Elementary school teachers play a pivotal role in society by helping to shape and educate our youth. They work with young children and help them develop skills they’ll use inside and outside the classroom. They oversee the cognitive, social, and emotional development of students, specifically in grades one through six. In addition to developing and teaching lesson plans, they evaluate student achievement, maintain classroom discipline, and communicate student progress to parents and administrators.
Elementary teachers usually oversee one classroom and teach the core subjects: math, language arts, science, reading, and social studies. Typically, they teach all these subjects (though some may specialize) each day. As a result, elementary teachers must possess a broad knowledge of these main subject areas. They have to be just as comfortable navigating a sentence structure as they are leading a science experiment. With that stated, teachers in some schools may “own” certain subjects and stick to teaching those in the classroom, while students rotate to different instructors for other subjects.
Your day-to-day will consist of developing and implementing lesson plans and testing and grading students. On top of class time, elementary teachers may help coordinate field trips, design bulletin boards and other classroom materials, supervise recess or free periods, and attend staff meetings and in-service workshops. You must also undergo continuing education to keep your teaching skills fresh, whether through specific continuing education programs or higher education.