Are You a Natural Teacher? Here’s How to Find Out
Posted On July 17,2025
Sometimes you just know that you can be successful in a particular career, and that’s especially true in jobs that involve working closely with people of all ages. If you are considering a career in early childhood education, you may be wondering if you have what it takes to be a great teacher. If you are thinking that early childhood education could be a good career choice, chances are you are already a natural teacher. With the proper training to sharpen those skills and hone your innate instincts, you’ll be successful.
Do You Like Young Children?
This may seem like a no-brainer, but a good early childhood teacher starts with someone who likes being around young children. Do you enjoy playing with the kids in your family? At get-togethers, are you the one the kids are drawn to, asking you to join their game, showing you their pictures, or showing off their cool new toy? Do you love to hang out with kids, whether they’re family members, neighbors, or kids of your friends? If you have a connection with young kids, a nurturing personality, and a desire to keep playing, no matter how old you get, you may be a natural teacher. An early childhood education program can teach you a lot of things, but it can’t teach you to love kids. That love for young children is what makes a great teacher who will care about their students and love coming to work each day.
Are You Creative?
Many people are quick to say they aren’t creative, simply because they don’t fully understand the full range of creativity. Creativity doesn’t mean “artistic” or “crafty”. Being creative is all about finding new and unique solutions and allowing your brain to take you off a linear path. Sometimes being creative is realizing that you clean better to music, so when you begin your weekly cleaning routine, you throw on your favorite playlist and let the music carry you through the drudgery. Creativity is all about finding ways to stimulate your brain, whether it’s by using fun visuals, videos, or music. Many adults don’t think they’re creative, but once they have the chance to stretch those muscles again, they find that an early childhood education career unearths the creativity they’d been burying. Creative and adaptable teachers are well-postioned for success in early childhood education.
Are You Patient?
How do you deal with those in your life who test your patience? How do you perform under pressure? When something annoys you, what is your response? Are you willing to revisit a task with your family or colleagues when something isn’t working? Do you snap immediately, or are you willing to try again? Teaching young children requires a lot of patience and empathy. When teaching the youngest students, it can be challenging to deal with unpredictable or frustrating behavior. A natural teacher will take these challenges and be willing to adjust and try again. Patience can be a difficult skill to cultivate. Even the most naturally patient people can be frustrated with someone who is challenging them. During your time in an early childhood education practical experience, you will learn to tap into your instincts for patience and refine those skills to be perfect for a classroom of young children.
Are You Organized?
Do you love to color code? Plan a schedule for the day? Are you a member of the friend group who sets up the outings? When school supplies take over the stores in the summer, do you find yourself longing for a fun set of pens and notebooks? Take those organizational urges and transfer them to early childhood education. Organization is an essential skill for an early childhood educator as they manage a classroom full of toys, books, supplies, and kids! If you love watching social media clips of teachers organizing their classrooms and have a longing to be in those spaces, early childhood education can be a great career for you. Even if you have a cluttered space right now, if you love the idea of being organized, an early childhood education program can sharpen those organizational instincts.
Are You Good at Helping Others?
Are you the one who helps your friends or siblings with their homework? Do friends and family come to you with their problems? Are you good at conflict resolution and can help mediate an issue between friends? Natural teachers love to help others. When a problem arises, even if it’s not something they’re familiar with, they’re there to lend a hand. In an early childhood classroom, there’s a lot of hand-holding – sometimes literally – and you will spend your day helping children in everything from making a new educational discovery to figuring out how to share a toy to zipping their jacket. Good teachers listen, guide, and help when they’re needed.
Are Good Teachers Born or Made?
The right instincts can set you up for success, but having the right personality to be a teacher is only the start. You can develop into an excellent teacher by honing your skills in an early childhood education program. A good early childhood education program will teach you about developmental stages, early literacy strategies, and best practices for classroom management – all the practical things you need to know before you start in the classroom. A strong career academy can make a strong teacher. But when you have the right soft skills from the start, honing those skills as you move through the program can turn you from a natural teacher into a truly successful early childhood education professional.
When you realize you do have what it takes to be a naturally great teacher, start looking for early childhood education programs that will give you the rest of the tools that will help prepare you for a long and satisfying career, where you can make a real difference in the life of a child.
Think you might be a natural teacher? Athena Career Academy can help you build the skills and confidence to lead your own classroom. Contact us today to get started.