Elementary School Teacher Education Requirements
Majors Overview November 9, 2012The minimum educational requirement for prospective elementary school teachers is a bachelor degree in education. You have several colleges and universities to choose from in order to obtain a bachelor degree in education, the coursework includes common school subjects as well as on-the-job teaching experience under the supervision of a licensed teacher. In this article, I’ll take a look at the academic requirements you will need to meet before being able to pursue your career path as an elementary school teacher.
Undergraduate Educational Requirements to Become a Teacher
Prospective education graduates must satisfy some prerequisites. For instance, some colleges require prospective education graduates to attend classes on childhood education and human development including subjects ranging from fostering relationships to child psychology. Such classes may include lab courses where students can involve themselves in the analysis of various modes of education and building relationships.
Attending an interview is part of the selection process before students are allowed to enroll for a college degree in education.
Children are the beneficiaries of elementary school education, the coursework may require the prospective elementary school teacher to study a variety of curricula that involve elementary mathematics, language arts and children’s literature. The teachers may elect to attend classes in music and art to supplement their other studies.
Graduate Education Requirements to Become a Teacher
Once they are enrolled into graduate courses in elementary teaching, the prospective elementary school teachers will attend classes in social studies, science and math adhering to advanced curricula. The coursework includes subjects such as history, biology and algebra taught in greater depth.
Aimed at preparing the aspiring teachers to be able to motivate children and to create interactive classroom settings, the prospective graduates are asked to attend professional courses that include teaching methods and classroom management. The use of technology in elementary school curriculum and the assessment of student’s performance are among the targeted objectives of the graduate program.
The students gain valuable insights on how to conduct meetings with students’ parents and how to use technology including computers in imparting basic academic skills to children. Some graduate courses are devised to prepare the students to earn their teaching license even as they are studying for the degree.
Teaching Internships
Students who are pursuing a teaching degree will be assigned a teaching internship. The students are required to complete a certain number of hours of internship, so they can earn credits towards their graduation. The internships are devised to give students valuable experience by teaching them how to plan lessons and manage classes. Certain states require demonstrable expertise in standards of teaching as a criterion for licensure from the students who have completed their internship assignments.
Teacher Education Statistics
Top Schools For Teacher Education
| School Name | Tuition | Size | Degrees Granted | Degrees Granted By Type |
| Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL |
$23,850 | 6,397 | 699 | Master’s (699) |
| Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA |
$26,010 | 2,246 | 567 | Master’s (567) |
| Washington State University Pullman, WA |
$22,077 | 21,726 | 483 | Certificate (483) |
| UNC Charlotte Charlotte, NC |
$16,185 | 19,419 | 374 | Certificate (290), Bachelor’s (9),Master’s (75) |
| University of New England Biddeford, ME |
$30,500 | 2,382 | 307 | Master’s (307) |
| University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN |
$15,466 | 33,236 | 283 | Certificate (0), Master’s (274),Doctoral (9) |
| Madonna University Livonia, MI |
$14,700 | 2,956 | 274 | Certificate (263), Bachelor’s (11),Master’s (0) |
| Richard Stockton New Jersey Galloway, NJ |
$18,169 | 6,813 | 253 | Bachelor’s (216), Master’s (37) |
| University of California – Irvine Irvine, CA |
$31,387 | 21,952 | 238 | Certificate (95), Master’s (143) |
