How to Become An Elementary School Teacher

Individuals who are passionate about helping young children learn and grow will find teaching a very gratifying career. If you have ever considered becoming an elementary school teacher, there are many things you should know. Near the top of that list should be the answer to the question, “how do I even become an elementary school teacher?”

To become an elementary school teacher, you are expected to have at least a bachelor’s degree in teaching or a subject-specific area, accompanied by a teaching license in accordance with your state or district’s requirements. Then, you can start applying and interviewing for teaching positions through your state’s job listing portal. If you are successful, you will begin to teach students.

Elementary school teachers primarily teach children in kindergarten through to sixth grade (K-6). If you are set on becoming an elementary teacher, you’ll need to know and follow the steps below to help you plan your potential career path.

Table of Contents

1. Earn Your Bachelor’s Degree

In the US and many developed countries worldwide, a bachelor’s degree is the minimum educational requirement to become an elementary school teacher.

Nearly all public elementary schools require their instructors to have degrees. Private schools can be a little more lenient in terms of hiring applicants without a bachelor’s degree, but they can also be far more demanding, only hiring those with master’s degrees.

If you’re set on becoming an elementary teacher, it’s best to pursue an education degree to become better prepared for the classroom. Universities and education professors also provide students with resources helpful in licensing exams.

You may also want to enroll in some of the US’s best schools for elementary teacher education programs, which, according to US News, include Michigan State University (#1), the University of Washington, and Stanford University.

Enrolling at the best universities or teaching programs makes it easier to prepare for licensing exams, secure valuable field teaching experience, and gain skills applicable in future classrooms.

Some institutions offer online bachelor’s in elementary education programs if you can’t pursue on-campus classes. Examples of such universities include:

Walden University
Fort Hays State University
University of Alaska Southeast

Arizona Christian University
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Mount Vernon Nazarene University

College students are also expected to complete a supervised student-teaching experience. You’ll intern in a classroom to gain some valuable first-hand experience of the role and responsibilities of an elementary teacher. Moreover, you acquire practical knowledge books and courses cannot teach. The practice teaching experience is usually unpaid and can last anywhere from 14 weeks to a year.

2. Meet State Requirements

Even before you have your degree, you can start collecting or accomplishing the requirements for the licensure exam. Each state’s teaching certification and licensure criteria may vary, but these requirements must be met if you want to teach in most schools across the US.

Most states have a minimum GPA requirement for entry into their training programs. Around 15 states also require applicants to pass a basic skills test before starting a teacher training program. Enroll in training centers or ask for valuable resources from professors and previous passers.

If you want to avoid taking the exam, your only options are private or faith-based schools, as these institutions’ application processes and requirements are slightly different.

Once you’ve acquired your requirements, you can take the licensing exam. Check your state’s education department for the test schedules. You can spend the moment between the application and exam day studying and ensuring you’re all caught up with the test guidelines.

It might be possible to still gain a teaching credential without an education degree or prior teaching experience by taking alternative routes to licensure. Again, you’ll need to check your state’s requirements.

Additionally, elementary school teachers should be aware that their teaching licenses must be renewed every few years, depending on their state.

Finally, any potential teacher will have to pass through background checks before being certified as an elementary school teacher.

3. Apply For Jobs

Once you have obtained your teaching credentials and licensure, you are ready to apply for teaching positions.

You’ll probably be glad to hear that there is a high demand for elementary school teachers across the US, so securing a position is likely to be less competitive.

You can apply for teaching jobs through the state or district’s job listing website. Many states have centralized websites with job listings across the state. However, if you do so, you may not be free to choose a specific school but instead be placed at a school in which the state decides. Thus, another option is to apply directly to your preferred institution.

Be sure to research the different school districts in your area and consider your own personal preferences when beginning your job search as a teacher.

If the employers or hiring managers like your application, you will be called for an interview. They will see from your resume that you are newly qualified, but they’ll be looking for signs that you’ll become a good elementary school teacher. You can impress them with your passion and enthusiasm for teaching.

Before the interview, research a list of potential questions they might ask and prepare your answers. Try to provide examples and evidence from your student-teaching experience when responding.

Also, have some questions ready to ask the school representatives. I would recommend including the question, “what professional development opportunities does the school provide?” or something to that effect.

For more interview tips, check out this video:

4. Start Teaching

Once you’ve secured the job, your elementary school teacher journey has started – congratulations!

As a new teacher, you will not get everything right from the onset. Do the best you can and keep self-reflecting to ensure that you continue to further your practice.

It will be a good idea to befriend colleagues and be open-minded to learn from veteran teachers.

Being an elementary teacher requires excellent time management skills, which you will continue to develop with practice. In relation to this, you will learn to prioritize your responsibilities effectively. This means attending to tasks that are most important for your students’ well-being and progress, like planning engaging lessons and providing constructive feedback to students.

You must also align your teaching plans, method, and materials to your students’ grade level. For instance, if you teach kindergarten, you will need to incorporate plenty of songs and music into your teaching. Alternatively, if you opt for upper elementary grade levels, you must introduce them to more challenging topics that are foundational for middle or high school.

Check out the article “What’s the Easiest Elementary School Grade To Teach?” to help you decide which grade is most suitable.

5. Pursue Further Studies

As a teacher, it’s always best to continue accumulating knowledge even while you’re working. It ensures the material you’re teaching is up to date.

Pursuing further studies helps with promotions, and depending on your institution, you may receive support for continuing education or other professional development courses. If they do, take advantage of it.

As elementary school teachers progress in their careers, many earn additional certifications or degrees. Teachers can learn new pedagogical techniques and become familiar with innovative technologies by participating in further education programs.

If you’re interested in taking graduate or continuing education studies, you can look into the top universities of the QS World University Rankings for Education and Training:

Harvard University
University of Oxford
University of Toronto

Stanford University
University of Cambridge
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

The University of Hong Kong
Columbia University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

These institutions offer the best graduate, certificate, or continuing education courses in the field of education.

Final Thoughts

Becoming an elementary school teacher starts with pursuing a bachelor’s degree. While on the course, you will be expected to complete a student-teaching internship which will give you first-hand experience of what it’s like being a teacher at an elementary school.

The next important step is meeting the licensure requirements of the state where you plan to teach. In most cases, this will involve a skills test.

Once you have your bachelor’s degree and the correct certifications from the state, you can start applying for elementary teaching positions through the state’s website or by contacting schools directly.