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Kindergarten Teacher Job Description
A kindergarten teacher job description includes similar entries to other teacher descriptions, but it also includes entries that are unique to the target age group and omits elements inappropriate for the young child. For instance, a kindergarten teacher job description would not include such things as conducting experiments to determine polarity of a magnet and measure the forces involved, but it might include presenting counting concepts by playing counting games.
Common and Unique Elements
Of the common elements, a kindergarten teacher job description includes making lesson plans that include all areas of teaching responsibility. Part of your career training for this occupation includes meeting educational guidelines set by your school district and state law. The way you ensure all requirements are met is by creating and following detailed lesson plans that outline activities and goals, usually by time segments and days.
You will also meet with parents, other teachers and school administration regarding progress and problems noted with your students. You may also be responsible for additional duties, such as playground monitor or lunch monitor, duties that usually rotate among the teaching staff at a school. You may also be responsible for presentations of kindergarten students’ plays to the elementary school and to the community.
Unique to the target age are methods that a kindergarten teacher uses to introduce, teach and reinforce educational platform subjects, such as math, English and basic physical sciences. Kindergarten teachers don’t use textbooks and formal tests to introduce lessons and gauge a student’s comprehension.
Your teaching methods will use many games and activities instead. Basic reading skills can be taught with books and word games. Reading aloud increases vocabulary, and having students read aloud promotes reading skills.
A comprehensive job description will include standard elements common to all primary and secondary teaching positions and elements unique to kindergarten students. While you attend online courses from a top online university, tailor your online degree program to include common and unique elements of your target age group. Your student teaching module will reinforce many of these elements.
Outside the Classroom
Many young students are thrilled with excursions. Museums, botanical parks and other field trips reinforce art, science and other basic knowledge and supplement lessons introduced in the classroom.
Nature walks through national parks, for instance, guided by a knowledgeable ranger can provide constructive respites from the classroom while presenting real-life examples of material just taught. As the teacher, you will seek approval from the administration and parents for such external excursions. You will be responsible for coordinating with the destination organizations, and most importantly, you will be responsible for the health and safety of your students.
Virtually every job description created includes a generalized phrase, ‘Other duties as assigned,’ which can include some of the specific possibilities listed above. The phrase can also include last-minute tasks that cannot be planned far in advance, such as filling in for a teacher when absent or injured. You may be required to act as a chaperon on other teacher’s excursion if the ratio of student-to-teacher is too high without your presence. Knowledge. Make sure you are aware of the defined and undefined, as well as unplanned, responsibilities that you may be required to fulfill as you review the kindergarten teacher job description.
