Elementary school teachers are vital. They are responsible for building their students鈥� literacy and for creating a foundation for children鈥檚 future education. Becoming a teacher is a noble calling and, luckily, in Connecticut, the position can also be a rewarding one. Connecticut teachers are among the best compensated, appreciated, and respected in the nation. Connecticut offers educators a competitive compensation, with the average starting salary beginning at $55,000 per year. Salaries in Connecticut are rising, too! From 2019 to 2020, teacher salaries in Connecticut grew by 5.5%. Additionally, teachers in Connecticut school districts are rewarded for pursuing higher education with tuition reimbursements. It鈥檚 not a coincidence, then, that teachers are also among the most educated! But what degrees are required of elementary school teachers in Connecticut? Read on for an exploration of Connecticut鈥檚 elementary teacher degree requirements.
Degree Requirements for Elementary Teachers in Connecticut
Connecticut requires that prospective teachers earn, at minimum, a bachelor鈥檚 degree. However, it is expected that elementary teachers in Connecticut will eventually earn a master鈥檚 degree during the course of their careers.
Bachelor鈥檚 Degree
Those who have not yet earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree may want to consider a program that offers its students a combined bachelor鈥檚 degree and certification program. You鈥檒l be required to finish at least two years of your bachelor鈥檚 degree before you鈥檙e able to enter a teacher certification program, as you鈥檒l need to have finished a significant amount of general education credits prior. If you already have a bachelor鈥檚 degree but you鈥檙e not ready to begin a master鈥檚 degree, you can pursue a post-baccalaureate program in order to complete the education requirements expected of elementary teachers, prior to taking your certification exams.
Master’s Degree
All teachers in Connecticut are required to eventually earn their master鈥檚 degree. If you鈥檙e a first-time teacher who already has a bachelor鈥檚 degree, earning a master鈥檚 degree is the ideal step to take in order to enter the profession. A master鈥檚 degree in Elementary Education is typically completed over the course of two years and requires candidates to complete their studies on a full-time basis. Earning a master鈥檚 degree will qualify future elementary school teachers to eventually earn higher levels of certification. (Read more here to learn about certification requirements for teachers.)
Required Coursework
Regardless of degree level, there are specific expected of prospective, new teachers. This coursework is dependent on the grade level and/or subject area in which teachers want to specialize. For example, aspiring elementary teachers must gain extensive knowledge in a wide range of subject areas, including math, language arts, science and social studies. Specifically, teachers who specialize in Elementary Education are required to:
- Take at least 15 semester hours in Typical and Atypical Development, Psychology of Learning, and Family Studies.
- Earn a minimum of 39 semester hours in general academic courses including Natural Sciences, Social Studies, Fine Arts, English, Mathematics, and Foreign Language.
- Complete coursework in the Foundations of Education, including classes such as Philosophy of Education, Comparative Education, or History of Education.
- Take classes in curriculum building, strategizing, and developing appropriate practices for teaching subject areas to primary grade students.
Elementary Teacher Certification Requirements
Becoming a certified elementary school teacher requires that candidates pass certain . This includes the ETS Praxis II Elementary Education test. This test covers a wide variety of topics and subject areas, including Reading and Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. Prospective elementary school teachers must also pass the Foundations of Reading test. If they鈥檙e interested in teaching grades 1, 2, or 3, they are required to also pass the .
There are three levels of Connecticut teacher certifications: Initial, Provisional, and Professional. Teachers in Connecticut must work their way through all three levels of certification over the course of their careers. However, prospective teachers must begin with their Initial Educator Certificate. Teachers are eligible for this certification after they鈥檝e completed a state-approved degree program. This Initial Certificate is valid for three years, during which time teachers should be actively teaching in order to eventually earn the Provisional Educator Certificate. The Provisional Educator Certificate can be earned after a teacher has worked for at least 10 months in an approved Connecticut public school and has finished a . This certification is valid for 8 years. The Professional Educator Certificate can be earned after the applicant has worked for at least 30 months while holding a Provisional Educator Certificate in a Connecticut public school. Applicants must also earn a graduate degree in order to qualify for this level of certification.
Becoming an elementary school teacher requires that prospective educators earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree, at minimum, before starting their career. However, teachers will find that eventually earning a master鈥檚 degree will not only be necessary, but advantageous to their career moving forward.
A master鈥檚 degree in Elementary Education prepares candidates to plan lessons and units according to state and national guidelines, pass the Praxis II exam for elementary school teachers (including the subject-specific subsections), develop curriculum for students with special needs, and pass the necessary certification exams.
If you鈥檙e interested in becoming an elementary teacher in Connecticut, you can learn more about the process by reading 51吃瓜网鈥檚 eBook, 鈥淗ow to Become a Teacher in Connecticut鈥�! Download the guide, free.