What Kind of Teacher Characteristics Should You Look for in a Child Care Provider?

The qualities of great child care providers are not just about keeping children safe, comfortable and fed until they are picked up by parents. The needs of children at their young stage go way beyond this and both providers and parents should understand this. A huge part of young children’s care has to do with their educational development. It is therefore important that parents look for great teacher qualities in their child care providers to start them on the road to learning. Great child care providers possess these qualities.

Enthusiasm and Passion
Being enthusiastic and passionate must be some of the first qualities a child care worker should have. These are qualities that make him or her go beyond the ordinary and create interest in everything. Child care providers should not just love being with children. There should be a passion to make a difference in their outcome. It’s that ability to draw out all that is in a child so he wants to, and starts learning. When they leave the care of the child care provider to start regular school, their learning should already be stirred and they are ready for more.

Ability to Provide a Stimulating Environment
Great child care providers establish stimulating environments for their children. It’s an environment that is interesting and interactive. Kids, even babies can explore and learn from what they see and hear. Besides communicating orally with the children, a provider can display or demonstrate activities that develop kids’ senses of touch, feeling, smell, and hearing. Providing a stimulating environment also means demonstrating the ability to meet the changing needs of children as they get older.
 

Ability to Engage and Interact with Children
The provider who is able to engage the children under their care will make for great times with them. The teacher caregiver must have an appealing personality that she can use to engage the kids. A caregiver will join children in play and other activities. Children and babies will love when the caregiver sings to or with them. Reading time will develop their imagination and this is where children often ask questions. You can hold constructive discussion around a topic. Those who hold engaging conversations with older ones through question and answer, will add to an enriching program. 

Possess Great Communication Skills
Child care teachers must have great communication skills and it is more important to know how to use this effectively at the early childhood level. Communication needs to be clear to children so they understand what to do. Besides helping them to understand, it helps also to develop their learning ability. The teacher caregiver will also need to communicate with parents effectively discussing their children’s accomplishments, needs, skills and problems.

Attained some level of Training
While they may not have qualifications in education and training, great child care providers must have a level of training in how children develop at the different stages. Training will give you the skill to develop engaging and appropriate activities for kids at their levels. The safety of children in child care is paramount and therefore providers must be qualified to administer first aid and perform CPR when necessary. In addition, care providers should be perceptive enough to determine when a child is having problems such as an illness or is being abused, and know when a situation requires serious attention.
 
Be Creative and Flexible
The most creative child care providers will have the edge when being employed. It takes creativity to engage children and hold their attention. It is the creative person also who is able to cater to the different learning and play needs of the children. You should also be able to make adjustments to her plans or schedules when problems arise.

Being Firm
Anyone who understands a setting with children will see the need for establishing rules for them to follow. It is easy for situations to get out of hand and simple rules can create order. It is good that caregivers are firm, and use strategies for children to follow the rules such as redirecting behavior to other things, time out and behavior charts.
 
Child care in Albany requires great child care providers with the relevant qualities to make the difference.