<p>If your advisor is rubbish, step around them and go higher up the food chain. Depending on how big the education department is, you could try a degree administrator or even the deputy head. It’ll demonstrate initiative. You could also try emailing the principle of a local elementary school for advice. They might even let you come along for a short visit to speak to a teacher about their job.</p>
<p>If you can’t get the information from college, contact your state’s teaching licensing board. They’ll have a list of mandatory classes. You’ll also have your college’s general educational requirements. You’ll want to have as many of these double up with your subject knowledge requirements so that you graduate on time. </p>
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<li><p>Special education is about educating students with ‘special needs’. This could be children with dyslexia, autism, speech difficulties, sight problems, children who speak no or little English, maybe children who have very poor home lives. It can also mean gifted children. Some of these children may require their own schools, one to one teaching, an assistant during the day, a regular session with a specialist or simply educating their class teacher about how to help that child reach their potential through ‘differentiation’- teaching the same core information at different depths according to the abilities of the child. </p></li>
<li><p>Childhood education is your regular class teacher. The special education and bilingual extensions are like an extra qualification for those groups of children. They require different additional knowledge to that of a general class teacher. They’re great if you have a real interest in the area but if not, you might be better going for the straight childhood education and earning the extra credential later once you have more experience to make an informed decision.</p></li>
<li><p>Again, this will depend on your state/college. You’ll probably want to take psychology 101 plus child development. You can certainly take more if you have room in your schedule for it. I found psychology boring when I trained but it’s really important, even more so with the younger ones. </p></li>
<li><p>Until you reach your junior year and are on the program you may not need to have much/any experience in a classroom. Check your own colleges requirements out in full. Once a junior, you’ll probably have the practical element arranged for you as you’ll need to be supported and evaluated. Be prepared not to be placed somewhere local.</p></li>
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<p>You might want to get some experience for your own sake to check that being an adult in school is the environment you want to work in. You might volunteer in a class weekly, help with reading or math, run an after school activity or assist a sports coach. But check as your college may run a tutoring club where they can help place you. </p>
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<li><p>Don’t worry about the testing. Your college will prepare you and arrange the testing. You may have to do a few tests in different subjects. This will be late in your degree.</p></li>
<li><p>As an elementary school teacher, a broad range of knowledge is both expected and advisable. Language, math and science are particularly being championed at the moment so try and get some depth in these. If you have a certain ‘fear’ about a subject, try to tackle it head on now before you’re faced with it in a class. </p></li>
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<p>Read whatever teacher publications are popular with teachers. Keep an eye on job ads to see what skills schools want. Keep a folder with games, activities and lesson ideas as you come across them on the internet. And try to be flexible with location once you graduate. Geographical flexibility will help your job prospects a lot. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>