Labor Market and Career Information

Elementary School Teacher
Jerry Lopez

	Introduction Jerry Lopez changes lives, not just because of what he does but because of who he is. He is a male elementary school teacher in a school that serves mostly low-income students, many of whom lack a father in the home. His very being--a responsible, educated, kind man--is a powerful, positive influence on these kids. The subjects he teaches are not the only lessons he provides. Jerry is also an excellent example of how careers can change dramatically over time. He worked in the telecommunications field for over twenty years before going back to school and becoming a teacher. Imagine making such a switch. In many countries, it would be unheard of. Luckily for us, Americans have much more freedom when it comes to careers. Not surprisingly, Jerry tries to encourage his students to take advantage of that freedom. He urges his second grade students to think about what they might become as adults. A lot of them probably want to be just like their teacher.

	What exactly do you do? I teach second grade bilingual. Behavior management is a big part of it. My biggest role is to get their heads into school. With second graders--7 and 8 year olds--you have their attention for three and a half minutes. After that, you have to reel them back in. I teach them Math, Social Studies, Science, Language Arts, Reading and also take the kids to lunch, PE, Art or Music, depending on the day. I also do individual and group tutoring.

	What do second graders learn? Here's what our typical daily schedule looks like: 7:00am Kids arrive and eat breakfast, then they wait in a school pod and listen to a story while they wait for me to pick them up at 7:35a.m. I take them to the restroom and the classroom, where we listen to announcements 7:50am Reading (library book reading and taking book tests on computer) 8:30am Math (including double-digit addition and subtraction, money, calendar, fractions, graphs and measurements) 9:30am Art, Music or PE 10:15am Reading for English as a Second Language 11:15am Lunch and bathroom break 12:00pm Reading again 1:20pm Handwriting and Socials (the six pillars of character) 1:40pm Recess 2:00pm Science or Social Studies or, one day a week, reading buddies. 2:40pm Dismissal begins and continues until 3:00pm

	What do people think is the coolest part of your job? That I'm a man doing it. In our school, as in many schools, there are a lot of kids from single parent families. Usually, the kids live with their moms and don't have a father at home. As a result, I'm a male role model for many kids in my school, whether they're in my class or not. I'm not seeking to be a role model; I just am. There are only two other male teachers at our school. Also, every once in a while I'll have "teacher" moment when a student finally understands. Somehow something happens in their head and I realize learning has occurred. When I retell these experiences, people think it's pretty cool.

	What's your favorite part? Those teachable moments. The overall satisfaction of knowing that I'm doing something important. I will never know the number of people I affect. But I think that one day someone will come back and tell me that I influenced them in some immeasurable way.

	How do people react when they learn what you do? They think that it's cool and they're curious about how I got into it. They usually ask why I teach elementary and not high school. I say that I've coached basketball and soccer for years, beginning when my own children were in kindergarten and all the way through high school. I know kids of different ages and I remember how it was in high school myself and I don't feel I could affect that many minds in high school. I'm interested in teaching kids when they're young, when their minds are open. I encourage them to think about future careers. I have a poster on my door that asks them what they want to be when they grow up. With many high school kids, it can sometimes be too late for making the most beneficial and informed decisions for career choices.

	Describe a funny or unusual incident that happened at work. Well, there's always a tattler in every class. One day, I was taking attendance and a little girl came up to me and said "So and so's wearing baby shoes." "Go sit down please," I told her. Then what she said registered. I called her back and asked her, "Who?" I called that student over and he really was wearing small leather booties--the kind that babies wear, the kind that parents end up bronzing. "Why are you wearing these shoes?" I asked. He said, "When I got home last night my mom noticed my shoes were falling apart but didn't have time to buy new ones. She asked if I would mind wearing my little brother's shoes." "Do they fit?" I asked him. He said yes but after PE I noticed that he was walking pigeon toed. The shoes were too tight so I sent him to the nurse. She always has some shoes on hand and gave him a pair. Those shoes were too big. He came back to class carrying the little booties in a plastic sandwich bag. I'll never forget how small the shoes looked in the sandwich bag.

	What's the part you like least about your job and how do you handle it? The pay and paperwork. I can't dwell on it, though. I focus on the fact that there's a lot of satisfaction in what I do that has nothing to do with money.

	How did you become a teacher? Why bilingual? Teaching is really my second career. I worked at AT&T for 23 years until I got laid off. I had inside and outside jobs. I installed and repaired phones and phone cable. I also helped install data lines. I did everything. It's an odd feeling because I hardly remember working at that job. After I got laid off, I went back to school, to Southwest Texas, where I already had taken some classes and had credits. Eventually, I got a bachelor's degree and teaching certificate. I guess my experience being my kids' sports coach led me to teaching. In a way, I wish I'd started as a teacher and then become a parent instead of vice versa. Looking back for me personally, career guidance during my public school years would have helped tremendously. I didn't start out as a bilingual teacher, though. But there was a need for it and I knew Spanish because I'd studied it and grew up speaking it at home. So I switched.

	What pleasantly surprised you about your job when you first started? The support system within the school. If you have a problem, you just need to access the support. Also the friendliness and camaraderie of the people around you. And some of the kindness of the teachers, administrators and the students. When I first arrived I felt I got more attention because I was a man but that's gone away.

	What disappointed you? Some of the parents who aren't easy to work with. They don't realize that what they do now affects the future. When I communicate with them, they don't respond a lot of times. They complain that they can't control their kids at home. If they can't control them now, what will happen to their kids later?

	How has your job changed over time? The pay has gotten a little better. I've gotten better at communicating with parents and students. I'm better at understanding their feelings and sympathizing with what the kids are bringing to school with them--such as the problems they have in their personal lives.

	What will second grade teachers be doing ten years from now? They keep talking about doing more with computers, but my experience at AT&T is that the more computer use , the more paperwork. We're inundated with paperwork as it is. There's uncertainty with TAKS and the new law that says kids have to pass. The curriculum is being pushed down every year. A lot of what third graders did in past years is now being expected of second graders. At some point, that won't work because you run into maturity levels that won't let some kids do certain things no matter how hard you try. It'll be in either kinder or first grade. I feel that if the political decision-makers knew more about what is actually going on in our schools, they could make more informed decisions to help retain teachers and improve test scores.

	What are some of the most important skills and abilities needed for this job? A lot of patience for sure. You've also got to be willing to stick with your class management procedures and give consequences consistently when rules are broken by students. You also have to be flexible and communicate openly with others in the school. In addition you have to be able to get along with others on a daily basis and be professional about it.

	How much of that is learned and how much has to be natural aptitude? I'd say about 50 percent of the skills can be learned. The ability to manage the kids' behavior, for example, isn't something you're born with; you have to learn it. I think colleges don't give enough training on that subject. A lot of people quit teaching because they can't deal with it the first year of teaching. But behavior problems vary. Every year you get a different set of kids. Some years are more difficult than others. Our school has a lot of turnover. Kids move away and new kids come. You may have a child in your class who takes up a lot of your time, but then one day they're gone. Or your class size may change. That really makes a difference. The smaller the class size, the easier to teach.

	What information do you need to keep up in your field and where do you get it? We have workshops within the district and the Education Service Center Region 13 that we have to attend throughout the year. They focus on a wide range of topics, from course subjects (e.g., math) to behavior management to special topics (e.g., attention deficit disorder). Sometimes you may take mini-courses at a college.

	What advice do you have for people who want to enter this field? Make sure you like kids! Work on your communication skills with other adults. Learn to be a team player. Volunteer for things at schools so that you can learn what happens within a school. Try to learn and practice behavior management before you get here. Work with someone that you can observe or substitute teach before you get into teaching full-time so that you know if it's right for you.

	What do you wish someone had told you before you left high school that would've helped you with your career? It would have been helpful to talk about careers during the whole school experience--even before high school. I wish someone would have suggested or helped me learn more about career opportunities during my public school years. I now know that there's more to careers than making money--there might be something you might like to do rather than something that you can just fall into.

	Quick Facts
	The Job in Brief
	Title:	Second grade bilingual teacher
	Description:	Teach second graders a wide range of academic and social skills.
	Education level required:	In general: a Bachelor's degree and teaching certification Jerry has: a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies
	Equipment used:	Computers, TV, overhead projector and tape recorders (for listening to stories)
	Workload steady or fluctuating:	I've been teaching summer school so it stays pretty steady throughout the year. A lot of the workload--especially grading papers--depends on the number of kids in class. The state allows up to 22 students in second grade. Having 15 or 16 students is ideal for second grade.
	Dress code:	Business casual
	Work environment:	Elementary school

	Demands on Worker
	Works hours (time and duration):	7:15-3:30. When I first started, I wasn't exactly living here, but close. Now I'm experienced and doing things differently so I usually go home after school. I used to take more work home with me than I do now.
	Travel involved:	Score: 3 to go to district offices for training (1=never; 5=very often)
	Average stress level:	Score: 3 it varies from year to year (1=none; 5=a lot)
	Amount of teamwork needed:	Score: 5 you meet weekly with the team to ensure that you're following the curriculum and guidelines and to learn about upcoming events--especially things that affect time (1=none; 5=a lot)
	Level of self-motivation required:	Score: 5 you have to be self-motivated, though you need to follow guidelines, of course (1=none; 5=a lot)

	Labor Market Information
	Employment outlook:	Employment of elementary school teachers is expected to grow at the average rate for all occupations through 2008 (at least).
	Typical Texas salary:	$30,962 - $37,843 a year