Students who are studying to become elementary school teachers will take a variety of classes such as educational psychology, classroom management, the history of education and curriculum-based classes in math, reading, science and social studies.
Often an elementary school teacher is asked to teach every core subject, and so the academic requirements are diverse in order to prepare the pre-service teacher for the variety of her profession, explains edu411.org.
Students can elect to major in elementary education as an undergraduate degree, or pursue another major for a bachelor's and then go back to school to take just the education classes to prepare for the profession.
After most classes have been completed, the pre-service teacher will spend up to a year in a classroom. The commitment can vary; some programs require an every-day, all-day commitment, and other programs only require the pre-service teacher to be in the classroom once a week.
While the pre-service teacher is student teaching, she will have the chance to practice her classroom management techniques, write lesson plans, and learn from the mentor teacher. She might even have a chance to sit it on Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings that establish services for students with special needs, or she may be given the chance to participate in parent/teacher conferences.
Each state requires that a pre-service teacher take from one to four tests to become initially certified. The Praxis Series is one of the most common tests used, although there are many Praxis tests. Often, a program will not graduate a pre-service teacher until the student has passed the state exam. Passing a state exam is a must for working in a public school, but private and charter schools might be slightly more lenient, says EDU411.org.
After a teacher has obtained initial certification, most of the time, this license is only good for a year or two. During this year, the teacher must complete some type of mentoring program, with guidelines outlined by the state. Sometimes the mentoring program requires little paperwork, and other times, the initial practitioner must submit a full portfolio complete with lesson plans, video and analysis of scope and sequence.
Oftentimes, it is believed that if a teacher moves from one state to another, her license will follow. Although some states are reciprocal to each other, that does not mean they will automatically accept a teaching license from another state. The practitioner might have to take and pass a test in order to apply for a license in a different state, complete a brand new mentoring program or even take classes, says the Teacher Certification Map courtesy of the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California.
A school might allow a student to attend for an extra year in order to obtain a second, more specialized certification. The need is great for special education teachers and English as a Second Language teachers, so there might be additional opportunities for teachers who hold double certifications. Although this might mean more student teaching and more tests, it can create a more well-rounded resume for the professional educator.