Elementary school teachers play an indispensable role in the education of our nation’s children. Because they work with children who are very young, elementary school teachers have a golden opportunity to help shape the educational, social, and moral development of children in many positive ways. Successful teachers are patient, empathic, yet disciplined individuals who possess good communication skills and who are sensitive to individual student needs and cultural backgrounds. In addition to teaching students basic subject material, a teacher’s responsibilities can range from maintaining classroom discipline to preparing report cards. Duties also extend beyond the classroom to include such things as supervising extracurricular activities, meeting with parents to discuss a student’s performance, and preparing lessons for future days. Elementary school teaching can be challenging work when having to deal with large classes or difficult children. But despite this, the chance to help children appreciate the joy of learning makes this profession extremely rewarding.