What You'll Do

  • Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
  • Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers.
  • Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order.
  • Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
  • Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips.
  • Observe and evaluate children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
  • Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists.
  • Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and needs, determine their priorities for their children, and suggest ways that they can promote learning and development.
  • Enforce all administration policies and rules governing students.

Essential Skills

Speaking 4.0/5
Instructing 4.0/5
Active Listening 3.88/5
Learning Strategies 3.88/5
Reading Comprehension 3.75/5
Critical Thinking 3.75/5
Monitoring 3.75/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.75/5
Coordination 3.75/5
Service Orientation 3.62/5
Active Learning 3.12/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.12/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.
  • Artist: Creating original work and expressing ideas feels natural.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Integrity, Self-Control, Dependability, Concern for Others, Adaptability/Flexibility

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Oral Expression 4.0/5
Speech Clarity 4.0/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.88/5
Originality 3.75/5
Written Comprehension 3.62/5
Fluency of Ideas 3.62/5
Speech Recognition 3.62/5

Technologies & Tools

Appletree Bloomz Children's educational software ClassDojo Common Curriculum EasyCBM Edmodo Email software Flipgrid Google Classroom Google Meet Intrado SchoolMessenger Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Word Nearpod Padlet Schoology Seesaw Tadpoles

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Integrity (High importance: 4.74/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.7/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.67/5)
  • Concern for Others (High importance: 4.65/5)
  • Adaptability/Flexibility (High importance: 4.59/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

After School Teacher Child Care Assistant Teacher Child Development Teacher Childcare Teacher Childhood Development Teacher Day Care Teacher Daycare Teacher Early Childhood Educator Early Childhood Teacher Group Teacher Home-Based Preschool Teacher Infant Teacher Montessori Paraprofessional Montessori Preschool Teacher Montessori Teacher Nursery School Teacher Nursery Teacher Pre-Kindergarten Teacher (Pre-K Teacher) Pre-School Teacher Prekindergarten Teacher Preschool Teacher Start Teacher Teacher Toddler Teacher