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Qualities and Roles of an ECCE Teacher

Let us study some of the roles and responsibilities of ECCE teachers.
Ensuring Safety and Security of Children
Notes Children need to be physically and emotionally safe. An ECCE teacher must
ensure that the ECCE centre is a safe place for them to move freely. They need
to be continuously observed and supervised.
It is also required to create an emotionally safe and positive environment full
of praise, encouragement and support in the classroom so that children feel
comfortable and happy within their surroundings.
Planning Activities
Planning is one of the most important roles of ECCE teachers. It is required
at every phase of delivering a quality ECCE programme. They are required to
plan a number of activities including curriculum, time table, age appropriate
indoor and outdoor learning activities, assessment procedures, parent teachers
meeting, workshops etc. Teachers have to plan keeping in mind children and
their requirements; societal needs and expectations; availability of resources and
feasibility. Thus, thoughtful and systematic planning is essential and helps in
attaining the desired outcomes.
Designing and implementing ECCE Curriculum
This is one of the most important roles of ECCE teachers. Teachers understand
the needs and developmental levels of children. Hence, they should actively
contribute in designing the curriculum which encompasses all the experiences
provided to children.
A well designed curriculum can only be successful if teachers are trained in
delivering and implementing it in the right manner.
Creating an Enriching Teaching Learning Environment
Each child has an individual learning style and pace of learning. One teaching
approach might not be effective for all children. ECCE teachers own the
responsibility of creating a supportive and nurturing environment for young
children. There are various aspects which together contribute to conducive
learning environment at the ECCE centre. Let us study the role of teachers with
respect to these aspects.

• ECCE teachers need to organize and manage classrooms. This requires
them to allocate the space for different activities, select age appropriate
equipment and learning material and organise classroom space to cater to
the requirements of children with disabilities. Safety and security of children
are also to be ensured by the teacher.
• ECCE teachers have to use a variety of teaching learning material to make
learning interesting and meaningful. It is the teacherss' responsibility to
procure appropriate teaching learning material. They may also create the
learning material using locally available low-cost and no-cost materials as
per the need. They are required to innovatively use and recycle material.

142 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION