Today that teacher must fulfill many roles such as caregiver, mentor, counselor, nurse, judge, referee, and social director, as well as educator. Gone are the days of three months of vacation in the summer. Extracurricular activities were once the domain of secondary teachers.
Most elementary teachers are mothers and fathers with families of their own.
With the 90 s emphasis on the whole child , teachers must determine the learning style of each student and the type of intelligence each one possesses. No longer is verbal intelligence the only kind of ability recognized as smart . Children can be smart in terms of music or have physical intelligence, like Michael Jordan. The teacher must plan instruction to meet the needs and interests of every child. Teachers often work hours before and after school preparing lessons and constructing an environment conducive to learning-centers, thematic units, games and computer simulations, to name only a few components.