What a preschool teacher really does
You run a room of 3 and 4 year olds, teaching early skills through play while keeping everyone safe, fed and getting along.
FieldEducation
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Medium preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for preschool teachers, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Greet children and families at drop off and help kids settle in
- Lead circle time, read aloud and teach letters, numbers, shapes and social skills through play
- Set up learning centers and arrange the room and playground for safe play
- Serve meals and snacks, help with bathroom, handwashing and dressing
- Handle conflicts over toys, hitting and big feelings many times a day
- Observe children and write notes for developmental checklists and portfolios
- Talk with parents at pickup and in conferences about progress and concerns
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- You spend much of the day down at a child's level, kneeling, bending and getting up again. Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling: continually 25%, about half the time 31% (O*NET Work Context)
- You will catch whatever is going around. Exposed to Disease or Infections: 31% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- It is loud, all day. Sounds, Noise Levels Distracting or Uncomfortable: 48% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- Conflict is constant, mostly between children, and solving it is part of the teaching. Conflict Situations: 42% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- A lapse in attention can have serious results because these are very young children. Consequence of Error: extremely serious 25%, very serious 23% (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
O*NET places this job in Job Zone 3. Education data varies widely: 29% of respondents say a high school diploma is enough, 12% some college, and 17% a bachelor's degree. Many teachers start as assistants and earn a Child Development Associate credential or an associate's degree; public pre K programs usually require a bachelor's and a state license.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: This trial cannot show the physical, hands on core of this job: diapering and toileting help, serving food, zipping coats, sitting on the floor, carrying a crying child, supervising a playground, and the noise and constant motion of a room of preschoolers. It also cannot show the warmth of a child running to you at drop off. It covers the planning, observing, recording and family communication parts.
Reading about it is one thing.
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Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 25-2011.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.