OVERVIEW
What is a Second-Grade Teacher?
Second-grade teachers wear many hats in modern academics. As primary educators, they are responsible for imparting a basic understanding of math, science, history, language, and other core courses. As protectors, they work hard to keep their students safe from any risks inside or outside of the classroom. As advocates, second-grade teachers dare their students to pursue big dreams.
Modern second-grade teachers are also largely responsible for the appropriate integration of technology into the classroom. Without overwhelming young students with technology at every avenue, second-grade teachers strive to strike a balance between traditional learning and the use of online resources.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Second-Grade Teacher Do?
Second-grade teachers are responsible for a variety of tasks, many of which contribute either to in-class education or preparatory lesson planning. The exact duties of a second-grade teacher can include:
- Preparing lesson plans for daily education.
- Deciding on technology-integration methods that introduce students to education-based technology.
- Attending educational workshops that inform second-grade teachers on optimal teaching habits and practices.
- Encouraging positive in-class interactions between students.
- Creating and maintaining a classroom environment that creates a non-judgmental setting for all students.
- Solving student issues as they arise.
- Communicating with parents of students to discuss a student’s in-class behavior, academic progress, and future goals.
These responsibilities and others represent a majority of a second-grade teacher’s day-to-day tasks.
What Is Taught in Second Grade?
Students in second grade learn a variety of basic concepts. These may include:
- Mathematical concepts like identifying and writing numbers to one hundred, two-digit subtraction, and basic calculator functionality.
- Scientific concepts like the states of matter, characteristics of electricity, common animal and plant features, and the differences between bodies of water.
- Language-arts concepts like enhanced vocabulary words and sounds, sight reading, and the use of root words to help break down compound words.
- History and social studies concepts like family trees, famous American figures, and the differences between countries.
- Artistic concepts like simple hand drawings, charcoal art, and the creation of secondary and tertiary colors with primary colors.
- Other subjects—such as music and physical education—also account for portions of a second-grade curriculum.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
What Education Does a Second-Grade Teacher Need?
If you are pursuing a career as a second-grade teacher, you will need a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. You’ll need to ensure your degree will lead to licensure in your state and will prepare you for the certification exam and process. Across the country, a bachelor’s degree is required to become licensed to teach. If you already have a bachelor’s degree, you can pursue a master’s of arts in teaching that will similarly prepare you for teaching licensure.
Second-grade teachers will become familiar with the specifics of social and emotional learning, classroom diversity inclusion, and connecting with different types of learners, through eight individual master’s courses designed to help aspiring second-grade teachers master their profession.
Best Degrees for Second-Grade Teachers
Education
Bachelor's Degrees Elementary Education
Online bachelor's degree programs built for aspiring elementary school...
Online bachelor's degree programs built for aspiring elementary school teachers who are looking to earn a teaching license.
Leads to a teaching license. Specific grade levels will vary depending on teaching certification in your state.
- Time: 68% of students finish within 36 to 38 months.
- Tuition: $3,825 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 37 to 45 (47 for Washington residents) total courses in your degree, depending on which program you pursue.
Concepts included in this program:
- Lesson Planning
- Ethics
- Behavioral Support Strategies
- Educational Psychology & Development
- Classroom Management
These online bachelor's degrees require in-classroom observation and a term of full-time student teaching.
Education
Bachelor's Degrees Special Education
Online bachelor's degree programs built for aspiring special education...
Online bachelor's degree programs built for aspiring special education teachers who are looking to earn a teaching license.
Leads to a teaching license. Specific grade levels will vary depending on teaching certification in your state.
- Time: 61% of students finish within 34 to 38 months.
- Tuition: $3,825 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 38 to 39 total courses in your degree, depending on which program you pursue.
Skills for your résumé included in this program:
- Lesson Planning
- Ethics
- Behavioral Support Strategies
- Educational Psychology & Development
- Classroom Management
These online bachelor's degrees require in-classroom observation and a term of full-time student teaching.
Education
Teaching, Elementary Education – M.A.
An online master's of arts in education degree and teacher certification...
An online master's of arts in education degree and teacher certification program for aspiring elementary school teachers who already have a bachelor's degree in a non-teaching field.
Leads to a teaching license. Specific grade levels will vary depending on teaching certification in your state.
- Time: 64% of students finish within 24 months.
- Tuition: $4,125 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 28 total courses in this program (29 for Washington residents)
Concepts included in this program:
- Lesson Planning
- Ethics
- Behavioral Support Strategies
- Educational Psychology & Development
- Classroom Management
This online teacher's degree requires in-classroom observation and a term of full-time student teaching.
Education
Teaching, Special Education (K–12) – M.A.
An online master's degree for aspiring teachers looking to further their...
An online master's degree for aspiring teachers looking to further their careers with a focus on K–12 special education.
- Time: 64% of students finish similar programs in 22 months.
- Tuition: $4,125 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 30 total courses in this program.
This program is ideal for students who already have a bachelor's degree in a non-teaching field and are looking to earn their initial teaching license.
Concepts included in this program:
- Professional, Ethical and Legal Guidelines in Special Education
- Management Strategies for Academic and Social Behavior
- Assessment and Evaluation
- Methods of Instruction and Intervention
- Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Find a rewarding career teaching students with diverse challenges and special learning abilities with this teaching master's degree.
Education
Mathematics Education – Master's
Online master's program options for current teachers, and aspiring...
Online master's program options for current teachers, and aspiring teachers who want to pursue licensure. These programs prepare you to teach math at the approved level in your state.
- Time: 64% of students finish these programs within 18 and 25 months.
- Tuition: $4,125 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 12 to 20 total courses in this program.
Completion time and total courses will vary based on the program you pursue.
Concepts included in this program:
- Trigonometry
- Calculus
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Statistics
Propel your career as a math teacher with a master's degree in mathematics education.
What Is the Salary of a Second-Grade Teacher?
$60,079
The exact salary of a second-grade teacher will vary widely, based on the teacher’s years of experience, level of tenure, employer, employer location, school district valuation, and other factors. The median salary of a second-grade teacher is $60,079.
The lowest 10% of earners take home $39,322 per year, and the top 10% of second-grade teachers can make $81,438.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
4%
Overall employment figures for elementary school teachers are expected to grow 4% from 2019 to 2029, roughly as fast as the average growth rate across all occupations.
Student enrollment totals are expected to increase over the next decade, which should result in an organic rise in the need for second-grade teachers. At the same time, school funding is often controlled by state or federal finances. To a certain extent, the continued success of second-grade teacher career options is dependent on the continued availability of necessary funding.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Second-Grade Teacher Need?
Second-grade teachers are equipped with a variety of applicable skills, which help them connect with students and provide necessary guidance inside and outside the classroom. These skills include:
- Mastery of education techniques that make lesson plans understandable and relatable for all second-grade students.
- Ability to appropriately employ problem-solving methods that help students thrive, help correct issues with student-curriculum compatibility, and tackle any other daily challenges.
- Classroom-management proficiency that keeps student workspaces clean and ripe for creativity.
- Deep patience for student questions, doubts, and issues during the education process.
- Conceptual understanding of all content to be presented to students.
- Daily flexibility to allow for more or less time to be spent on a single subject or concept, based on student needs.
- Technological proficiency that allows second-grade teachers to effectively use any technology found in the classroom.
- Record-keeping ability that allows teachers to track student grades, attendance, behavior, achievements, and subject progress.
These skills are foundational in helping second-grade teachers relate to students and improve their understanding of basic classroom concepts.
Our Online University Degree Programs Start on the First of Every Month, All Year Long
No need to wait for spring or fall semester. It's back-to-school time at WGU year-round. Get started by talking to an Enrollment Counselor today, and you'll be on your way to realizing your dream of a bachelor's or master's degree—sooner than you might think!
Next Start Date
{{startdate}}
Interested in Becoming a Second-Grade Teacher?
Learn more about degree programs that can prepare you for this meaningful career.
