10 Responses to “Why Do You Want To Be a Kindergarten Teacher?”

Teaching kindergarten might not be the most profitable career choice, but it can be a hugely rewarding and fulfilling experience. If you’ve ever been asked, “Why do you want to be a kindergarten teacher?” you’ve likely listed various noble causes.

There are several reasons why you might want to become a kindergarten teacher. Some of the most popular reasons include making a positive impact on a child’s life, having job security, and being able to teach education fundamentals in a fun and engaging way.

This article will explore popular responses to the question, ‘Why do you want to be a kindergarten teacher?”

Table of Contents

1. Making a Positive Impact on a Child’s Life

Being able to make a lifelong positive impact on a student’s life is one of the most common answers given when kindergarten teachers are asked why they chose their career in early childhood education.

High school teachers prepare students for college, and middle school teachers prepare students for high school. But kindergarten teachers prepare students for the rest of their educational careers’.

By doing their best to help students feel confident about their ability to learn and grow, kindergarten teachers build the foundations of what students need to navigate and succeed in education.

The best of these educators make long-lasting positive impacts on the lives of their students, making their jobs incredibly fulfilling.

In addition, studies show that kindergarten teachers have a significant influence on students’ earning potential when they become working adults!

2. Having Above-Average Job Security

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job growth outlook for kindergarten teachers is 4%. While this is about an average level of growth, it bodes well for those looking to enjoy a career with above-average job security.

Essentially, kindergarten teachers are always in demand. As such, there’s little chance of this position becoming obsolete in the near future. If you find that you enjoy teaching kindergarten, you could make this position a life-long career!

Furthermore, getting fired as a teacher is hard, especially if you have attained tenure, because a specific set of guidelines and a lengthy and complicated termination process must be followed. Unions are also very effective in defending teachers against any disciplinary actions. Consequently, teachers can rely on having secure employment.

3. Creating Fun and Engaging Lessons

Teaching middle or high school can be just as rewarding as teaching kindergarten, but the tone and types of lessons educators provide are very different.

For example, a high school teacher might prepare an hour-long lesson on a more advanced topic, such as calculus, complete with a slideshow presentation and associated take-home assignment. But kindergarten teachers, on the other hand, might prepare a song or a story to help students to practice counting.

This is not to say that kindergarten teachers have it easy – far from it! But the ability to create more engaging, fun, and creative lessons for young students is another reason why some educators choose to become kindergarten teachers.

4. Instilling Education Fundamentals for Future Success

The lessons children learn in kindergarten form the fundamental building blocks for the rest of their time attending school. Students learn the alphabet and phonetic sounds, grasp the concept of counting and basic arithmetic, and begin to decode and comprehend text.

Because kindergarten teachers are responsible for helping children master education fundamentals, they’re crucial to the long-term success of their students.

Academic capabilities are one part of a set of essential skills. Kindergarten teachers also play a significant role in shaping the social skills that students develop.

Kindergarten is often the first time these children are placed in a class full of other kids within rigid structures and routines. And so the leading adult in the room (the kindergarten teacher) has the responsibility of managing such an environment to ensure that students work, play, and interact with each other positively.

Setting children up for success is a satisfying accomplishment and a reason why some educators opt to teach kindergarten.

5. Seeing Students Grow and Change in a Short Time

Children can begin attending kindergarten between four and six years old. This time in a child’s growth is crucial and full of significant developmental changes.

Over the course of a single school year, kindergarten teachers see their students change and grow in many ways.

Students may begin the year unable to write their names or count to ten. But by the time they graduate from kindergarten, they’ll have mastered these learning skills, plus more.

The personal growth that children show throughout kindergarten is just as incredible. At the start of the year, many kids experience separation anxiety, where tears and tantrums are common during morning drop-off. But by the end of the year, this behavior is minimized as students become more confident, capable, and compliant.

In such a short space of time, the evolution in students’ self-management and independence skills is evident, and seeing and facilitating these changes can be an immensely enriching experience for teachers.

6. Spending Quality Time With Students

Unlike educators who teach high school or middle school students, kindergarten teachers spend almost the entire school day with the same group of students.

They get to know each child’s personality, understand their strengths and limitations, and offer targeted support to help each student succeed. This level of attention allows the students and teacher to form a close bond that is rarely found in middle or high school classes.

Additionally, children in kindergarten exhibit less challenging behavior compared to older students. And the severity of behavioral issues is certainly lesser with the younger ones, meaning that kindergarten teachers spend more quality and enjoyable time with their students.

7. Teaching a Wide Variety of Subjects Without Academic Pressure

Most high school and middle school teachers only teach a single subject. But kindergarten teachers are responsible for tackling a wide range of topics, from fundamental mathematics to essential reading and writing skills.

Unlike the educators who are more likely to experience apathy and discontent with teaching the same subject repeatedly, kindergarten teachers get to take advantage of a diverse curriculum. This variety ensures that each day is unique and interesting.

Furthermore, teachers in kindergarten also face far less pressure from parents and administrators regarding students’ academic achievement. There are no standardized tests for which teachers must prepare pupils, which can’t be said for middle or high schoolers.

The flexibility and choice offered by the curriculum, along with the reduced demands of fixed academic targets, make teaching in kindergarten a far more pleasant experience for teachers.

8. Encouraging a Love for Learning

Kindergarten is often a child’s first exposure to going to school. Consequently, a positive learning experience in kindergarten can instill a lifelong love for learning.

Many of us still remember the stories and songs we explored in kindergarten. Without realizing it at the time, these experiences were tools to help us develop a love for learning new things.

Whether visual, auditory, reading, or kinesthetic, kindergarten teachers introduce and utilize a variety of teaching styles that allow individuals to begin to discover their optimal mode of learning.

In particular with books, a child’s first exposure to reading and listening to text often comes in kindergarten. And it is here that children build the methods and imagination related to reading that will feed into everything else they learn later. Giving this gift to future generations is a rewarding aspect of teaching kindergarten.

Check out this video to watch kindergarten teacher Kyle Thain explain his reasons for wanting to teach kindergarten, including being able to instill a love for learning:

9. Becoming a Source of Support for Students

Kindergarten teachers do far more than teach basic arithmetic, reading, and writing. They also become a source of emotional support for students.

For some, this aspect of teaching kindergarten is particularly alluring and rewarding. When a student feels upset or anxious, kindergarten teachers are present to discuss those feelings and offer comfort and encouragement.

In this way, kindergarten teachers help children develop a greater sense of emotional control, which can result in better social skills as students age.

Especially when working with vulnerable, disadvantaged students, kindergarten teachers are often the first (and in some cases, the only) point of support these children get. The impact a kindergarten teacher can have just with the emotional provision they offer is immense. Hence why they go into this line of work.

10. Being a Positive Role Model

Setting a good example for young children isn’t always easy, but it’s part of a kindergarten teacher’s responsibility. Fortunately, it’s a responsibility that is incredibly rewarding.

Those who aspire to be kindergarten teachers were likely influenced by kind and caring kindergarten teachers themselves, and so they want to emulate this with future generations.

Many people who want to teach kindergarten aim to be positive role models that help inspire students to be their best selves.

Knowing that your kindergarteners are emulating good habits (being polite, showing kindness, and having the courage to try new things) can fill you with a sense of pride that makes each day more satisfying.

This also highlights the high demand for male elementary school teachers, as studies continually show that young children, especially boys, would greatly benefit from more male role models, at home and at school.

Final Thoughts

There are several responses to the question, “Why do you want to be a kindergarten teacher?” Some of the most common answers include making a positive impact on the lives of young children, enjoying job security, and being able to teach in a fun and engaging way.

Additional responses include seeing children grow and learn significantly over a short time, spending quality time with students and getting to know their unique personalities, and having the opportunity to teach a wide variety of subjects.

Sources

J-PAL: The Effects of Kindergarten Classroom on Earnings in the United States