This study aimed to understand the teaching identity of pre-service preschool teachers from the perspective of the profession. The methodology consisted of a qualitative field study with a descriptive scope that explored the textuality of 41 seventh-semester students of the Early Childhood Education program at a Chilean university. A questionnaire with open-ended and semi-structured questions was administered, and the data were processed through thematic content analysis using New NVivo software. An affective dimension of teacher identity is revealed, along with a professional-vocational dimension. Of interest is the contrast between categories related to connection, affectivity, and trust, along with others that point to the vocational dimension and the transcendence and/or meaning of being a teacher. In conclusion, the affective predominates over the professional-vocational dimension in the professional identity of the pre-service teachers studied, indicating a transition from traditional views that devalue the teaching profession to more professional stances. A tension between the individual position of future educators and collective visions - family, friends, others. To safeguard scientific rigor, criteria such as credibility, transferability, dependability, and conformability were considered.