Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-2021.00United States

Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $63,716
Projected change: +2.1%
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
Employment: 1.4M jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What elementary school teachers, except special education do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Instruct students individually and in groups, using teaching methods such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among the students.
Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems or with special academic interests.
Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
Read books to entire classes or small groups.
Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
Assign and grade class work and homework.
Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.
Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress.
Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, and storytelling.
Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.
Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of elementary school programs.
Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine student strengths and needs.
Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.
Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.
Organize and label materials and display students' work.
Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
Involve parent volunteers and older students in children's activities to facilitate involvement in focused, complex play.
Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $47,437
25th percentile: $57,223
50th percentile: $63,716
75th percentile: $81,512
90th percentile: $105,121

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $63,716 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+2.1%average or slower

20251,399,459 jobs

2035 projected1,429,397 jobs

29,938 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Bachelor's degree: 78.2%
Master's or Professional degree: 21.8%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Lesson Planning
Classroom Management
Curriculum Development
Learning Styles
Special Education
Instructional Strategies
Individualized Education Programs (IEP)
Differentiated Instruction
Primary Education
Educational Assessment
Parent Communication
Behavior Management
Child Development
Student Engagement
Small Group Instruction
Effective Communication
Learning Strategies
Organizational Communications
Pedagogy
Office Equipment

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Elementary Teachers8,149 postings
02Elementary School Teachers5,581 postings
035th Grade Teachers4,821 postings
043rd Grade Teachers3,387 postings
051st Grade Teachers3,129 postings
064th Grade Teachers2,981 postings
072nd Grade Teachers2,817 postings
08Upper Elementary Teachers1,658 postings
092nd Grade Elementary Teachers1,470 postings
10Elementary Classroom Teachers1,409 postings
11Teachers1,103 postings
12Elementary Music Teachers996 postings
13Long Term Substitute Teachers866 postings
14Elementary School Art Teachers741 postings
15Elementary Art Teachers734 postings
16Long Term Substitute Elementary Teachers625 postings
17Elementary Physical Education Teachers617 postings
185th/6th Grade Teachers556 postings
198th Grade Teachers494 postings
20Reading Specialists488 postings

Top employers

01Edjoin.Org2,067 postings
02KinderCare Education1,128 postings
03Jefferson County Public Schools625 postings
04Hawaii State Department Of Education496 postings
05Charter Schools USA428 postings
06Alabama Department Of Education368 postings
07IDEA Public Schools364 postings
08Wake County Public Schools363 postings
09Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools307 postings
10State Of West Virginia270 postings
11Accel Schools262 postings
12Basis Educational Group256 postings
13Montgomery County Public Schools254 postings
14National Heritage Academies245 postings
15Kelly Services242 postings
16Jefferson County234 postings
17Wayne-Finger Lakes Boces229 postings
18Michigan Association Of School Boards210 postings
19Chesterfield County Public Schools186 postings
20Amergis178 postings

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