Characteristics of a Good Teacher

Here are a few characteristics every preschool should look for when hiring a teacher:

1. The teacher should have a personal style. They must bring their own style to the classroom. Activities can be implemented successfully in a range of different ways, based on what will work for the class.
2. They should know how to alter activities to fit the needs of their group of students. They should have the ability to choose ideas and activities that they feel will work for their class, and tweak or alter them to meet the interests and requirements of their children.
3. They should be able to come up with out of the box ideas. While using syllabus as a foundation, good teachers must know how to integrate any other ideas with the program to make it more interesting for the children.
4. They should know how to be creative and resourceful. One of the best enrichments in a classroom is not those that can be bought from an educational catalog. Teachers who are creative and pull things together from the classroom such as, playing with the boxes to teach a lesson in Math, are more successful in teaching.
5. They should be able to read the interest cues of the kids, and expand on the areas. Activities and materials do not have to be put away and completed at the end of every week if the students are still interested in them. Responsive curriculum is about incorporating and capitalizing on the natural curiosity and interests of children.
6. They should create their own activities and materials for the children to use as part of their teaching. A good teacher will always take out time to work on curriculum materials for the subsequent week.
7. They should request someone at the school to help them if something is unclear. Good teachers are always open to advice. If there is something they do not understand, they ask for clarification.
8. They know that providing children options between several diverse, challenging, activities eliminates many classroom behavioral problems.
9. They know that kids learn through hands-on activities or play. Good teachers look at their classroom environment, schedule, and activities continually, and evaluate if there is enough interactive experiences for their students in which they are participating actively.
10. Good teachers realize that children develop self-confidence and skills by doing things on their own. Kids should be given the liberty to do things for themselves. This is how most of the learning actually happens.
11. They understand the benefits of using the local library. The local library is a great teaching resource that can completely transform the classroom! Good teachers know how to take advantage of it!
12. They take up the responsibility to keep on enhancing their skills. A passionate and good teacher will always look for new ways to enhance their knowledge and skills. 
13. They will learn specifics related to allergies, state regulations and center policies. Safety will always be a priority for them - as will be adhering to the regulations laid down by the school.

When hiring a preschool teacher or staff, it is important that preschools keep these characteristics in mind to ensure the best for the students.