To shape the mind of a child…it’s an awesome responsibility and as a mentor, your primary concern should be to provide the best possible educational opportunities for your students that you can. Your online Master’s degree in Elementary Education will help you to fulfill your obligation to the young minds of tomorrow. There is truly NOT a better way to give back to your community than to be a positive role model for it’s youth.
To be admitted to an online Master’s degree in Elementary Education, one must have successfully completed a bachelor’s degree program and met a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 to 3.3. Depending on your chosen program, prior teaching experience may be required.
For the most part, earning your master’s degree can be completed through an online program. They are readily available through a variety of colleges or universities, however, a student teaching component may be required which obviously can’t be completed online. Often, you can arrange for an internship within your own community to fulfill your requirements.
At the graduate level, there are two types of master’s degrees that may be of interest to you. If you have not obtained your certification, then the Master of Arts in Teaching is the degree for you. If you are a certified teacher who has already obtained your certification, then you will be interested in enhancing your teaching abilities with a Master of Education degree. Both degree programs are available online. Generally, as a requirement for an online Master of Education in Elementary Education degree, you must complete a thesis project and pass appropriate exams, per your state’s requirements.
In most programs, you may be given the opportunity to specialize in a certain concentration within the realm of elementary education. For example, you may choose to focus on English as a second language or English for language learners, Literacy, Educational Leadership, Instructional Practices or Special Education. Depending on your interest, choose the best one that is a good fit for you, if a choice is required.
Whichever concentration you decide on, generally the core classes involved in earning your online Master’s degree in Elementary Education will be similar. Core curriculum may include theories of education and practical, yet effective, teaching methods. Other studies involve classroom management, socioeconomic controls, social issues within the classroom, assessing student progress, student psychology and emotional development, lesson planning and, of course, the task of how to properly introduce students to the basics of math, reading and science. You will learn the proper way to supervise students and how to communicate with their parents. In addition, you will learn about the history of education, human development and how to conduct educational research.
To conclude, you will need licensure per your state’s requirements, however, most states have strict prerequisites such as, your school program must be accredited by the Department of Education. Additional certification may or may not be required by your state, however, if you prefer to focus on one particular subject to teach, certification credentials are impressive and shows your future employer that you are an expert in your craft, thus making you more marketable in the field of teaching. Certifications are the key to landing that dream job for it sets you apart from others who have not gone the extra mile.
If you are interested in this field, please see our choices for the Top 20 Online Master’s of Elementary Education Degree Programs.