What does a public school teacher do?
Typically, public school teachers prepare lesson plans and give instructions to students in their assigned school. The teachers establish and implement grade appropriate course work to align the academic requirements of their students. They evaluate and monitor the performance of the students as well as assess and document their progress. Most often, they are exposed to complex tasks within the function of their job. Also, they may take part in the implementation of individual education plans for certain students.
Public school teacher responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real public school teacher resumes:
- Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
- Modify curriculum to meet the needs of ESL students.
- Work with ESL pupils in addition to mainstream students.
- Participate in annual IEP meetings for individual students
- Deliver language arts instruction through a variety of literary genres including classic literary texts, creative nonfiction, and contemporary fiction.
- Plan and deliver instruction for ESOL and ESE reading groups
- Provide data-driven and differentiate instruction for primarily ESOL students.
- Reinforce and maintain behavior management through incorporating motivational activities, positive reinforcement, and school PBIS KORT systems.
Public school teacher skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of Public School Teachers are proficient in Public Schools, Classroom Management, and K-12.
We break down the percentage of Public School Teachers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Public Schools, 20%
Project Management of Cisco Phone upgrade and deployment for Denver Public Schools.
- Classroom Management, 16%
Provided fair classroom management to provide all students equal learning opportunities.
- K-12, 7%
Created lesson plans for grades K-12 and flexibly followed directions Worked with special needs students to create a more inclusive classroom
- Student Learning, 4%
Developed curricula to engage student learning, due to lack of available resources for the classroom.
- Language Arts, 4%
Tutored in math, reading, writing skills, and language arts; sessions may involve one-on-one or small group contact.
- K-6, 4%
Substitute Teacher - K-6, Deer Valley Children's Ski Instructor
Most public school teachers use their skills in "public schools," "classroom management," and "k-12" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential public school teacher responsibilities here:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a public school teacher to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what public school teachers do because "teachers need to discuss students’ needs with parents and administrators." Additionally, a public school teacher resume shows how public school teachers use communication skills: "case management, iep writing, lesson planning, communication, transition planning and teamwork"
Physical stamina. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling public school teacher duties is physical stamina. The role rewards competence in this skill because "working with kindergarten- and elementary-age students can be tiring." According to a public school teacher resume, here's how public school teachers can utilize physical stamina in their job responsibilities: "head physical education instructor at bastrop high school. "
The three companies that hire the most public school teachers are:
- Kelly Services11 public school teachers jobs
- Enviro-Clean9 public school teachers jobs
- Chicago Public Schools5 public school teachers jobs
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Compare different public school teachers
Public school teacher vs. Teacher/tutor
A teacher/tutor is primarily in charge of facilitating discussions and other learning activities for students. Their duties typically revolve around developing lesson plans and teaching materials, assessing the progress of students through quizzes and examinations, assisting students in areas they find difficult, and helping them develop their interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. Furthermore, as a teacher/tutor, it is essential to monitor the progress and behavior of students, all while maintaining a healthy and safe learning environment for them.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, public school teacher responsibilities require skills like "learning styles," "iep," "elementary schools," and "physical education." Meanwhile a typical teacher/tutor has skills in areas such as "math," "kids," "english language," and "study." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Teacher/tutors tend to make the most money working in the education industry, where they earn an average salary of $43,459. In contrast, public school teachers make the biggest average salary, $45,351, in the education industry.On average, teacher/tutors reach similar levels of education than public school teachers. Teacher/tutors are 0.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Public school teacher vs. Special education teacher
A special education teacher is responsible for teaching students with disabilities. Special education teachers are trained professionals to provide distinct learning instructions for children with special cases for them to achieve their potentials and improve their self-confidence. A special education teacher must have excellent communication and organizational skills to assist the students with their learning areas. Special education teachers should be able to come up with engaging activities to support the students' behavioral and intellectual development.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real public school teacher resumes. While public school teacher responsibilities can utilize skills like "k-6," "iep," "elementary schools," and "physical education," special education teachers use skills like "autism," "behavior management," "ieps," and "mathematics."
Special education teachers earn a higher average salary than public school teachers. But special education teachers earn the highest pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $55,080. Additionally, public school teachers earn the highest salaries in the education with average pay of $45,351 annually.special education teachers earn higher levels of education than public school teachers in general. They're 8.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for public school teachers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Diana Jones
Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University
Public school teacher vs. Head teacher
A headteacher is responsible for monitoring the students' overall learning process, managing and evaluating the performance of school staff, implementing effective learning strategies for the students, encouraging them to reach their maximum potential, and gain self-confidence. Headteachers often lead meetings, especially discussing school activities and the child's performance to their parents, implementing safety policies, and enforcing disciplinary actions for policy violations. A headteacher must have excellent leadership and communication skills to handle the students' needs and support their high-quality performance.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, public school teachers are more likely to have skills like "public schools," "k-12," "student learning," and "k-6." But a head teacher is more likely to have skills like "child care," "creative curriculum," "mathematics," and "pre-kindergarten."
Head teachers make a very good living in the retail industry with an average annual salary of $52,971. On the other hand, public school teachers are paid the highest salary in the education industry, with average annual pay of $45,351.Most head teachers achieve a similar degree level compared to public school teachers. For example, they're 5.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Public school teacher vs. Student teacher
A student-teacher is responsible for assisting their supervising instructors in maintaining the class orderliness during lectures and class activities. Student teachers' duties include helping with lesson plans, organizing learning activities, managing student behaviors, observing classroom procedures, preparing visual materials and other educational equipment, providing feedback for students, and keeping students' records for evaluation. A student-teacher must maintain excellent communication and decision-making skills to set goals and make consistent progress to the class while keeping students engaged.
Types of public school teacher
Updated January 8, 2025
