If you ever considered becoming a primary school teacher, this article is perfect for you. You will discover everything you need to know about the profession, including what do primary school teachers do, what do primary school teachers do on a typical day, how to become a primary school teacher and even more answers to your questions.
Being a primary school teacher is a nice job, you have many benefits. You play a direct impact on the lives of many young people. It's you who teaches them some of the most essential things, the basics. You teach young children who are curious and completely innocent. When you're a primary school teacher, you need to have patience and be able to firm and clearly state your rules and boundaries so that they listen to you. But that job can be also demanding, you spend your time planning, teaching, it's a full time job. It can be stressful, but you always have coworkers you can count on who are going through the same experience.
A primary teacher's role involves teaching young children essential subject such as writing, reading, physical education, art, English, French, math, science, and social studies. They are also here to listen to the students and teach them, not just to maintain discipline. Also, they design and deliver lessons that support student growth, builds strong connections and make new friends and to offer help to students facing academic or emotional challenges.
It is very different for each teacher, and often, the schedule changes every day of the week. And it depends on what subject you teach, if it's physical education, English or science, it's very different because often it's another teacher. But the main teacher is in charge of French, math, and art. During the day, there are also two recesses, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, plus lunch. Sometimes during recess, you have to supervise, or you're in your classroom, and during lunch you have free time, because the daycare staff takes care of the children. And in elementary school, the day ends early.
Primary teachers are working in public or private elementary schools. They are spending most of their time working in their classroom but also spend time outdoors, in school libraries and at home to plan lessons.
In Quebec, to become a primary school teacher, you need to go to the cegep. You can do a pre-University programs, or you can do the early childhood education technical. After that, you go to university to do your bachelor's degree in primary education. If you have already completed your technical program at the cegep, you have three years of university to complete. But, if you do a pre-university program, you do four years for your bachelor's degree.
A primary school teacher's salary always varies and increases based on how many years you've worked in the field. In 2026, in Quebec, you start at $27/h, after $44,23/h and level high, your'e salary is $55,30/h. -Gouvernement du Canada
Having a DEC, a college diploma and having a bachelor's degree in education
There is no danger about being a primary school teacher, but the biggest risk is your mental health. You spend many times on planning what to do with the students. And now, kids in this generation are harder to manage, especially because of the phones. Being a teacher came with many nulls. You need to be patient.
There are no chances. AI can save teachers time by handling tasks. But, the thinking, reflection and meaning- making still belong to the teacher and the learner. The robots can help with the teacher, saving 30 minutes a day can help prevent burnouts, Rather than cutting jobs, AI can support teachers by easing their workload. And elementary kids aren't allowed to use electronic objects, and they're still young, so there's less risk of them copying from AI.
Primary school teachers often retire between the age of 50 and 60 years old.
I hope this article helped you understand more about what it's really like to be a primary school teacher. Personally, I'm finishing my last semester at cegep, and after that, I'll head too university to do my bachelor's in teaching. My goal is to become a primary school teacher in the city of Sherbrooke. The information I took comes from websites that I will list, as well as from my own experience during a stage at a primary school for the cegep.
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