Is Teaching Early Childhood Education Right For You?

Working with children means that you will be constantly surrounded by young, imaginative minds that make each day worthwhile. Children are naturally inquisitive, with a sense of wonder and enthusiasm. They create a positive, fun environment to work in.

There are many rewards for teaching early childhood education and it can also be an exciting venture. Our TAFE courses can help you define your strengths and lead you on the right path to success. Read on to discover if you have the skills to start a fulfilling career in early childhood education.

Enthusiasm for Young Children

Naturally, if you are considering early childhood career pathways, you should enjoy being around children and have a vested interest in their education. This means often going above and beyond in order to make a difference in the life of every child under your care. Genuine enthusiasm will help manage any learning support and improve the child’s well being.

Patience

Teaching early childhood education requires a level of passion and commitment. Each child will have different needs and a unique personality, you will learn the underpinning knowledge to be able to guide children through all their individual level of skills on a daily basis.

Good Communication

As an early childhood educator, you will need to be able to communicate effectively with a diverse group of people. Teaching in early childhood education will mean that you liaise with colleagues, parents and external agencies this can range from educational support officers to local council educational fieldwork officers.

Respect for Diversity

Early childhood career pathways will lead you to work with a number of children and adults with a diverse range of backgrounds. It is important that you have an awareness of and are able to build understanding and compassion with different cultures and personalities.

Flexibility

Many TAFE courses will educate you on the fundamentals of teaching early childhood education but flexible thinking is a skill you must learn on your own. Regardless of how prepared you are for your day, children are unpredictable and learning environments offer constant challenges.

It is important to know how to think on your feet and handle any obstacles that may throw you off your plan. A strong ability to think outside of the box will help you create lessons that are engaging and enjoyable for students.

Commitment

Working with children is like no other job. Some days you’ll be loving every minute of it and other days you may feel at the end of your patience. Dedication to what you do is a key quality of every successful early childhood educator. Remind yourself that despite the challenges, there is nothing else you’d rather do.

Teaching early childhood education also requires a commitment to present and future training options. All early childhood educators will possess a qualification such as a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30113), but it is essential to participate in professional development even after you enter the field.

People Skills

All early childhood career pathways require you to work with not only the children, but their parents and your colleagues. You will need to be able to build a good relationship with the parents as well as understanding and respecting their concerns. The work you do does not begin and end in the classroom, it also involves offering advice and support to parents on how to best manage their children’s learning at home.

Building rapport will help you assist parents who reach out with any concerns about their child’s development. It is your job to ensure you develop a plan to combat the problem within the classroom setting and at home. Having the skills to work collaboratively with people is crucial for early childhood educators.

If you are interested in studying early childhood education, consider Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30113). Our TAFE courses can help you to achieve a fun and fulfilling career. Take the first step today.