In the field of early childhood education and care, the teacher
characteristics identified as critical to teaching effectiveness have
seldom been based on empirical studies of teachers (Saracho and
Spodek, 1993; Spodek, 1996). Until the recent flurry of research
focused on studying the implementation of developmentally appropriate
practices, most recommendations about desirable
teacher characteristics had grown from assumptions about what
young children need. In 1949, Almy and Snyder suggested that
teachers of early childhood education and care should have physical
stamina, world mindedness, an understanding of human development,
a respect for personality, and a scientific spirit. This
list was updated by Whitebook and Almy (1986) to include patience,
warmth, and ingenuity.