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Job Report Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
Nature of the Work
Kindergarten and elementary school teachers play a vital role in the development of
children. What is learned or not learned in the early years can shape children's views of
themselves and the world, and affect later success or failure in school and work.
Kindergarten and elementary school teachers introduce children to the basics of
mathematics, language, science, and social studies. They try to instill good study habits
and an appreciation for learning, as well as observe and evaluate each child's performance
and potential. Elementary school teachers may use films, slides, computers, or
instructional games to help children learn in creative ways. They also arrange class trips,
speakers, and class projects.
Teachers keep track of their students' social development and health. They observe
each child's behavior and discuss problems--such as habitual resistance to authority--with
the parents. Teachers also report health problems to parents and school health officials.
Most elementary school teachers instruct a group of children in several subjects
while providing individual attention as much as possible. In some schools, two or more
teachers team teach and are jointly responsible for a group of students or for a particular
subject. An increasing number of elementary school teachers specialize and teach one or
two subjects to several classes. Some teach subjects such as music, art, or physical
education, while others concentrate on the special needs of certain groups--those who have
reading problems or those who do not speak English, for example.
Much of a teacher's work occurs outside the classroom. Teachers generally prepare
lessons and grade papers at home, attend faculty meetings, and supervise extracurricular
activities after school. They also serve on faculty committees such as those to revise
curricula or to evaluate the school's objectives and the students' performance. To stay up
to date on educational materials and teaching techniques, they may participate in
workshops and other inservice activities or take college courses.
Many schools employ teacher aides to do clerical work and supervise lunch and
playground activities so that teachers can give more individual attention to students.
Working Conditions
Teachers spend much of their time standing or walking. Kindergarten teachers may
join their students on the floor to finger paint, cut out pictures, or do other crafts.
A teacher may often have to deal with disruptive, disrespectful, and sometimes even
violent children. Teachers may also have students of widely different backgrounds and
abilities in the same classroom--those who have little knowledge of English and those who
are handicapped, for example. This can be physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing.
Most elementary school teachers work a traditional 2-semester, 10-month school
year with a 2-month vacation. Teachers on a 10-month schedule may teach in the summer
session or take other jobs. Many enroll in college courses or special workshops. Some
teachers in year-round schools work 8-week sessions, are off 1 week between sessions,
and have a long mid-winter break. This 12-month schedule makes it difficult for teachers
to take supplemental jobs.
In most States, the public schools must be in session a minimum number of days.
This number varies from 175 to 205 days. In 1990, the average number of instruction days
was 184.
Most States as well as the District of Columbia have tenure laws that protect the jobs
of teachers who have taught satisfactorily for a certain number of years. A teacher normally
must serve a satisfactory probationary period of 3 years before attaining tenure. Tenure
is not an automatic guarantee of job security, but it does provide some protection.
Employment
Kindergarten and elementary school teachers held 1,360,000 jobs in 1990. More
than 8 out of 10 worked in public schools. Most were in schools that have students in
kindergarten through grade six; however, some teach in middle schools that cover the 3 or
4 years between the lower elementary grades and 4 years of high school. Fourteen percent
of elementary school teachers work in private schools. In addition, most of the 275,000
special education teachers--those who work with children who are mentally retarded,
emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, mobility impaired, speech and hearing impaired,
or very bright or "gifted" children--taught in elementary schools.
Since kindergarten and elementary school teachers work directly with students, their
employment is distributed geographically much the same as the population.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
All 50 States and the District of Columbia require public elementary school teachers
to be certified by State education authorities. Some States require teachers in private and
parochial schools to be certified as well. Generally, certification is granted by the State
Board of Education, The State Superintendent of Education, or a Certification Advisory
Committee.
Teachers may be certified to teach either the early childhood grades (usually nursery
school through the third grade) or the elementary grades (grades one through six or eight).
Some teachers obtain certification to teach special education or reading at the elementary
school level.
Requirements for certification vary by State, and school systems may have additional
hiring requirements. In all States and the District of Columbia, however, public kindergarten
and elementary school teachers must have a bachelor's degree from an institution with an
approved teacher education program. Teacher training programs include a variety of liberal
arts courses as well as student teaching and prescribed professional education courses
such as philosophy of education, psychology of learning, and teaching methodology. Many
States require teachers to obtain a master's degree within a certain period after beginning
work.
Seventeen States require applicants for certification to be tested for competency
either in basic skills, subject matter, teaching skills, or a combination of these. Twenty-six
States have health requirements. Initial teaching certificates range from 1 year to life, but
life certificates are becoming less common. Complete information on requirements for
elementary school teaching is available from State departments of education or
superintendents of schools.
Information about whether a particular teacher program is approved can be obtained
from the institution offering the training or from the State department of education. Many
States have reciprocity agreements that allow teachers who are certified in one State to
become certified in another.
Kindergarten and elementary school teachers should be creative, dependable,
patient, and competent in handling classroom situations. Most important, they should be
vitally interested in the educational and emotional development of children.
As teachers gain experience, they may advance to supervisory, administrative, or
specialized positions within the school system. Often, however, these positions require
additional training and certification and the number of positions is limited. As a result, for
most teachers, advancement consists of higher pay rather than additional responsibility or
a higher position.
Job Outlook
Job prospects for kindergarten and elementary school teachers are expected to
improve. Employment is expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations
through the year 2000, reflecting rising enrollments. Additional positions also are expected
as a result of lower pupil-teacher ratios. Many job openings will also occur to replace
teachers who leave the profession. If the number of new college graduates prepared to
teach in elementary school remains at the current level, there may be more openings than
qualified applicants.
Enrollment levels and employment of classroom teachers are closely associated.
The National center for Education Statistics projects enrollments to increase over the next
decade from 27.2 million to almost 32 million, reflecting the rise in the number of births
beginning in the mid-1970's.
Enrollment growth will not occur at the same rate in all parts of the country, however.
Largely because of migration to the South and West, population growth (and therefore the
increase in enrollments) is expected to be greater in those regions.
Whether an elementary school teacher "shortage" develops depends not only on
demand for teachers but on supply as well. The basic sources of teacher supply are recent
graduates qualified to teach at the elementary school level and former teachers seeking
reentry to the occupation. The greater availability of jobs, rising salaries, and heightened
public interest in education are encouraging more people to prepare for elementary school
teaching and may also attract more people from the teacher reserve pool. The reserve pool
is very large because many elementary school teachers are women who left teaching for
household responsibilities and also because there had been an oversupply of these
teachers for many years.
Employment of teachers is also sensitive to changes in State and local expenditures
for education. Pressure from taxpayers to limit taxes and spending is likely to inhibit
employment growth, while recent emphasis on improving the quality of education could
stimulate it.
Although computers are being used in elementary schools, they are not expected
to affect teacher employment, since their major use is for teaching computer concepts,
learning enrichment, and remedial drill and practice exercises.
Earnings
According to the National Education Association, public elementary school teachers
averaged $30,600 a year in 1990. Generally, the Mid-Atlantic and far western States paid
the highest salaries.
Collective bargaining agreements cover an increasing number of teachers.
Related Occupations
Kindergarten and elementary school teaching requires a wide variety of skills and
aptitudes, including organizational administrative abilities; a talent for working with children;
communication skills; the power to influence, motivate, and train others; creativity; and
leadership ability. Workers in other occupations that require some of these aptitudes
include childcare attendants; trainers and employee development specialists; employment
interviewers; librarians; personnel specialists; public relations specialists; and social
workers and counselors.
Sources of Additional Information
Information on certification requirements is available from local school systems and
State departments of education.
Information on teachers' unions and education-related issues can be obtained from:
American Federation of Teachers, 555 New Jersey Ave. NW., Washington,
D.C. 20001.
General information on the teaching professions can be obtained from local or State
affiliates of the National Education Association.
A list of colleges and universities accredited by the National Council for Accreditation
of Teacher Education can be obtained from:
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 1919 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW., Suite 202, Washington, D.C. 20006.
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