriented Resource Essentials) & STAR (SPROUT Teacher Assistive Reckoner), reduces the burden on teachers by offering structured learning modules, assignments, lesson plans, and progress tracking tools. Our professional training programs ensure that educators stay updated with the latest trends in early childhood education. By fostering a positive and nurturing environment, we help teachers create engaging, fun, and effective learning experiences for every child. At Bachpan, we value our teachers as the true pillars of early education, empowering them to make a lasting impact on young learners.