How to Become an Elementary or Middle School Teacher

Teaching is a gratifying career that helps shape the minds of young students. If you are considering becoming an elementary or middle school teacher, you are on the right track! In this article, you will learn how to become an elementary teacher or a middle school teacher.

Article Navigation: The Basics | Elementary and Middle School Teacher Requirements | How to Become an Elementary or Middle School Teacher | What Skills Does a Person Need in this Career? | Elementary or Middle School Teacher Education | Teacher Licensing Requirements | What Is the Work Environment? | What Are the Benefits of Being an Elementary or Middle School Teacher? | What Are the Drawbacks? | How Much Do Elementary Teachers Make? | Are There Opportunities for Advancement? | FAQs | Conclusion

Elementary and Middle School Teachers: The Basics

An elementary and middle school teacher educates students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. They work with students individually and in groups to help them learn academic subjects taught in public schools.

These subjects may include math, science, language arts, social studies, and physical education.

Many people become teachers because they enjoy working with children and want to make a difference in their lives. Others may choose this career because they want a stable job that offers good benefits. And yet others choose to teach to match their children’s schedules. This means a long break at the end of the year and summers off.

What to Expect as an Elementary or Middle School Teacher

Being an elementary and middle school teacher is a challenging yet rewarding career. Elementary and middle school teachers are responsible for teaching students the basics they need to know before advancing to high school.

Typically, this includes English, math, science, and history. But it also includes art and music classes that allow children to explore their creative sides. Teachers may specialize in certain subjects, such as reading or math.

Teachers will also meet with parents about how well their child is doing academically. Hence, everyone knows what’s going on. Parents learn about their child’s day-to-day activities like homework assignments. They also find out about long-term projects like book reports due at the semester’s end.

Teachers can work anywhere from a one-room classroom with just 20 students to an auditorium full of hundreds more children. The nature of this profession makes it highly diversified. Therefore, whether you want a job with lots of opportunities available all over the country, or prefer working only part-time, this might be the right choice for you.

Elementary and Middle School Teacher Requirements

In preparing to become a teacher, you will learn essential skills to help you become the best educator you can be. Below are some of the roles you will need to master.

Provide a Nurturing Environment for Students

One of the most critical responsibilities of an elementary and middle school teacher is to provide a nurturing and safe environment where students can learn. Elementary and middle school teachers must be patient, kind, and encouraging. They also need to help their students explore new topics and develop confidence.

Students should feel comfortable making mistakes. Teachers recognize that errors are opportunities for further learning. Elementary and middle school teachers work hard to make sure every student feels included, valued, and heard within their classroom community.

Identify Learning Differences and Individual Needs

Another critical role of an elementary and middle school teacher is to identify and address learning differences and individual needs. Some students may need more time or additional support to understand a concept. In contrast, others may master new material with little assistance.

It’s the responsibility of the teacher to modify instruction to meet the needs of all learners in their classroom. This can include using different teaching methods, providing extra practice opportunities, or adapting assignments as needed.

Identifying and addressing learning differences and individual needs is essential for ensuring that every student reaches their full potential in the classroom.

Assess Learning and Reporting Progress

Elementary and middle school teachers are also responsible for assessing student learning and progress. They use various assessment tools and strategies to ensure students demonstrate mastery of new concepts. In addition, they provide feedback on completed assignments to help students improve their skills or correct mistakes.

Teachers must then report their findings from these assessments back to parents, administrators, and other stakeholders. This helps everyone involved be aware of each learner’s progress.

Develop Lesson Plans and Assignments

An elementary and middle school teacher is also responsible for developing lesson plans and assignments. This means that teachers must plan out what they will teach each day. Educators create meaningful activities for students to complete during class time or at home on their own time.

They also need a strong understanding of curriculum standards. This ensures that students receive the necessary instruction to meet graduation requirements set forth by their state government.

Encourage Students and Celebrate Successes

As an elementary and middle school teacher, it’s essential to encourage students and celebrate successes. Students should feel supported by their teachers. This helps them to be motivated to learn new concepts and skills.

An effective teacher acknowledges when a student has done well. Encouraging students and celebrating successes can help boost motivation levels among all learners in the classroom. Eventually, this leads to better academic achievement over time.

Preparing Students for Standardized Tests

As an elementary and middle school teacher, you will be responsible for preparing your students for standardized tests. To do this effectively, educators must understand the format of each test.

Often they will ask sample test questions in advance to better ready their students for their assessment test. Before preparing with learners, teachers look at previous years’ exam papers or take practice tests. Such preparation helps students perform better on these exams.

How to Become an Elementary or Middle School Teacher

Becoming an elementary and middle school teacher doesn’t just happen overnight. You need to take various steps to ensure you qualify for this work. Check out these steps below.

Step 1: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

As your first step, you will want to earn your bachelor’s degree in education. This usually takes four years of full-time study. During your studies, you’ll learn about different teaching methods and how to educate your students effectively.

Other learners opt to major in an area such as art or theater. They can choose to minor in education. This allows them to graduate with a teaching certificate, the same as those who pursue an education major.

Some teachers take an alternate route and pursue a bachelor’s degree in a specific subject area, say math or history. These graduates must complete a separate program that teaches them how to be teachers. See the next step for the details.

Step 2: Complete a Teacher Preparation Program

After completing your undergraduate degree, the next step is completing a teacher preparation program. These programs help future educators gain the skills and knowledge to succeed in the classroom. Most states require that all teachers complete one of these programs before getting their license if they do not have a bachelor’s degree in education.

This program is also an option for career changers with a bachelor’s degree in another subject.

Step 3: Get Licensed as a Teacher

To become an elementary or middle school teacher, you must receive licensure by the state you want to work in. Each state has its certification requirements. Hence, it is essential to check with your state board of education before applying for licensure. The most common way is through a test that assesses your knowledge and skills as an educator.

Step 4: Earn Your Master’s Degree (Optional)

Once you’ve completed the above steps, there’s still one more step you can take, which is earning your master’s degree. This advanced degree will help set you apart from other educators. It will also add benefits. Perks may include higher pay or better job security.

Completing this step isn’t necessary, but it will give you an advantage over those who have not taken this step.

Step 5: Get Hired as an Elementary and Middle School Teacher!

After completing all of these steps, you can get hired as an elementary or middle school teacher.

This is when your hard work will pay off. You will finally see the results of everything you’ve done up until this point. You are ready to make a difference in a young person’s life.

What Skills Does a Person Need in this Career?

To become an elementary and middle school teacher, you need several skills to succeed. These skills include:

Patience

You need to have the patience to work with children. They are young and inexperienced. They might not understand some things the first time you teach them. You will have to repeat yourself several times until they grasp it.

Communication

Elementary and middle school teachers need excellent verbal and written communication skills. Every day educators must communicate effectively with students, their parents or guardians, colleagues, administrators, and other professionals in a school setting.

Organization

Teachers must keep their classrooms organized as there is often an abundance of training materials. Being organized also helps ensure you properly prepare students for class assignments. The classroom requires the teacher’s organization to function smoothly and for instruction to take place efficiently.

Creativity

Creative teachers make more effective educators. Children learn more when they engage fully in scholarly activities. Through creating exciting exercises, a good teacher makes learning fun. These professionals excel when they develop new approaches to help students understand their lessons.

Child-Friendly Personality

Elementary and middle school teachers need a child-friendly personality. They should have an affinity towards children because they will spend most of their day with them. An understanding and a love for youngsters help a teacher succeed.

Classroom Management skills

Elementary and middle school teachers need to maintain order within the classroom. This helps each student to learn effectively without disruption. Such classroom order requires having good classroom management skills. These include establishing rules and procedures at the beginning of the school year and enforcing them consistently. They should also provide appropriate instruction and feedback to students.

Flexibility

Elementary and middle school teachers need to be flexible because their daily lesson plans may not always go as planned. For example, a student might ask questions not covered in the program. Also, an emergency might arise that requires a change in the activity for the day.

Resilience

Elementary and middle school teachers need stability because they may encounter challenging students and situations. For example, a student might be disruptive or not want to learn. In such cases, the teacher must remain calm and try different approaches until they get through to the child.

Elementary or Middle School Teacher Education

To become an elementary or middle school teacher, you will need at least a bachelor's degree in education. However, it is becoming increasingly common for people to pursue a master's degree in education.

This will allow you to specialize in areas that interest you, such as early childhood education or special education. In addition to your formal education, it is also essential to have some teaching experience under your belt. You can gain this by volunteering in schools, working as a tutor, or student teaching through your degree program.

What Degree Do You Need to Be an Elementary Teacher?

A great starting point for those who want to become an elementary school teacher is a Bachelor of Elementary Education. This degree teaches you how to become a certified elementary teacher and helps you learn more about the art of teaching.

What Degree Do You Need to Teach Middle School?

Another beneficial degree is a Bachelor of Middle School Education. This type of degree can provide you with the skills and coursework necessary to teach students in grades six through eight. You’ll also learn about adolescent psychology and how to work with this age group specifically.

A master’s degree can be beneficial for becoming an elementary or middle school teacher. Earning a master’s degree will give you more opportunities to specialize in certain areas. This includes working with gifted students or special needs students. Additionally, it may make you eligible for higher-paying jobs down the road.

How to Become a Special Education Teacher

This type of degree can prepare you to work with students who have disabilities or other challenges. You’ll learn about different teaching strategies to help these students succeed in school.

A Master of Special Education may also be beneficial if you become an elementary or middle school teacher. With this degree, you can specialize in working with students who have disabilities and learn more about how to help them. Additionally, earning a master’s degree may make you eligible for higher-paying jobs down the road.

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) or Master of Science in Teaching (MST)

Earning a Master of Arts in Teaching benefits those who want to become elementary or middle school teachers. You will learn more about teaching and being a great educator. Additionally, it may make you eligible for higher-paying jobs down the road.

A Master of Science in Teaching may also be beneficial if you become an elementary or middle school teacher. You’ll learn more about teaching students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade with this degree. You’ll also gain skills that can help prepare you for success as an educator overall.

A doctorate is another type of degree that can benefit those who want to become school teachers. Doctoral degrees typically allow one-on-one research opportunities and hands-on experience. You get to work directly with children at various ages, from infancy through adolescence. This degree enables doctoral candidates to explore the field of education in more depth.

Teacher Licensing Requirements

All states require teachers to be licensed. Below we examine the requirements for different levels of teaching.

Early Childhood Educator License

Individuals who want to teach preschool or kindergarten will pursue their early childhood educator license. Once you obtain your license, you will be able to work with children from birth through the age of eight years old.

The first step in achieving this licensure is to complete your bachelor’s degree program in education. You must then meet any state-mandated testing and clinical training requirements. Only then can you secure employment as an elementary school teacher.

Elementary School Teacher Certification

Most states require public school teachers to obtain teacher licensure before beginning their careers as educators at the elementary level. In most cases, aspiring elementary school teachers must complete a bachelor’s degree program in elementary education.

However, some states allow individuals with a bachelor’s degree in another area of study to become licensed. But, they must have completed an approved teacher preparation program.

Middle School Teacher Certification

The process for obtaining middle school certification is similar to the one outlined above for elementary school teaching certification. Most states require would-be middle school educators to have a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field. The field may include middle grades education or mathematics and science education.

Nationally Recognized Teacher Certification/Board Certification

Many states do not require teachers to obtain any form of nationally recognized teacher certification or board certification. However, some districts and schools may require school teachers to obtain a certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in order to teach at their particular institution.

What Is the Work Environment?

Elementary and middle school teachers work in public, private or charter schools. They typically spend about six hours each day teaching classes. They may also supervise extracurricular activities such as lunch and recess in some cases.

Teachers often spend time outside of the classroom preparing lessons and grading papers at home or during their assigned planning periods at school. Most elementary teachers are responsible for all subjects (reading, math, social studies, science).

Middle school teachers usually specialize in a particular subject area like math or English. Some schools employ full-time art/music/drama specialists who teach weekly classes to students of all grade levels and ages.

What Are the Benefits of Becoming an Elementary or Middle School Teacher?

There are many benefits to becoming an elementary or middle school teacher. Some of these benefits include:

• Working with students in grades K-12 — You get the chance to work with students of all ages, which can be a rewarding experience
• Helping children learn and grow — You have the opportunity to help young children learn and grow, which can make a positive impact on their lives
• Meeting new people — You will meet many new people throughout your career, including other educators, parents, and students
• Making a difference in the community — Teachers become role models to make a difference
• Teaching important subjects — Students grasp important subjects such as math, science, language arts, and social studies
• Helping students as individuals — Getting to know each student on a personal level and helping them succeed academically
• Strengthening personal and professional relationships — Developing relationships with parents and colleagues that last a lifetime

What Are the Drawbacks?

As with any career, teaching does have its challenges. Some of the drawbacks include:

• Long hours — Being an elementary or middle school teacher means you will have to work hard.
• Can be stressful — Teaching children can be stressful because they don’t always listen and behave as expected.
• Lack of job security — Teaching jobs are not always guaranteed, especially in today’s economy. Many schools have had to cut back on staff members due to budget cuts.

How Much Do Elementary Teachers Make?

According to a 2020 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average salary of an elementary and middle school teacher is between $60,660 and $60,810 per year. The typical entry-level education is a bachelor’s degree. Work experience is not mandatory.

Are There Opportunities for Advancement?

Yes, there are opportunities for advancement as an elementary or middle school teacher. After gaining experience and proving your skills in the classroom, you may be eligible for a promotion to a leadership position. Such a position includes a department head or principal.

Additionally, you can become certified in special education or administration to open up even more job opportunities. The sky is the limit for elementary and middle school teachers with dedication and hard work.

FAQs

Is It Hard to Be an Elementary School Teacher?

Yes. Life as a middle school teacher can be one of the most challenging jobs on earth. It can also be rewarding and fulfilling. As with every other job, there are pros and cons that you must know before getting into it.

This career enables you to change lives by shaping children towards their future goals in life. Unfortunately, not everyone can be an educator. It requires patience and self-discipline. However, there are also opportunities for growth, excellent health insurance, decent salary, and retirement plans.

What Subject Should I Teach?

If you consider becoming a teacher, one of the first questions you may ask yourself is what subject to teach. This is an important decision because it will affect your career trajectory and daily life as a teacher. Here are four factors to consider when choosing a teaching subject:

• Your Passion

First and foremost, you should teach something that you enjoy and feel passionate about. Your lessons show when you care about the material. Students will sense your enthusiasm. You are more likely to stay engaged in your work if you love the subject matter.

• The Age of Your Students

When selecting a teaching subject, keep in mind the age group of your future students. If you want to work with young children, you may consider teaching elementary school. Alternatively, if you prefer working with older students, you could teach middle or high school.

• Curriculum Requirements

Every state has different curriculum requirements for public schools. Make sure that the subject you choose meets the standards in your area. Otherwise, you may have to do a lot of additional coursework after getting your teaching certification.

• Job Market

Finally, consider the job market for your chosen teaching subject. Some subjects are in higher demand than others. This makes it essential to do your research ahead of time. You don’t want to spend several years becoming a teacher only to find out that there are no jobs available in your field.

Can I Become a Teacher Without A Teaching Degree?

There are several ways to get into the teaching profession without having your Bachelor of Education. You can start by getting your certification through an alternate route program or becoming a paraprofessional.

• Alternate Route Programs

If you have a college degree, you can become certified to teach in elementary and middle schools through an alternate route program. This program allows you to earn your teaching certification while completing coursework and student teaching.

• Paraprofessionals

Another option is to become a paraprofessional. Paraprofessionals work under the supervision of certified teachers and help with classroom instruction and activities. They often work with special needs students, assisting them in completing assignments and working towards their goals.

Start a Teaching Journey Today!

Becoming an elementary or middle school teacher is challenging but rewarding. It’s important to have proper qualifications and experience before deciding. You should research the different teaching programs in your area or those available online. With hard work and dedication, you can become a successful educator and make a difference in students’ lives.