Karli Hukill

13 May 2014
Economics
Career Research Paper
Mr. Fisher

An Elementary School Teacher is a profession that focuses on the education of our youth. They
focus on teaching the younger generation the skills and tasks they will need to become motivated, hard-
working, and intelligent individuals in the workforce. They are people who are driven and passionate
about what they do for the students. You need to have the desire to work with kids and the patience to
deal with their issues to be an educator. Without teachers, we would be nowhere.
To hold the profession of an Elementary Teacher, you have to attend college and receive a
bachelors degree in Elementary Education. Certain states require those who are looking to teach, to
major in science or math. Most colleges have a teaching program that will prep them for their teaching
career. For example, Michigan State University has a Teacher Preparation Program that will ensure that
you will hold all of the skills necessary to enter the workforce. If you were to teach at a private school,
you would not need to meet the state requirements (bls).
The licenses or certificates needed for teaching vary by state. All states require that you be
licensed and certified to teach in public school. All states also require you have a bachelors degree,
having completed a teacher preparation, like student teaching. They also are required to pass a general
teaching certification test and a test over the subject they want to teach. Even though elementary
teachers teach more than one subject, they still have to pass a test to earn their certificate. Teachers
also have to participate in professional development in order to keep their certification, as well as have
a background check. Typically, elementary teachers are certified to teach early childhood, which would
be pre-school through third grade. They could also be certified to teach elementary school grades, which
would be first through sixth or eighth grades. Like I had just mentioned, private school teachers do not
have to be licensed (bls).
To receive a degree and certificate from Michigan State University, it would cost $12,908 for
tuition and fees (15 credits a semester) and $8, 856 for room and board. For one year, it would cost $21,
764 and if I were to multiply the cost by the number of years I would be attending college, (in this case,
four years), it would end up costing me $87,056 for my college education. If I were to continue my
education, I would get my Masters Degree in School Counseling. The cost to attain a Masters Degree
from Michigan State University would cost $47,256 (MSU). The total cost for my education, without any
scholarships, would be $134,312.
The job outlook for teachers is likely to increase twelve percent by the year 2022. There will be a
need for teachers because of the projected growth in enrollment of students. In addition, the student-
teacher ratio will decline because they are finding that teachers need to have smaller class sizes so they
can fulfill the education of the students easier. That will lead to needing more teachers for each class.
The projected number of teachers schools throughout the country will need is 1,708,200 by the year
2022. The number of openings will vary by region, as well as the budgets in the local and state in which
you live (bls).
The starting salary for a teacher is approximately $32,450 a year (bls). After teaching for a
couple years, I would like to attain a masters degree. With a masters degree, my salary could increase
by five percent, making it $34,072 a year. If you were to have a PhD, you could make $90,200 a year
teaching, depending on which school you teach at (online degree in education). Also, most schools have
steps, which are extra money added to your salary based on experience.
The reason why I would like to hold the profession of a teacher is because I think education is
very important. My family really values education, being that there are twelve people in my family who
have influenced me to become educators just like them. I love to be around kids and watching them
learn and grow. I have been told that I have a lot of patience and that is a key characteristic to being a
good teacher. Ever since I was little, I wanted to become a teacher and I am hoping that one day I can
make that dream a reality.















Citations
"Michigan State University." . Est. 1855. East Lansing, Michigan USA.. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.

"Occupations with the most job growth." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
19 Dec. 2013. Web. 10 May 2014.

"Online Degrees in Education." Average Teaching Salary With a Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate
Degree. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.