Career Advice on How to Become an Elementary School Teacher |
Teaching Careers, Elementary School Teacher, General Information |
| The first quality that one needs to start an elementary school teaching career, is to possess an amazing level of patience. Teaching young children is more demanding than many might suspect. Those considering career planning for being an elementary school teacher should first spend a few hours with a family with numerous children. The career of elementary school teacher falls just short of sainthood, as elementary school teachers must juggle the needs of at least, on average, twenty-five students per class. All these kids will usually be quite demanding, and will ask you lots and lots of questions. |
Elementary School Teachers, Career Facts: |
| Increasingly, the elementary school teacher job is a difficult one. The pay is not on par with the difficulties and requirements of the job. This job is far more difficult than it was, on average, a generation ago. Class sizes have often increased considerably. Further, politics is increasingly injected into the equation, making the career of elementary school teacher much different than even twenty years ago. Anyone considering this profession should consider the various complex aspects of the job before potentially beginning a teaching job search. Truly, if you are interested in beginning an elementary school teaching career, you must really enjoy being around children. If you like peace and quiet, and you do not enjoy the company of children, we definitely advise looking elsewhere. |
Elementary School Teacher Careers, Opportunities and Outlook- Average: |
| Overall, the employment outlook for teaching careers, mores specifically, elementary school teaching careers is about average. A twelve percent increase is expected by 2016. Your potential teaching job search, as an elementary school teacher may not be easy. The rate of growth for preschool and kindergarten teachers is expected to be considerably higher, perhaps another avenue for your potential teaching career opportunities, if that is the direction you envision your career path going. |
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Elementary School Teaching Careers, A Day in The Life: |
| Most elementary school teachers begin their days wondering what on earth they have gotten themselves into. Many hope to find a magical way to remove themselves from their lives full of screaming children, angry burned out assistant principals and clinically depressed “lifers” that have been in the teaching profession far too long. The days of many elementary school teachers are spent often feeling like underpaid and under-appreciated babysitters. |
Elementary School Teacher, Average Salary: |
| The average elementary school teacher career amounts to about $45,000, with the top ten percent in this teaching career earning about $70,000. In one of the cruelest tricks in the entire job market, the average starting salary for an elementary school teacher is about $32,000 per year. This fact makes it nothing sort of an absolute miracle that there are any elementary teachers whatsoever. |
$32k - $45k |
Elementary School Teacher Careers, Training and Qualifications: |
| Adding insult to injury for starting teachers is the fact that teaching careers, require college degrees in teaching. Teaching career planning should also take into account the fact that you will most likely need to undergo student teaching, observation hours and pass state certification. Many future teachers go into debt for the privilege of making $32,000 per year in a teaching career. |
