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FACTOIDS:
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• According to the US Department of Education, there were 17 elementary and secondary students per teacher in public schools in 1998.
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• Many states offer alternative licensing programs to attract people to teaching, especially for hard-to-fill positions.
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• Most states have tenure laws that prevent teachers from being fired without just cause and due process.
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- Teachers act as facilitators or coaches, using interactive discussions and hands-on learning to help students learn and apply concepts in subjects such as science, math or English.
- Kindergarten and elementary school teachers play a vital role in the development of children. What children learn and experience during their early years can shape their views of themselves and the world, and affect later success or failure in school, work and their personal lives.
- Secondary school teachers help students delve more deeply into subjects introduced in elementary school and expose them to more information about the world.
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- Kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school teaching requires a variety of skills and aptitudes, including a talent for working with children and the ability to create an effective classroom learning environment.
- Teachers must also possess excellent organizational, administrative, problem-solving, conflict-resolving, and record-keeping abilities.
- Research and communication skills are essential as is the power to influence, motivate, and train others.
- Teaching also requires a high level of patience and creativity.
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- All 50 states and the District of Columbia require public school teachers to be licensed, but it is not required for teachers in private schools.
- Requirements for regular licenses vary by state. However, all states require a bachelor’s degree and completion of an approved training program with a prescribed number of subject and education credits as well as supervised practice teaching.
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- Overall employment of kindergarten, elementary and secondary school teachers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2008.
- The job market for teachers varies widely by geographic area and subject specialty. Many inner cities and rural areas have difficulty attracting enough teachers, so job prospects should continue to be better in these areas than suburban districts.
- With enrollments of minorities and non-English speaking students increasing, coupled with a shortage of minority teachers, efforts to recruit minority or bilingual teachers should intensify.
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Sources: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics; US Department of Education
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