Elementary Education degree??

Question

Ok..so i am a sophomore in HS and I have always wanted to teach elementary school. So, I am going to go to college when i graduate and get a degree in Elementary Education. BUt I don't know what grade I want to teach. I know I want to teach K-5 but I'm not sure which grade. Do you get the opportunity to volunteer or teach ALL grades during college?? I know that you just student teach in just one grade but do you get to be around other grades to find out which one suits you the best?? Also if u r familiar with the elementary education program can u tell me what are some things teachers do during the program..like do they visit classrooms, talk to other teachers..etc.

Answer 1

Depending on the college you go to you may have a choice of majors - Early Childhood which is prek - 3rd or Elementary which is K-5 or 6 depedning on the state.

I go to college in florida and I am an early childhood major.  during my freshman and sophmore year at least 2 classes that i took every semester had a service/volunteer requirement where you would have to go to various schools and observe class instruction time, etc.  During my junior year their wasn't any formal requirements but many of the assignments were easier done if you volunteered at a local school.  My senior year consists of full interning.  The fall will be two full days a week - I am in K for the first half of the semester and in 1st for the second half.  In the Spring is my full time student teaching internship and I will be in 2nd for the whole time.

My school also has a service learning program which is like an extra curricular activity.  You can sign up with their office and they give you paperwork to have the teacher sign while you are volunteering.  The hours translate to credits for electives I had to take.  So I actually got 3 classes waived becuase I volunteered so much!

Good luck with your college career -we need as many dedicated teachers as possible!

Answer 2

I'm a secondary education major but most of my friends are elementary education majors so I can help you out. I go to a very education - oriented school so each year during my 4 yrs of college we have a 25hr. internship at different schools (not including student teaching). During these internships you usually help the teachers with assignments and teach little groups of students. I believe they let you choose what grade to help out in but sometimes they might not if there's not a lot of options. My suggestion is to let your future professor know your dilemma and they might let you visit all grades.

Answer 3

I am certified for middle/secondary, so I am not an expert on the subject, but from what I have learned from the elementary ed. majors I know, they spend a LOT of time in classrooms.  You will probably start out by taking some basic education classes that will expose you to major issues in the field of education, as well as give you a few opportunities to observe classes, interview a teacher or two, and maybe even lead small group activities.  As you progress through your major, you will spend more and more time in many different classrooms.  For example, you will probably have to take a reading class, which would likely require that you work one-on-one with a struggling reader, performing assesments, collecting data on his or her skills, and tutoring.  And, of course, you will spend a semester student teaching where you will be making lesson plans and teaching.

Don't worry-- by the time you earn your degree, you will most likely know what age level you want to teach.  If not, substitute teaching allows you to work with a bunch of different grades until you figure out which one best suits you.  Of course, as a beginning elementary teacher, what grade you want to teach may not matter all that much-- new teachers don't have that much say in what grade the school gives them.

Good luck!