Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education Career

Job Description: Instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.


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Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education Career

What Preschool Teachers, Except Special Educations do:

  • Demonstrate activities to children.
  • Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
  • Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their ages and perceptual skills.
  • Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
  • Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
  • Assimilate arriving children to the school environment by greeting them, helping them remove outerwear, and selecting activities of interest to them.
  • Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips.
  • Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists.
  • Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to children.
  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order.
  • Teach proper eating habits and personal hygiene.
  • Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
  • Arrange indoor and outdoor space to facilitate creative play, motor-skill activities, and safety.
  • Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress.
  • Attend staff meetings and serve on committees as required.
  • Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
  • Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
  • Observe and evaluate children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
  • Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guests, or other experiential activities and guide students in learning from those activities.
  • Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
  • 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.
  • Serve meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.
  • Enforce all administration policies and rules governing students.
  • Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
  • Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
  • Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.
  • Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of preschool programs.
  • Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.
  • Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
  • Administer tests to help determine children's developmental levels, needs, and potential.
  • Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers.
  • Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.
  • Perform administrative duties, such as hall and cafeteria monitoring and bus loading and unloading.
  • Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.

What work activities are most important?

Importance Activities

Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.

Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Providing Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.

Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.

Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Holland Code Chart for a Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education