Elementary Education Schools

Schools by State for This Career

AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY

Career Highlights

Training generally required for this career includes: Bachelor's degree.

Jobs and Salary
Median Salary (2008)	$49,330
Unemployment Vs. Other Jobs	Very Low
Jobs (2006)	1,540,000
Job Growth (2006-2016)	13.6%
Jobs (2016 forecast)	1,749,000

Flexibility
Working Part-Time	10%
Self-Employed	0%

Education of Current Workers
Bachelor Degree or Higher	95%
Some College	5%
High School or Less	0%

Related Resources

What Kind of Person Has This Career?

(Numbers are % of people choosing the item.)

Important Natural Abilities	% Choosing
Oral Comprehension	75%
Speech Clarity	75%
Oral Expression	75%

Full List

Work Values	% Choosing
Relationships	89%
Achievement	78%
Independence	72%

Full List

Areas of Personal Interest	% Choosing
Working And Communicating With People	100%
Self-Expression Or Artistry	56%
Following Instructions	50%

Work Style Characteristics	% Choosing
Self Control	96%
Concern For Others	94%
Dependability	93%

Full List

Which Skills and Knowledge are Needed for this Job?

(Numbers are % of people choosing the item.)

Important Personal Skills	% Choosing
Instructing	97%
Speaking	91%
Reading Comprehension	91%

Full List

Important Professional Knowledge	% Choosing
English Language	92%
Education And Training	89%
Mathematics	71%

Full List

Which Activities and Situations Are Involved in Doing The Job?

(Numbers are % of people choosing the item.)

Common Work Conditions	% Choosing
Face-To-Face Discussions	97%
Contact With Others	96%
Physical Proximity	84%

Full List

Common Job Activities	% Choosing
Training And Teaching Others	89%
Organizing, Planning, And Prioritizing Work	83%
Establishing And Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	82%

Full List

Information Sources

BrainTrack's information on colleges and careers is drawn from many sources, including government databases, BrainTrack's own research, and results from original data analysis algorithms.

Elementary School Teacher Job Description

The education, both intellectual and social, that children receive from elementary school teachers can greatly determine the outcomes they will experience as adults. Elementary school teachers are not only responsible for educating youth according to national and state standards, but also teaching skills in discipline, productivity and social interaction. Through positive feedback, mentoring, role modeling, facilitating interaction, experiential learning and fun, they communicate the information and concepts that are fundamental to the future development of each child.

An elementary school teacher's responsibilities include:

Instructing youth on the basics of math, English, history, science, music, art, social sciences and physical education
Presenting established curricula as selected by the school
Selecting required instructional materials and resources
Creating lesson plans, planning field trips and inviting guest speakers
Administering and grading homework and tests
Using computers, games, music, artwork, videos, experiments, books and goal-setting to motivate students to learn
Adapting lessons to different levels of learning ability within a group
Coaching individual students and groups; promoting development of social skills through group interaction
Preparing students for and conducting national and state tests and assessments
Encouraging understanding of racial and cultural diversity, and social mores
Monitoring behavior and enacting discipline

Some elementary school teachers work as part of a two-person team, or rotate with other teachers who specialize in specific academic areas. They may work for public schools, where they have larger classes, or private schools where classes are smaller. Most work for the 10-month school year with a two-month summer break, during which they plan for the next school year and take continuing education courses. Multilingual teachers are often in high demand.

Degrees and Schools

Most elementary school teachers start by earning a bachelor's degree in education from a college or university. Many colleges require that students be sophomores before they apply for admission to an education program. Those who hold a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field can attend a one-year professional development program to obtain their credential and qualify for licensure.

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council award accreditation to schools with educational programs.

Classes

College coursework related to education as a career usually begins during the sophomore year. Areas of study include:

mathematics, English, physical and social sciences, music and art
philosophy of education
teaching methods
psychology of learning
use of computers and other learning technologies

In addition to classes, most elementary education students are expected to participate in a student-teaching internship.

Online Classes and Programs

Obtaining a degree or credential in elementary education through an online program can be a convenient option. At least one school with an online program is accredited by TEAC. Online schools, however, may be less likely to coordinate student teaching internships or assist with job placement upon graduation.

Employment Requirements

Demand for public school teachers has inspired many states to create a new career path into the field. While the traditional route requires a bachelor's degree in elementary education before obtaining a teaching license, most states now allow aspiring teachers with bachelor's degrees in non-related fields to attend one-year professional development programs before seeking their license.

Teachers who work for private schools must also have a bachelor's degree in education but do not need to be licensed.

The State Board of Education, or a licensure advisory committee, usually grants licensure for grades 1 through 6 or 8. Specific requirements vary by state, but general requirements include a bachelor's degree, completion of an approved training program, and supervised practice teaching. Having a degree from a school accredited by the NCATE or TEAC can help with licensure. Some states require a minimum grade point average and training in technology. They may expect teachers to obtain a master's degree at some point.

How to Evaluate Elementary Education Schools

Here are some questions to consider when comparing elementary education programs:

Reputation - Is the school recognized for its education program? Is it accredited by TEAC or NCATE and, if an online program, direct-learning organizations?
Location - What are the state requirements for licensure in the desired location of employment? What states have the best funding for education, and offer the best opportunities and benefits for teachers?
Tuition and financial assistance - Are financial aid resources such as loans, scholarships and work study programs available and easy to obtain?
Class size and courses - How many students are in a typical class? Is the list of offered courses comprehensive? If an area of specialization is desired, are there substantial courses to support that goal?
Student-teaching internships and job placement - How are internships arranged? Are there a lot to choose from? What is the job placement success rate for graduates?

Example Job Titles

(Titles per survey respondents and career experts.)

Art Educator
Art Instructor
Art Teacher
Band Director
Band Teacher
Bilingual Instructor
Bilingual Teacher
Choir Teacher
Classroom Teacher
Educator
Elementary Art Teacher
Elementary Education Teacher
Elementary Educator
Elementary School Teacher
Elementary Teacher
ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)
ESL Teacher (English as a Second Language Teacher)
Grade School Teacher
Grades 1 Through 5 Teacher
Grades 1 Through 6 Teacher
Grades 1 Thru 6 Home Teacher
Grades 1 Thru 6 Visiting Teacher
Gymnastic Teacher
Language Arts Teacher
Language Instructor
Literacy Coordinator
Media Specialist
Montessori Teacher
Music Director
Music Educator
Music Instructor
Music Supervisor
Orchestra Teacher
Physical Education Teacher (PE Teacher)
Physical Fitness Teacher
Practice or Student Teacher
Primary Teacher
Reading Recovery Teacher
Reading Teacher
Resource Teacher
Substitute Teacher
Teacher
Title One Reading Teacher

Apply For a BrainTrack Teaching Scholarship

BrainTrack offers a scholarship for teaching students that are planning to teach any grade between kindergarten and 12th grade. The scholarship gives a winning and runnerup award every semester to students currently in a teaching degree program. Applicants are asked to provide essays on their experiences as a teaching student.

For recent winners and a selection of entries please visit BrainTrack's Teaching Degree Student Stories section.

Scholarship Details and Submission Form

The BrainTrack Scholarship for Teaching helps current students pay for their education. Entrants must respond to essay questions that are geared toward helping people evaluate teaching as a potential career path. BrainTrack will publish those essays which prove most helpful to future students.

The scholarship is open to students with at least one semester of credits towards graduation with an appropriate degree in teaching. One student award of $1,000 for the best entry and one of $500 for the second best entry is planned for each of two semesters, on an annual basis. Entry deadlines are November 1 and March 1, with awards payable towards the student's current or following semester.

Winners will be selected based on the creativity, focus, overall thoughtfulness, accuracy, and practical value of their responses to essay questions. Determination of winners will be undertaken by a committee that includes independent judges familiar with teaching as well as BrainTrack staff.

For more background on BrainTrack and its scholarships, please visit About BrainTrack Scholarships.

How to Apply

Submit answers to questions designed to help those considering teaching as a career path. All answers must be entered into the scholarship entry form, which is started by clicking the I Agree button below.

Rules

Scholarship entry deadlines are November 1 and March 1 of every year. The deadline for the next scholarship award is November 1, 2010.

The scholarship competition is open to enrolled students who have completed at least one semester of credits in a teaching degree program and are currently pursuing a degree. Students must be enrolled in one or more relevant classes at the time of the entry deadline. Students may be in either a full-time or part-time program. They may also be enrolled in an on-campus and/or online program.
Winners will be notified by email and telephone, typically within six weeks following the entry deadline. All award payments are made to the school, toward the student's tuition.
Candidates may submit only one entry every 12 months.
Entrant's school must be in the US and have accreditation recognized by the US Department of Education.
Entrant must be a US citizen, have permanent resident status, or have an appropriate student visa.
Entrant must be living in the US or if living abroad entrant must be a US citizen or permanent resident currently enrolled in an online degree program with a qualified US-based school.
All submissions become the property of BrainTrack's publisher, FutureMeld LLC, and entrants grant permission to FutureMeld to use their essay answers, school name, and degree status for promotional or other purposes.
Entrants that are selected as finalists will be contacted by FutureMeld to provide one or more references from their school. FutureMeld will contact the reference(s) to verify an entrant's qualifications for the scholarship.
For non-winning entrants, FutureMeld will keep a student's name, contact information, and references private for use only in conjunction with this scholarship.
Winning entrants will have their name published. Winners must agree to a brief telephone interview with a BrainTrack staff writer for publication as part of the winners' announcement.
BrainTrack reserves the right to change rules between scholarship competitions at its discretion and to make rule clarifications at any time as needed.
Questions or comments? Please contact BrainTrack using our contact form.

Related Careers

Relevant Schools for This Career That Respond Quickly to Info Requests Through This Site

Schools below offer related online and distance education programs. School names link to detailed profiles. Please use the More links to contact one or more schools directly for additional information.

School	Campuses	Awards
Ashford University	Online	Master
Capella University	Online	Doctorate, Master
Cornerstone University	MI	Bachelor
Dominican University Online	Online	Master
Grand Canyon University	Online	Bachelor, Coursework, Master
Jones International University	Online	Doctorate, Master
Keiser University	FL	Bachelor
Liberty University	Online	Doctorate, Master
Southwest Florida College	FL	Bachelor
University of Phoenix	AZ, MD, IN, TX, MI, OH, KS, SC, MO, OK, DC, DE, WA, KY, OR, FL, WI, HI, LA, NC, UT, NE, PA, NJ, CA, WY, NM, VA, AL, GA, IA, NV, PR, CO, ID, TN, CT, MA	Associate, Bachelor, Master
University of Phoenix Online	Online	Associate

Career And School Info For Elementary School Teachers

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