2. Career Portfolio: Elementary Teacher (Cluster: Education) By _________

3. Introduction Have you ever thought that being an elementary school teacher would be a dream job? Well, I did! I had several excellent teachers when I was young, and they motivated me to be a teacher. I also always thought teaching would be fun, because I love to learn! Lastly, I just HAD to research teaching because I found a really cool career research site, called “GAcollege411”, which has an extreme amount of career information. I searched high and low for the ins and outs of teaching to decide if it was the right career for me. Read more to find out if maybe it is right for you!

4. Training and Education All careers require some kind of training, and the same is true for teaching! Teachers must have a Bachelor’s degree, which usually takes 4 years to complete after high school. To be a teacher, you can choose from several majors. Two of the programs that would allow you to become a teacher are called “Elementary Education and Teaching” and “Teacher Education”. Teachers also have to be licensed. This means, they have to take a test to prove they are prepared to teach other people. Many teachers continue to go to school even after this to make sure they are the best they can be at their job! Wow, that’s a lot of training!

5. Work Environment The work environment for an elementary school teacher depends on where exactly they work. Generally, teachers work indoors, and hopefully they have heat and air-conditioning, so they can teach comfortably during the day. Teachers may be required to dress up, or if the school atmosphere is more relaxed, they might be able to wear jeans to work! Teachers work with both children and adults. They have to be good communicators and work well with both of these groups of people. I think the work environment for a teacher seems just my style.

6. Career Opportunities There are many opportunities in the field of teaching. Financially, the salary for a teacher varies, depending on where you live and how long you’ve been teaching. The longer you teach, the more you make! On average, a teacher in the United States earns about $55,270. The job outlook for teachers is promising. The number of jobs for teachers is expected to grow by 32% next year, which is about average for the USA. This makes teaching a stable profession to join.

7. Conclusion During my research, I discovered many things about a career in elementary education. It requires at least 4 years of college, which is great since I’m already planning to go to college. It offers a comfortable working environment with both adults and children, which I think I will enjoy. Lastly, the job outlook for teachers is promising, so I think I’ll be able to get a job when I graduate! Knowing all of this, I feel teaching is the perfect career choice for me! Do you think it’s good fit for you?

8. Sources 0 www.GAcollege411.org www.GAcollege411.org

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