2nd Grade Teacher Education Requirements and Career Information
Job Descriptions February 25, 2013A teaching license and a bachelor degree are mandatory requirements for those who aspire to become full-time second grade teachers. In the course of their duties, these professionals are required to develop lesson plans and formulate student progress reports.
Second Grade Teacher Career Duties
Teachers who are teaching students in second grade have to work with them in their early formative years, so students can start expanding their academic knowledge. The use of vibrant bulletin boards and educational games can help create an upbeat learning atmosphere in which elementary school children can have fun while getting instructed. Initially, in the second grade, teachers spend a lot of time with the review of first-grade coursework before they begin to handle more advanced coursework. There is a strong emphasis on reading comprehension in second grade coursework. Students also learn about telling time, art, social studies, and addition and subtraction. Second grade teachers not only have to teach and develop lesson plans for each subject, but also have to evaluate students’ social and academic progress using detailed report cards in which they have to communicate regularly with parents of their students. Schools also rely on second grade teachers for the selection and ordering of instructional supplies and books, and maintenance of inventory relating to those items.
Second Grade Teacher Education Requirements
Second grade teachers often hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited program by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (www.ncate.org) and obtain a state-specific teaching license. Private school teachers are not required to obtain licensure (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – BLS (www.bls.gov)), but are required to complete a bachelor degree program. However, every state has licensure requirements for public school teachers. Bachelor degree coursework typically covers general topic areas such as reading, music, art, children’s literature, science and math, as well as teacher preparation courses. These pedagogy courses include topics like teaching methods, student assessment, psychology of learning, classroom diversity and educational technology. The curriculum also aims at providing value to second grade teachers through coursework in early childhood education.
Practical Experience with Second Grade Students
A huge part of the standard second grade teacher education is spending time in an actual second grade classroom, either as a supervised student-teacher or observer. Prospective teachers can use these experiences to find out how well they are able to handle crucial situations, such as giving individual attention to students while not neglecting the class as a whole, or transitioning smoothly from one subject or activity to another.
Second Grade Teachers Career Outlook
Job growth of thirteen percent has been projected for elementary school teachers during the period from 2008 to 2018, with schools in rural and inner-city locations likely to have a high demand. In 2008, elementary school teachers earned an average annual salary of $52,240 (source: www.bls.gov).
