A preschool teacher plans and leads a child’s whole day at school: welcoming children, running circle time, songs, stories, art and outdoor play, helping with snacks and hygiene routines, watching how each child is growing, and talking to parents. India’s National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage shows a sample school day of five and a half hours, with about four and a half hours of active teaching time for children aged 4 to 6. The work is active, warm and full of small routines, and very little of it happens at a desk.
TL;DR
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Main job: Plan and lead play-based activities that help children grow in body, thinking, language and feelings.
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A typical day: Circle time, snack, songs, one main learning activity, art or free play, lunch, story time and outdoor play.
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Length of the day: The national framework’s sample routine is a five-and-a-half-hour school day.
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Work nobody sees: Preparing materials, noting each child’s progress and speaking with parents.
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Skills that matter most: Patience, a clear and cheerful voice, planning and close observation.
The Main Duties of a Preschool Teacher
A preschool teacher’s duties fall into five groups. The National Education Policy 2020 says the aim of early childhood education is good outcomes in physical and motor development, cognitive development, socio-emotional-ethical development, cultural/artistic development, and the development of communication and early language, literacy, and numeracy. Each duty in the table below serves one or more of those areas.
| Duty | What it looks like in class |
|---|---|
| Planning | Choosing the day’s song, story, activity and materials before children arrive |
| Teaching through play | Leading circle time, rhymes, counting games, art and outdoor games |
| Care and safety | Helping with snacks, handwashing and toilet routines, and keeping the room safe |
| Observing children | Watching how each child speaks, plays and joins in, and keeping short notes |
| Working with parents | Sharing how the child’s day went and what to try at home |
A Sample Daily Timetable From the National Framework
No single timetable is followed by every preschool. For ages 3 to 6, the national framework gives two sample daily routines. The table below follows the first one, in which circle time, story time and concept time are led by the teacher. Times and activities come from the framework, and the last column describes the teacher’s part in simple words.
| Time | Activity | What the teacher does |
|---|---|---|
| Before 9:30 | Morning routine, free play and corners time | Welcomes each child and settles them into play |
| 9:30 to 10:15 | Circle time and conversation | Leads a group talk on a simple topic |
| 10:15 to 10:30 | Snack break | Helps with handwashing and eating |
| 10:30 to 10:45 | Rhyme, song, music and movement | Sings and moves with the class |
| 10:45 to 11:45 | Concept time and pre-numeracy | Runs the main learning activity of the day |
| 11:45 to 12:15 | Art, craft and free play | Sets out materials and helps where needed |
| 12:15 to 1:00 | Corners time | Watches children choose activity corners and notes what they do |
| 1:00 to 1:45 | Lunch break (ages 3 to 4 go home) | Supervises lunch and hands the younger children over to parents |
| 1:45 to 2:30 | Early literacy and story time | Tells a story and talks about it with the class |
| 2:30 to 3:00 | Outdoor play and wind up | Leads games and closes the day |
Your school’s timings may be different, and some preschools run a shorter day. Whatever the hours, the framework asks that art and craft, outdoor play and free play get enough time every day, and that a quiet activity follows an active one.
The Work Children and Parents Do Not See
A good part of the job happens before the first child walks in and after the last one leaves. Teachers prepare flashcards, art materials and activity corners in advance, and write a short plan for the next day or week. Notes on each child also need to be kept, such as new words spoken or how the child plays with others. Parents are updated too, in person at pick-up time or through the school diary.
Skills You Need to Do This Job Well
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Patience. Small children repeat, forget and test limits. Calm repetition is part of the work.
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A clear, warm voice. Stories told with expression hold attention. The national framework notes that children with a very short attention span concentrate for a longer time when they are engrossed in a story.
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Planning. A day with ten small parts needs materials ready for each one.
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Observation. Noticing which child is unusually quiet today is as important as teaching the lesson.
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Teamwork. Teachers work closely with helpers, co-teachers and coordinators.
Our article on what makes a great preschool teacher looks at these qualities in more detail.
How Training Prepares You for a Real Classroom Day
Running a day like this is a learned skill. Teacher training covers how children develop, how to plan activities and how to manage a group, and an internship lets you practise in a real classroom. Letter Academy’s Early Childhood Education Certificate (ECEC) is a 5-month course taught through live online classes, and it includes an internship at a preschool. For a longer and deeper course, the academy offers the Diploma in Preschool Education (DPSE). To see what teachers earn after training, read our preschool teacher salary guide.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a preschool teacher do all day?
- A preschool teacher welcomes children, leads circle time, songs, stories, art and outdoor play, runs one main learning activity, helps with snacks and hygiene routines, and watches how each child is growing. A preschool teacher also prepares materials before class and updates parents after it.
- What are the main duties of a preschool teacher?
- The main duties of a preschool teacher are planning the day, teaching through play, keeping children safe and cared for, observing each child’s progress and communicating with parents. All of these duties support the child’s physical, thinking, language, social and creative growth during the early years.
- How many hours does a preschool teacher work in a day?
- Working hours for a preschool teacher depend on the school. India’s National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage shows a sample school day of five and a half hours for ages 3 to 6. Teachers usually spend extra time before and after class on preparation and parent communication.
- What is a typical preschool daily routine?
- A typical preschool daily routine includes a welcome and free play, circle time, a snack break, songs and movement, one main learning activity, art or free play, lunch, story time and outdoor play. Good routines mix quiet and active time, and teacher-led and child-chosen activities.
- Is being a preschool teacher a hard job?
- Being a preschool teacher is active and demanding, but it becomes manageable with training and steady routines. The hard parts are staying patient, managing many small children at once and preparing materials every day. The reward for a preschool teacher is seeing children learn something new almost daily.
- What skills does a preschool teacher need?
- A preschool teacher needs patience, a clear and warm voice, planning skills, close observation and the ability to work in a team. These skills can be learned. Teacher training and a classroom internship give a new preschool teacher the chance to practise them before taking charge of a class.