Elementary School Teachers

What do they do?

Elementary school teachers develop, plan, and present programs of instruction to students in grades one to six. They teach the basic concepts of math, language, science, social science, and other subjects. They help students develop social skills and study habits necessary for continuing their education. They evaluate student performance, progess, and potential and discuss evaluations with parents. They also attend meeting, plan courses, grade papers, and supervise after-school activities.

Work Activities

Prepare and present programs of study.
Use lectures, class discussions, demonstrations, assignments, tutoring, audio-visual materials, special projects, and field trips to help children learn.
Grade students through evaluation.
Maintain classroom discipline.
Counsel students, and discuss students' progress and problems with parents and other staff.
May teach a single grade, combined grades, or a single subject or team teach with other teachers.

Skills & Abilities

Knowledge of teaching methods, learning processes, evaluation techniques, and child development and psychology.
Knowledge in a variety of subjects.
Skills in reading, writing, speaking, and persuading.
Skills in organizing and supervising activities.

Be able to learn teaching methods and human development.
Be able to keep records, handle details, organize materials, and plan activities.
Be able to make judgments based on observations, do a variety of tasks, and give directions to others.
Enjoy working with children.

Work settings

Environment: Work indoors in classrooms.
Hours: Work 40 to 50 hours a week usually with two or three months of vacation and holidays; paperwork in the evening and weekend is often necessary.
Employers: Public school systems and private and parochial schools.

Employment & wages

By 2000, it's estimated that 13,104 elementary, preschool, and kindergarten teachers will be employed in Nebraska. Growth and/or turnover create approximately 351 annual job openings. It's estimated that 1,693,000 elementary teachers will be employed in the U.S. by 2005.

Projected growth
Nebraska - About as fast as average, 13%
National - About as fast as average, 16%
Nebraska annual beginning wage: $16,000 to $19,000
Nebraska annual experienced wage: $19,000 to $30,000
National annual average wage: $25,000 to $34,000

Licensing / Certification & Training

An elementary school teacher must be certified by the Nebraska Department of Education. To be certified, a person must have a bachelors degree, a recommendation from a certification official at an approved college, and six hours of approved credit in the last three years. Specialized teachers must also have a subject area endorsement.

The minimal educational requirement is a bachelors degree in elementary education or in a subject area with additional education courses.
Some states and school districts require advanced degrees plus certification.

Helpful high school subjects

High school subjects that may help prepare individuals for this occupation include English, speech, compostition, literature, history, physics, sociology, psychology, algebra I and II, geometry, calculus, foreign language, biology, chemistry, physical education, art, music, health, and computer applications.

Bibliography

Nebraska Career Information System: Occupations (1996-97 ed.), pp. 134-135.
Complete Guide for Occupational Exploration (1993 ed.), pp. 419-423, 433-436.
Dictionary of Occupational Titles (4th ed. Revised, 1991), p. 194.
Occupational Outlook Handbook (1996-97 ed.), p. 150.

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