Teachers' Day challenge: How tough is it to be a preschool teacher?

Preschool teachers – they care for and educate our little ones, but it’s not a glamorous or prestigious job. In fact, some people think it’s easy taking care of a roomful of active toddlers and preschoolers.

But is it?

At the invitation of the Early Childhood Development Agency, four professionals try their hand at being a preschool teacher for 30 minutes. Colette Wong is a news presenter; Francis Choo, a VP and chief country executive in a computer company; Michelle Martin is a broadcaster, and Matthew Mok is the chef-owner of a bistro.

Here, the shocking (but very real) lessons they gleaned about being a preschool teacher from their stints.

You need to be able to talk to everyone at the same time.

No one listens to instructions, much less follow through. Everyone likes to do his or her own thing at his or her own time. That sounds like grown-ups, except we don’t actually do it.

You need to be energetic.

Even when playing football, cooking, painting a robot or even during a storytelling session, someone will tend to wander off. The rest of the class start talking about something else not related to the activity.

You need to be able to manage expectations, mostly your own.

Anything can happen in class. Be prepared for the unexpected, and learn to go with the flow. Take it from the youngsters: nothing matters more than having fun.

By now, you probably have a deeper appreciation of all that preschool teachers do for your kids. So, make sure to wish them a very Happy Teachers’ Day!