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What is a second grade teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Diana Jones

Second grade teachers educate students in elementary school. Their jobs include managing a classroom, designing daily schedules for students, teaching them, creating assessments, and preparing progress reports. Second grade teachers also work with other teachers in the school and the student's parents.

A second grade teacher's job is quite demanding because they have to monitor kids intently for most of the day, including lunch breaks, recess, and even potty time. The workload of a second grade teacher varies depending on class size and the availability of technology. These teachers may also need to modify their lesson plans to accommodate students with special needs.

To become a second grade teacher, you will be required to have a bachelor's degree in elementary education as well as a state license to practice. Necessary skills are creativity, patience, and multitasking.

What general advice would you give to a second grade teacher?

Dr. Diana JonesDr. Diana Jones LinkedIn profile

Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University

General advice: I would encourage graduates to find a mentor who can guide them in their careers, stay on top of the latest technology, not be too hard on themselves, be flexible, be team players, be present, and care about their students.
ScoreSecond Grade TeacherUS Average
Salary
3.9

Avg. Salary $49,630

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.6

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.52%

Asian 3.69%

Black or African American 10.04%

Hispanic or Latino 12.87%

Unknown 3.92%

White 68.96%

Gender

female 89.84%

male 10.16%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Second grade teacher career paths

Key steps to become a second grade teacher

  1. Explore second grade teacher education requirements

    Most common second grade teacher degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.6 %

    Master's

    20.7 %

    Associate

    4.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific second grade teacher skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Classroom Management30.22%
    Math13.61%
    Social Studies6.15%
    Language Arts3.87%
    Professional Development3.04%
  3. Research second grade teacher duties and responsibilities

    • Used technology such as scanning documents, creating hyperlinks and PowerPoint to document student progress for student lead conferences.
    • Grade level math representative and attend all grade level math professional development.
    • Implement a variety of teaching strategies including cooperative learning and a hands-on/manipulative approach to math and science.
    • Used small group instruction across all subjects to provide intervention and differentiation using the RTI model.
  4. Prepare your second grade teacher resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your second grade teacher resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a second grade teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable second grade teacher resume templates

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    Second Grade Teacher Resume
    Second Grade Teacher Resume
    Second Grade Teacher Resume
    Second Grade Teacher Resume
    Second Grade Teacher Resume
    Second Grade Teacher Resume
    Second Grade Teacher Resume
    Second Grade Teacher Resume
  5. Apply for second grade teacher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a second grade teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first second grade teacher job

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Average second grade teacher salary

The average second grade teacher salary in the United States is $49,630 per year or $24 per hour. Second grade teacher salaries range between $36,000 and $66,000 per year.

Average second grade teacher salary
$49,630 Yearly
$23.86 hourly

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How do second grade teachers rate their job?

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Second grade teacher reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

The kids light up my days.

Cons

The demand and low pay. Teachers have families, too.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022
Pros

You got to work with learners who will love you unconditionally. It gives a great satisfaction to be able to help them. I love learners with Special Needs and I am a Mom of one.

Cons

I can't say, maybe because there is none.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days

Cons

Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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