If you’re interested in a career as an educator, there are many different careers that you could choose. However, if you want to make the biggest impact possible, you should consider becoming an elementary educator. As an elementary educator, you will help to build a strong foundation for your students that will allow them to achieve academic success well into the future.
However, because elementary education is such an important teaching position, you will have to meet certain qualifications before entering this career, including earning an elementary education degree. Discover the requirements for achieving an elementary education degree and learn about some of the coursework involved with this degree.
Basic Degree Requirements
A degree in elementary education is almost always a Bachelor’s degree, although you can continue your education and earn either a Master’s or a Doctorate degree in this discipline. Before you can start your elementary education degree, however, you will need to meet specific requirements.
First, to enter a Bachelor’s program in elementary education, you will need to prove you have completed a high school education, either by providing a copy of your diploma or your academic transcripts. Most elementary education degree programs also require that you pass basic competency exams that cover topics like math, reading and writing. Lastly, you may need to receive a negative result on a TB test before you will be allowed to start your degree work.
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Elementary Education Degree Work
When most people are considering an elementary education degree, one of the issues they’re most concerned about is the type of coursework they will be required to complete. Before you start your coursework focused on elementary education, you will spend two years completing general education classes. This is a requirement for any Bachelor’s degree, regardless of your chosen field.
With your general education requirements completed, you will begin your elementary education courses. These will primarily be focused on the proper method for teaching young students, and can include courses like reading development, childhood psychology and curriculum development. Like most teaching degrees, your elementary education degree will also contain a practical component where you interact with students in a real classroom setting.
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The courses you’ll take during the course are meant to develop the skills you will need as an elementary educator. Skills that are most conducive you a career as an elementary educator can include effective lesson planning, student assessment, working with other educators and classroom management.
Potential Salaries for Elementary Educators
There are many factors that can influence the salary that you can potentially earn as an elementary educator. For example, the state in which you work can greatly impact your salary, as can your level of education. Elementary educators with Bachelor’s degrees, for instance, will usually make less than those with Master’s or Doctorate degrees in the same field.
The best way to gauge your potential salary is by examining the data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In 2014, the BLS reported that there were 1,517,400 elementary educators working across the country, and projected that this number would grow by 6% between 2014 and 2024. The median pay for elementary educators working in 2015 was $54,550.