AboutMarsha Cunningham Expertise My expertise is in 1st-3rd grade, I specialize in beginning
reading and writing, but I teach drawing and painting first to help students gain confidence.
I also use jigsaw puzzle strategy to teach concentration as a subject and enlist parents to keep their children away from scary movies,among other things,which cause nightmares, sleep deprivation and low test scores!
Experience I have taught K-3 for 24 years, given in-service to parents and teachers and presented at reading conferences. To see my children's art work and examples of improved test scores go to www.artsimprovingacademics.org
Question what degree would i need to become a 1st grade teacher.i am 14 yrs old and i love small children.so i am pursing a career in teaching 1st grade please answer my question ASAP cause i am writing a school paper and need to know what degree.
Answer Dear Samantha,
It depends on what state you're in, but in California you take one year of "How to teach" classes after your BA and I think that other classes have been added since I graduated many years ago. Your best bet is to call the university closest to you or where you intend to teach.
It also depends on whither you plan to teach elementary, middle, or high school, and if beyond 6th grade, what subjects do you want to concentrate on? Math and science teachers are always in demand, so if that was your choice, you would pick a major and minor in those fields. I also think that you want to learn as much about a computer as possible. Art and PE are not so much in demand.
In the end, It's not so much what your take, but how you take it, meaning what is your attitude about life all along the way.
Elementary school is another matter. You have to be an all around person, but mostly patient and very firm in a kind way.
The best training is outside of the classes you take in school!
Here's my best advice:
Always allow plenty of time to do your homework. Be creative with it, within the teacher's guidelines. Ask the teacher how you can employ your creativity and talents in all assignments. This keeps you interested.
A teacher must be very involved or interested in every aspect of her students' lives as pertains to school and personal development. You do not learn these things in the college or high school classroom, but in the home with your family.
Be interested in everything.
Learn something interesting everyday.
Watch no more than one hour of TV or video games per day, and try to make it an educational program.
Never complain. It will drain your energy and not be beneficial to those around you.
Never Gossip. It will ruin your personality.
See problems as a chance to use your creativity and intelligence in solving them, with your parents approval.
Interact with your family, finding fun things to do together including exercises, puzzles, skits, etc.
Especially help younger siblings or relatives with anything they need. Practice having patience and saying things kindly and simply.
Help your parents with everything in the house. Make notes for them, lists, write letters to relatives out of state.
Get a simple book on nutrition and help plan menus around nutritious foods that everyone likes. Experiment in finding new concoctions that your family will eat.
Do everything in your power to be the best role model you can be.
Keep a photo journal of all your efforts.
See if you find joy in helping others gain new skills and see if the joy increases as you help more and more. Then do you don't have to wait to be a teacher.
You are what you do.
Pray and all day long keep asking God to show you what to do and how to do things.
Everyone has gifts and talents. Discover what yours are, develop them, and always be on the lookout for the gifts and talents of all others. It's a very fun and interesting activity and you will never get tired of it. Give sincere, thoughtful compliments whenever you can.
Concentrate and listen to every word your parents and teachers say. Let them know that you heard them, give them feed back. Tell them that you've been thinking about what they said, ask questions.
Life on earth is a preparatory school. Live life rightly and it will prepare you best. Teachers in general always agree that it doesn't matter so much what students study as long as they learn to love to study. Study means to get involved, look closely and discover everything about the subject that you can.
The most important job of a teacher (and parents) is to find the gifted areas in their children and let them use these talents in some way, like teaching a skill to their classmates. Once children are happily using their gifts, and getting a little recognition for them, they are a joy to be with and teaching them is a snap.
What ever you practice you will get good at. This is the time to practice. Life will provide you with a new class every day; go out every day and pass your class.
This is the best preparation.
And my favorite motto: You can't do what you can't do, but you can do what you can do. Think about it.
