Thinking about a rewarding career in early childhood education? At U-GRO Learning Centres, we believe there is no higher calling than helping children reach their full potential! Working in early childhood education gives you the opportunity to inspire lifelong learners.
Whether you’re currently studying for your degree or thinking about a career change, these are some indicators that early childhood education may be a good fit for you.
You enjoy working with children and adults.
If you’re thinking about a career in early childhood education, you know that it will require working with children. Early childhood education provides you with an opportunity to be a part of children’s lives at a time when so much growth and development takes place. It’s truly special and rewarding.
It’s also important to keep in mind that teaching means you’ll be working with adults. You’ll connect daily with classroom parents to discuss your students’ days or just share a fun story.
Additionally, you’ll work with other educators. You may have a co-teacher, that you’ll partner with in your classroom. You’ll collaborate together to manage your daily activities and to problem solve. You’ll also work with colleagues and supervisors at your center. Early childhood education gives you a unique opportunity to work with all ages.
You have a positive attitude.
In this post, one of our experienced teachers shared the importance of staying positive. Sure, some days will present challenges, but it’s important to remember that your attitude sets the tone for the entire classroom. Teaching requires positivity and enthusiasm! Children model what they see, so it’s important to exhibit the attitude you want your students to have.
Of course, you’ll have the support of your co-teachers and colleagues when you need it; however, teaching requires dedication.
You want to learn, not just teach.
The best early childhood educators have a strong desire to continue to learn. Not only do they inspire lifelong learners, but they are lifelong learners themselves! Whether it’s professional development or self-learning, teachers should want to grow and evolve.
There will be changes in curriculum, policies, and methodology to stay up to date on. You’ll also be working on developing your soft skills. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions, seek advice, and learn from others.
You like to be creative.
At U-GRO, you’ll be provided with curriculum and lesson plan guidelines, but one of the best things about being a teacher is that you can be creative. This could mean coming up with new ways to teach a concept, brainstorming ideas to solve a problem, and more. There may be times when you have to make sudden changes to a lesson plan and go outside instead! If you love the idea of unexpected moments, then teaching may be a good fit for you!
You value uniqueness.
Your students are all gifted with unique personalities, talents, and backgrounds, which means they will all have different likes and needs. You’ll communicate with many parents, who also have their own communication and parenting styles. In order to be an effective ECE teacher, you should value and respect those differences, as well as know how to strategically navigate them to best support your students and families. This is where creativity and flexibility will be extremely important.
Are you excited about a career in early childhood education? Check out our tips that can help you land your first job, and apply to join the U-GRO team!