Elementary Education Degrees in Nebraska
Have you always worked well with children and wondered how you could turn that skill into a career? Teaching is one of the best ways to make a difference in your community and pursue a meaningful career. When you become an elementary school teacher, you can work with children through grade six in Nebraska. By the time you graduate, you should have a comprehensive knowledge of how children learn, grow, and change, putting you in a place to help them reach their potential.
Becoming an Elementary Teacher in Nebraska
At this stage of the process, it’s important to start checking out top elementary education programs in Nebraska and reaching out to the schools that interest you. Browse our list of local teacher education programs and request information to compare your options.
There are tons of reasons that you may be interested in a career in elementary education. To start with, it can be personally rewarding. Many look forward to work when they know their work makes a difference. Second, access to education can strengthen the community as a whole while improving individual students’ lives. Early access to education correlates with a decrease in crime and an increase in quality of life (WOWT, 2017). Long-term, your work as a teacher may help families boost their earning income, lead healthier lives, and find more productive employment.
There’s no time like the present to start planning for the future. Discover how you can earn a teaching degree in Nebraska by getting in touch with local elementary education programs today.
Getting Your Elementary Education Degree in Nebraska
To become an elementary school teacher, you have to go through several steps and meet very high standards. Education is at the base of it all, which is the case in many careers. However, educators are held to an even higher standard, since they are devoting their careers to the education of children. At minimum, you must have a Bachelor’s degree to become an elementary school teacher.
Bachelor’s programs in Nebraska tend to be fairly similar, although there are often slight differences in credit and course requirements. To graduate, you must earn no fewer than 120 credits. Some schools require close to 130 credits. Of these 120 credits, up to half come from general education coursework. The remaining credits are reserved for education courses.
Education classes have to be taken in a specific order, since the content of each course builds on the information taught in the classes prior to it. Elementary school teachers are expected to be experts in childhood cognition, child development, family structure, learning processes, and teaching techniques. As you work through your curriculum of core classes, you may study these topics and others.
Elementary Education Course Options in Nebraska
- Math for Elementary Teachers
- Children’s Literature
- PK-12 Instruction
- Music and the Creative Processes in Education
- Inclusive Practices
- Instructional Media and Technology
- Early Reading
- Curriculum, Standards, and Assessment in Elementary School
- Literacy Assessment
Elementary school teachers are responsible for knowing how to teach a variety of subjects to students of different ages and learning needs. For that reason, classroom experience is a crucial part of your training. Most Nebraska schools put you into elementary classrooms from the very first semester you’re accepted as a teaching student to your final semester in school. Early on, you may observe your supervising teacher or offer assistance as needed. This builds up throughout the duration of your career until you complete a full semester of student teaching in a nearby school. Student teaching assignments are based on your feedback from supervising teachers and the grades you’d like to teach after graduation, so you may want to start thinking about this early on.
Once you finish your elementary education degree, you may start the process of applying for a teaching license. This requires that you submit your transcripts and degree to the Nebraska Department of Education. Once they’ve approved your application, you may take the Praxis II for elementary school teachers. Upon passing this test, you may get a teaching license that is good for five years.
Throughout your time in your teaching program, make sure you’re building your understanding of what it means to be a teacher. You are held to high ethical standards in this career, and you have to appreciate the impact that your teaching has on your students. As you enhance your skills and deepen your knowledge of teaching research, you may be able to reach your full potential as an educator.
Why not take this opportunity to learn more about earning a degree in elementary education? Browse our list of Nebraska teaching programs and request information from the schools that catch your eye.
Working as an Elementary Educator in Nebraska
After graduation, you may have a few months of summer to get your job prospects in order. For some students, no job search is necessary; if your student teaching site is hiring and you impress them with your work, you may be offered a job after you get your license. Otherwise, expand your search to nearby districts. Working in an underserved or underfunded district may allow you to qualify for loan forgiveness programs for educators.
No matter how hard you work in school, you still have plenty to learn when you start working as a teacher. That’s just one of the reasons that it’s important to build up your professional network and get involved in teaching organizations. The Nebraska State Education Association is the largest teaching association in Nebraska. As a member, you may connect with other educators, attend continuing education programs, and receive legislative updates.
Elementary school teachers in Nebraska earn a range of salaries. Your salary may be determined by the district you work for and how many years of experience you have. On average, Nebraska teachers earn $54,740 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017). By the year 2024, demand for elementary school teachers may jump 7% in Nebraska (O*Net, 2017).
The future of Nebraska is determined by those who teach the next generation. Become part of this growing group now by contacting Nebraska teacher education schools.
