Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers

Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers typically perform the following tasks: • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students. • Prepare children for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks. • Instruct students individually and in groups, adapting teaching methods to meet students' varying needs and interests. • Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills. • Demonstrate activities to children. • Read books to entire classes or to small groups. • Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems or special academic interests. • Observe and evaluate children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. • Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play. • Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help. • Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists. • Maintain accurate and complete student records and prepare reports on children and activities as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. • Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to children. • Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate. • Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems. • Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, and storytelling. • Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine their priorities for their children and their resource needs. • Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations. • Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress. • Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.