What degrees do I need to become an elementary school teacher?

Hi Savana,

I became an elementary teacher many years ago. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but I wasn't sure what I'd like to do. I went to a career day in high school, and then I decided to become a special education teacher. But, when I got to college, I also wanted to teach elementary, so I had two majors: Special Education and Elementary Education. I taught both when I was a teacher. Today, you can get an elementary degree to teach all subjects, or you could focus on one you are really good at. Do you like reading or math? You could focus just on that. Once you start college, you probably want to start in elementary education. By your junior year, think about what you really like and if you want to focus on a specific subject. Or, you can get get an elementary degree - K - 8, Primary grades, or upper elementary.

During the summers before college, I worked at a summer camp to help me learn more about what I liked and didn't like. Try that too!

Good luck Savana.

Stephanie

If you like variety, being an elementary teacher will be a great situation for you! No matter what level you teach, every teacher will have a bachelors degree with a major area of study, and at least one minor area of study in college. There is also a core group of classes all teachers complete, sometimes called professional education classes, and that would include internships and student teaching, as well.

Some colleges require elementary teachers to be "education" majors, and then a program is designed for them to meet the requirements to teach, with appropriate academic classes in subject areas like science, math, reading, language, etc., as a minor. Other colleges, like the one I attended, required an academic major and minor, with the required education classes taking up the rest of my credits.

Teaching certification for elementary grade levels also can vary by state, where elementary may be K-5, K-6, or even K-8 . When deciding on a college, you'll want to investigate how these requirements are laid out for teacher candidates, to see which fits you best.

One thing to realize, however, is that subject area knowledge is still a key to successful teaching, even at the elementary level. My teaching major was Multidisciplinary Social Science, with Science and Reading teaching minors, as well as a non-teaching Psychology minor, which did give me a wide general background for fitting into an elementary teaching environment. Probably the most important requirement, though, is caring about children and being willing to work hard to help them succeed. Best of luck! teaching elementary teaching education career