Sound bites from Parents
Parents: What are the qualities that make an outstanding Early Childhood professional?
Parents of pre-school children share attributes and qualities they look out for in an outstanding early childhood
professional.
“An outstanding teacher must be kind and courteous – a role
model for children to follow.”
Ng Lay Chu
Mother of Gwen Ng, aged 6
An outstanding teacher is one who is caring and educates each
child based on their different levels of aptitude. She must be
creative in using different avenues to improve the children’s
learning.
“An outstanding teacher is an educator who knows how to
create a positive learning experience for children to carry with
them through their lives.”
Hafiza Binte Mohamed
Mother of Alfa Ary S/O Ghulam Feroz,
aged 5
Apart from having great listening and observational skills, an
outstanding teacher should be engaging. She should be able to
accommodate not only the children’s academic needs, but also
their social and emotional needs. My child’s teacher gave him
opportunities to develop his confidence and he has transformed
under the guidance of his teacher.
“An outstanding leader is a problem solver whom staff, parents,
grandparents and children can go to, and is always ready to lend
a listening ear.”
Cecilia Yeo Chih Yan
Mother of Georgia Sim, aged 6
An outstanding centre leader must be prepared to put everyone
else’s interest ahead of her own, and constantly work to make
positive changes in pre-school. The leader should also possess a
positive attitude towards life, is humble and have a positive
attitude towards life.
“An outstanding leader must have the heart for young children
and work hand in hand with parents and the community.”
Chan Jack Mun
Mother of Clarisse & Phoebe Woo,
aged 2 and 5
She needs to be someone who gives direction and takes initiative.
It is important for her to be a good role model to the other
teachers and pass on the good spirit and attitude to them. They
will in turn set a good example for their children who will be able
to embrace the good qualities.
“They are the first teachers in my child’s life.”
An outstanding early childhood educarer should be well-versed in
early childhood education pedagogy. They should also have
endless patience and keen observation of each child's learning
progress. Most importantly, the outstanding educator needs to
be vigilant at all times when it comes to monitoring a child's
safety in the centres’ premises.
Kareen Heng
Mother of Yogi Tan, aged 4
“A great teacher understands her children well enough to know
what instructional techniques and activities can best engage
them.”
Joe Widjojo
Father of Jeslynne Zhuang, aged 6
An outstanding early childhood teacher must believe that her
children can learn and be able to provide high-quality and diverse
instructional strategies. She must also have good classroom
management skills and enforce classroom rules appropriately. My
child’s teacher has been documenting what my child has done in
class and communicating that to us via a note. Without the note,
we will not be able to know how our child is doing in class.
“If pre-schoolers feel that their teachers are not listening to
them, they might not want to participate in class.”
Pwa Minmin
Mother of Zachary & Hannah Ong, aged
7 and 3
As outstanding teacher should be patient as she would have to
handle the same questions and issues over and over again. She is
someone who is passionate, patient, a good observer and
listener. She should also be able to creatively make use of what is
on hand and optimise opportunities that come by to engage the
children. My son’s teacher helped him overcome the fear of
public speaking and he is now able to stand in front of a large
audience and speak confidently.