by Linda Haver

Created on: July 09, 2010

An exceptional nursery school teacher will have many outstanding qualities.  The job requires a certain personality and lots of energy to interact with three and four year olds.  Narrowing the field down and identifying the three best qualities of these dedicated teachers is difficult.  However, the following three characteristics attempt to achieve this feat.

The first important quality of an effective nursery school teacher would be an understanding of the stages of child development.  The knowledgeable educator will be cognizant of each student’s level of ability.  Abilities can vary greatly at the preschool age and an effective teacher will meet each child at his/her level and guide them on their pathway to achievement. 

Teachers who are aware of the stages of child development see every child as an individual and will differentiate instruction to encourage each child to do their best.  They will also provide many different types of activities to promote success for all styles of learning and levels of maturity.

The second key characteristic of a successful nursery school teacher is a patient and loving personality.  Preschool children might need to have the same concept taught over and over before they achieve mastery.  Some days they show up at school and seem to have forgotten all rules and procedures. Patience truly is a virtue when you have to repeat the same directions more times than you can count or a little one does not make it to the bathroom on time.

A patient and loving teacher can see past the whining, runny noses, and untied shoes and notice the potential in each child.  They understand it is their job as a nursery school teacher to serve as a surrogate parent for the hours the children are in their care.  They know all children need to feel loved.

The third vital quality of an outstanding nursery school teacher is the ability to work as a partner with the parents of their students.    Most often nursery school is a families’ first real school experience.  Parents need reassurance that the teacher knows what is best for their child.  The educator who listens to the concerns of parents with an open mind and works with them to solve issues can alleviate many problems before they start.  Children receive the best educational foundation when the teacher and parents work together as a team. 

Nursery school is a very important stage in a child’s life.  Finding teachers with the best qualities to work with young students is critical to help create a positve first educational experience.

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