The early childhood teacher holds several roles. The teacher must love all of her children and treat them as equal but special individuals, thus she is a mother. The teacher must ask thought provoking questions and encourage exploration and investigation, thus she is a scientist.

The teacher must sing loud and proud, even if she can not carry a tune, thus she is a musician. The teacher must encourage children to use their words and talk out their feelings, thus she is a mediator. The teacher must run, jump, hop, skip, and tumble with the children, thus she is a gymnast.

The teacher must share accounts of far away lands and imaginary people, thus she is a storyteller. The teacher must bandage scraped knees and kiss "ouchies", thus she is a nurse. The teacher must give words of encouragement, louder and stronger than anyone thought possible, thus she is a cheerleader. The teacher must listen with open ears and an empathetic heart, thus she is a friend.

The teacher does entertain, dictate, police, referee, lecture, demolish, or judge. The teacher is a facilitator, enabler, questioner, encourager, organizer, nurturer, backer, advocator, and supporter. The early childhood teacher holds several roles, each different in action but equal in importance. To teach is to touch a life. And that is what the most important role of the teacher is.

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