We may be biased, but at Little Zak’s we believe that early childhood educators have an incredibly important role in society. The early years of a child’s life are absolutely crucial for their physical, emotional, and cognitive development, meaning that their experiences during this time can make a massive impact on their future. This is why we pride ourselves on having exceptional educators at Little Zak’s. Here are some of the key qualities we look for.
Children learn by imitating those around them, which is why it’s essential that educators model good communication skills. Educators who are skilled communicators will also be able to connect with children on their level, helping to build rapport and ensure children are engaged and interested when their educator is speaking.
If you’re the parent of a young child you’ll know that patience is an absolutely essential quality for an early childhood educator. Children can be so enthusiastic and curious they often have trouble controlling their impulses to talk, touch, move, shout, dance, sing, etc. A good early childhood educator will have the patience to respond in a calm, understanding, and consistent way, no matter what behaviours children are displaying.
Passion is essential for excelling in any career, and early childhood education is certainly no exception. Passionate educators feel genuine excitement and joy about teaching children and this in turn helps children feel more engaged and excited about learning. What’s more, passionate educators will always go the extra mile for the children, ensuring they get the very best out of their early childhood education.
Children are inherently creative, with great imaginations and a love for building, drawing, designing, and playing. A good educator will meet children at their level, using their own creativity to enthral and delight their students. Arts and crafts, storytelling, game-playing, singing, and dancing are all everyday experiences at a childcare centre, so educators need to be creative in order to thrive.
When children are at childcare, the educators are responsible for their emotional well-being. This is a massive and sacred responsibility that educators should take very seriously. A good educator will be so genuinely kind and caring that children will naturally turn to them for comfort when they are upset, hurt, or frightened.
While there’s plenty of creativity involved in being an early childhood educator, there’s also lots of organisation required to make sure the day runs smoothly. Educators need to be able to manage time effectively, multi-task and respond dynamically to the needs of individual children and the group as a whole. This requires above-average organisational skills as well as the ability to be flexible and adaptable.
Lastly, while nurturing and educating young children is a big responsibility, it can also be a lot of fun! The best early childhood educators know how to be silly, get their hands dirty, and enjoy genuine fun and real laughter with the kids.
At Little Zak’s we believe your children deserve the very best early childhood educators. That’s why we carefully select each of our staff members to make sure they don’t just have the relevant training, experience, and qualifications, but they also have these important personal qualities. If you’re interested in learning more, contact us today to book a tour and watch our amazing educators in action!
