Micalah Knape

English 1301

Professor Moore

Elementary School Teacher

An elementary school teacher shapes minds of young children, and they play a key role in

their development. Teachers spend many hours in and out of the classroom preparing lessons for

their students. Elementary school teachers must work extra hard to plan lessons that will make it

fun and easy for young kids to learn and stay interactive. Becoming an elementary school teacher

takes a lot of dedication and patience but could be very rewarding in the end. Teachers go

through at least 4 years of college to get their bachelor's degree in education. They also must get

observing hours in a classroom by interacting with the children so they will be more experienced

and comfortable, and they must be able to pass teacher certification exams. Although becoming

an elementary school teacher is not easy it is a very rewarding career because you have the

power to shape young minds, there is good job growth, good working environments, and the

salary all make it worth the journey.

The job growth for elementary school teachers is rising. According to the Bureau of Labor

Statistics overall employment for teachers is projected to grow seven percent by 2026 because of

rising student enrollment. The job growth plays a significant role in wanting to be an elementary

school teacher, so it is a good thing that it is projected to grow so much by the time I graduate

with my degree.

The working environment of an elementary school teacher plays a significant role in wanting

to become a teacher. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016 there were about 1.4
million jobs. The largest employer of elementary school teachers except special education

teachers was elementary and secondary schools at 85%. In my opinion school teachers have one

of the best working schedules. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics they only generally

work when students are present but may have to meet with parents, students, and other teachers

before or after school they also will spend some evenings grading papers. Most teachers work the

traditional 10 months during the school year and get 2 months off for summer break.

The salary of an elementary school teacher is not the best but is also not the worst. According

to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the median pay for a school teacher $57,160 but can get as low

as $37,340. While the salary is not the best it would still be able to allow me to live a

comfortable life.