Kristen
What classes in college must you take to become an elementary school teacher, and are internships necessary?
Hello, I am a junior in high school looking for possible careers for the future. I enjoy working with kids and being a leader so I thought teaching would be a good choice for me. I just have some questions to make sure I am following the correct path! #teaching #education #children #k-12-education
2 answers
Rachel Resnick
Rachel’s Answer
It's helpful to take higher-level classes in Sociology, Psychology, and Human Development. Definitely take at least two or more 2000+ level courses in these subjects. You will learn about society and how it functions in a way that may be harmful to our student and how to combat social constructions and become more aware of them. This will make you a better teacher in the long run and having and understanding of sociology as a whole will make you a better person, help you understand your students and connect with them. Studying psychology and human development will help you learn about the way people learn (and therefore you will learn how to best teach your students). Depending on the phase of life adolescents and children are in, they learn differently, and their brain works differently as well. It is essential to have an understanding of this prior to becoming an educator. It will also help you to connect with students, parents, and families. Human Development and Family Studies will also allow you to become more culturally aware of students and families that come from different backgrounds; this will allow you to unlearn implicit biases and recognize them in yourself and others (and therefore, grow from them). Overall, these three fields of study are absolutely essential when pursuing teaching. Taking the time to take 2 or more classes in each of these subjects will help you become the best teacher you can possibly be. Other than these, the more obvious answer is take as many classes as possible in the subject-area you want to teach AND take education courses.
Alyx Campbell
Alyx’s Answer
Hi Kristen,
You will absolutely have to complete practicums and student teaching if you want to be a teacher. A lot of programs will want to also see tutoring or other volunteer work throughout your undergraduate education.
This undergraduate program typically includes courses in the following subjects:
Child Psychology
Curriculum and Instruction
Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities
Diversity in the Classroom
Educational Psychology
Exceptional Children
Family, Community, and School Relations
Guidance of Social Behavior
Measurement and Evaluation
Philosophy of Education
School Health Education
Teaching Strategies
Technology in the Classroom
Programs also include methods classes in the following areas:
Art
Health
Language Arts
Math Education
Music
Physical Education
Reading
Science
Social Science
Thank you for this information and your time! I now know what I can look forward to as courses to get my degree in elementary school teaching.
Kristen