Nursery Teacher - How to become a Nursery Teacher

Nursery Teacher also called a preschool teacher, who is responsible for educating and caring for children between the ages of three and five. They help to prepare kids to enter school by teaching them good habits and manners and promoting learning through storytelling, play, games and experiments. Their main focus is on the overall personality development of children. They are also responsible for developing the social and communication skills in them. Basically, a nursery teacher’s responsibility is to create a home away from home for her students.

Nursery Teachers also build and maintain relationships with parents/guardians to further support pupils as well as operate within multi-agency networks to ensure that the correct support is available. Therefore, in the early years of a child, teachers play a crucial role in preparation for a successful transition to primary school education.

Nursery Teacher Eligibility

They should preferably be 12^th class pass with at least 50% marks aggregate along with certain other qualifications.

Nursery Teacher Required Skills

• Nursery teachers should also support the development of children's basic skills, including physical coordination, speech and communication; encouraging children's mathematical and creative development through stories, songs, games, drawing and imaginative play.
• They should have compassion, communication skills, a sense of humour and a willingness to lead and manage groups of energetic children.
• They should also be able to develop and produce visual aids and teaching resources; organising learning materials and resources and making imaginative use of resources; assisting with the development of children's personal/social and language abilities.
• They could also be able to develop children's curiosity and knowledge; working with others, including teaching assistants and or nursery nurses as well as volunteer helpers, to plan and coordinate work both indoors and outdoors; sharing knowledge gained with other practitioners and parents.
• Applicants should also possess motivating and stimulating children's learning abilities, often encouraging learning through experience; providing pastoral care and support to children and providing them with a secure environment to learn.
• Teachers should also be able to observe, assessing and recording each child's progress; attending in-service training; ensuring the health and safety of children and staff is maintained during all activities, both inside and outside the nursery/school.
• Nursery teacher should be up to date with changes in the curriculum and developments in best practice for children. 

How to become Nursery Teacher?

For becoming Nursery Teacher one has to follow the given steps:

Step 1 
There are a number of vocational training centres which conduct training for pre-school teachers. The starting point is N.T.T. and another option in Early Childhood and Care Education (ECCE) provided by IGNOU on a distance basis. Such as for the primary teacher, the minimum requirement is a graduate with a nursery training certificate/diploma or degree. Normally candidates who have Bachelors in education (B.Ed.) start their career as primary school teachers and gradually move up. The candidate should be a graduate or a post graduate with at least 55% marks aggregate and holding either a diploma or degree in education or teaching.

Step 2
The candidate should have at studied least one of the teaching subjects during graduation. Then they can obtain an associate's degree in childhood development or education to widen your employment possibilities.

Institutes Offering Courses for Nursery Teacher

• IGNOU - Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi
• University of Delhi (DU)
• Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
• University of Mumbai, Mumbai
• National Academy of Teacher’s Training, New Delhi
• Ramakrishna Teachers Training Institute

Nursery Teacher Job Description 
Nursery teachers are expected to love children, care about education and be able to monitor the kids in their care for any social, behavioural or developmental problems. Become a nursery teacher by gaining experience with children, taking the required courses and obtaining the necessary certifications and looking for a job with a school or day-care centre.  

Nursery Teacher Career Prospects

• They can become teachers, supervisors, curriculum planners, course co-ordinators, and child-care takers in nursery/pre T primary schools.
• You can also start and manage your own nursery school/playschool / pre-school, crèche / day-care centre/nursery hobby class, activity club, recreation centre, holiday camps etc.
• They can also have jobs in infant and primary schools, including preparatory schools, maintained / independent nurseries, children centres, nursery centres and early excellence centres.
• Other places they can have jobs in community schools; foundation and trust schools; voluntary aided and controlled schools; academies; free schools.

Nursery Teacher Salary

The salary of a Nursery School Teacher varies from state to state and school to school such as at some places it starts from Rs.12,000 to Rs.18,000 somewhere it is between Rs.20,000 and Rs.25,000. Remuneration is great in terms of job satisfaction. However, it may not be commensurate with the labour involved, as a nursery school is not of the organised sector. But now at some of the places these schools are being undertaken as an organised sector.