Enthusiasm for Children 对儿童的热爱
According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the most important characteristic for teachers of early childhood development is enthusiasm and passion for children. This goes well beyond enjoying being with children. It means wanting to make a difference to each and every child. Teachers must have the drive to unlock every child's door to learning, overcoming any obstacle a child may have.
美国国家幼儿教育协会认为，一名儿童早期教育教师最重要的特质就是拥有对儿童的热 爱与对早期教育工作的强烈喜爱。仅仅是喜欢与孩子相处是远远不够的。这意味着你要 尽可能对每一个孩子产生影响。教师要有动力去打开每一个孩子的学习之门，帮助他们 克服可能会遇到的困难。
Patience and Humor 耐心与幽默并存
Working with young children all day takes huge measures of patience. The nature of their age makes young children rambunctious, with short attention spans and little self-control. Every child is different, too, making the job even more challenging. After a long, tiring day full of challenges, teachers of young children must come back and meet the same and new challenges the next day. A patient nature, combined with a sense of humor, helps teachers take the ups and downs of every day in stride, while focusing on the end goals.
与儿童一起工作需要极大的耐心。儿童的年龄发育特点导致他们会很容易吵闹、注意力 时间短以及较弱的自控力。每一个孩子都有着不同的特质，这为教师的工作带来更大的 挑战。每每经过漫长又疲惫且充满挑战的一天，教师在第二天又要遇到新的挑战。耐心 的天性结合幽默感，可以帮助教师在专注于达到最终目标的同时，也可以轻松面对每一 天。
Communication Skills 超强的沟通能力
Teachers need to have learned effective skills for working with young children and for communicating with them at their level. Then teachers need to be able to communicate with the child's parents about his needs, skills, problems and achievements, so both parties can help the child without undue emotion. On a daily basis, the teacher must communicate with other teachers who may teach her class, as well as superiors and other administrators. The more effectively the teacher can communicate to all involved -- both orally and in writing -- the more rewarding and positive her job will be.
教师需要学习与儿童相处的有效技能，并与他们平等的沟通。此外，教师还需要能够与 儿童的父母沟通关于儿童的需求、技能、问题及成就，这样双方就可以帮助儿童避免过 分的情绪化。教师每天还应与其他可能会去自己班上授课的教师、自己的上级以及其他 的管理者沟通。教师无论口头上还是书面上的沟通越是及时有效，她在工作上所能获得 的成就和回报也会更多。
Respect of Differences 尊重每一个个体得差异
Every child comes to centers with a unique personality and learning style. To reach each child and teach each child effectively, teachers must respect these differences and work with each child's style, rather than try to force the child to adapt to another style. In our global society, teachers must also be prepared for multicultural classrooms with many ethnicities, cultures and traditions represented. A classroom where these differences are not merely tolerated but are welcomed and embraced creates an open and exciting learning atmosphere. 每一个来到中心的小朋友都具备各自独特的个性以及学习风格。要影响每一个孩子并有 效地教育每一个孩子，教师必须尊重每一个孩子的个体差异，同时了解每一个孩子的学 习风格，而不是强迫儿童适应另一种教育风格。在我们全球化的社会，教师也必须做好 随时呈现多种族、多文化与代表传统的教室，以呈现不同的民族文化和传统。这样的教 室不仅仅是简单的接纳多元文化差异，而是一种可以提供令人兴奋且受欢迎的学习氛 围。
Creativity and Flexibility 有创造力以及灵活性
Planning lessons that will engage young children and educate them at thesame time takes creativity. Adapting lessons to individual learning styles requires flexibility. Regardless of how organized a teacher is, and how well she has planned the day, she needs to remain flexible to handle all the glitches that can throw off the day. A successful early childhood development teacher will use creativity and flexibility to make every day a positive one for her and for the class.
想要设置既可吸引儿童又能达到教育儿童的课程，就需要有足够的创造力。课程可以同 时适应每个个体的学习风格就要求具备灵活性。无论一个教师是多么有条理的计划她的一天，她都需要具备可以灵活应对突发状况的能力。一个成功的早期教育教师会利用自己的创造力及灵活性让她及她的课堂每一天都是积极向上的。