 By Kate Halstead With the importance placed on quality education for America's children, the number and variety of elementary education jobs are increasing each year. While classroom teachers are the backbone of the system, there's also a large team of other professionals helping ensure our children move forward with the skills necessary to succeed in life. Opportunities abound for anyone wanting an elementary teacher job regardless of their current level of education. If you have life, work or educational experience, or just a passion to work with children, you'll find plenty of elementary education jobs that take advantage of those characteristics. And with a little know-how, you can enhance your skills through a variety of certification and teaching degree programs and end up with the elementary teacher job of your dreams. 
Elementary Teacher Jobs with a High School Diploma It's a common myth that a teaching degree is necessary to work in an elementary school. Many people in elementary teaching jobs started out in support or staff positions. From crossing guards, school bus drivers and substitute classroom aides to physical education assistants, secretarial support and nutrition program staff, there are plenty of openings for those wanting to get in on the ground floor of an elementary education job. Depending on the district, passing a basic skills test is all that is necessary to start a career in elementary education. Most districts encourage employees to pursue their education by offering incentives to enroll in teaching degree and certificate programs. Elementary Education Jobs with an Associate's Degree According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over over 1.3 million teacher's assistant jobs in 2006. In a majority of school districts, an associate's degree is all that is necessary to step in and start assisting elementary teachers in a variety of ways. These paraprofessionals can be found throughout the elementary system performing jobs as varied as special needs assistants, library and literacy resource aides, nutrition specialists and physical education and activities directors. They can also be found working as after school play and tutoring program coordinators, computer technology resource personnel, natural resource and environmental education program leads, and arts and music program assistants. Those with knowledge of special needs or teaching English as a second language (ESL) are in especially high demand.
Step Ahead with a Bachelor's Teaching Degree If you picture yourself in front of a classroom, a bachelor's degree along with state certification is often all that is required. While an elementary education degree is certainly a bonus, a bachelor's degree in just about any discipline can open the door to an elementary teacher job in many districts around the U.S.. Some will require a few additional education-based credits, but many will allow you to teach and earn the credits simultaneously. Private schools often hire teachers with bachelor's degrees in their subject area and don't require teacher certification. So simply getting a non-education bachelor's degree is all you need to start your teaching career in many instances. And if your degree is in the field of computer science, music, art, drama, earth or marine science, agronomy, speech and hearing pathology, foreign language or psychology you'll find elementary schools looking for people with those skills for district-wide programs as well as classroom teaching positions. Master your Elementary Education Job Potential With the implementation of an aggressive local, state and national mandate to improve the quality of education, it's becoming more common for districts to tie increased compensation to continuing education. For many, a master's degree has become the gold standard associated with teaching excellence. For those entering education from another field, a master's degree in education, nutrition, special education, computer technologies, curriculum development, or counseling and family services can push your resume—and salary—to the top of the stack for many elementary teacher jobs.
Top Rewards for Education Specialists Teachers with a master's degree are eligible to become National Board Certified Teachers. Like board-certified doctors and accountants, teachers who achieve National Board Certification meet rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review. Rewards include a higher pay scale as well as options on the best teaching assignments. Other educational specialist teaching degrees focus on areas such as administration, special education, psychology, family services and bilingual education. These teachers fill valuable niches—and qualify for higher salary ranges—throughout the elementary system. Doctors in the Classroom While a doctorate is not required for most elementary teaching jobs, it can be surprising to discover how many people with doctorates in fields such as law, business, science, computer science, agriculture and the arts can be found in elementary school buildings. Most often these people are drawn toward elementary education because of their passion to improve the lives and education of children. District, state and national-level jobs abound for those with doctorates in one of the many education specialties. From research, curriculum development, special education and learning disability programs, to gifted student and accelerated learning programs, a doctorate focused on a specific area of elementary education can help you land a job shaping thousands of young minds instead of only those in a single classroom. Find Your Teaching Bliss According to the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, there were over 67,000 public elementary schools in the US in 2006. Regardless of your teaching degree or skill level, if you have a passion to help children learn, there's an elementary education job waiting to take advantage of everything you have to offer.
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