Head Start Teacher

Kids ages three to five are busy. They love to run, jump, color, throw, and use the word “mine.” They need to harness this energy before they’ll be able to sit quietly in their kindergarten classrooms and listen to their Kindergarten Teacher. A Head Start Teacher provides a transition between zany childhood and serious academics, blending daycare techniques with serious lessons.

In your work as a Head Start Teacher, you’ll probably be able to rely on the assistance of a team of Teacher’s Aides. This team can tackle basic issues such as toilet training, feeding, cleaning, and disciplining children, so the Head Start Teacher can focus on teaching the children academic skills.

Small kids learn through play and exploration. Sometimes, you simply set up stations full of toys, and you wander among the students as they play, asking them questions and guiding them to the right answers. Asking them to complete tasks as a group allows you to teach teamwork.

At times, you hold structured lessons on reading or writing. You might ask the children to pronounce a word, or you might ask them to count the number of blocks in your hand. Asking them to look at plants, flowers, or animals in your classroom introduces them to basic science concepts.

You meet with parents on a regular basis to talk about each child’s progress. While you don’t hand out grades to these little children, you do keep tabs on their academic and social progress, and you give the parents tips that can help their children improve.