Grade Level Switch

[emmen1sm]

Help! I previously taught preschool and kindergarten and have just got a job teaching in a fifth and sixth grade self-contained classroom. Any advice you may have adjusting to this change would be appreciated.

[glynnis]

The biggest jump I've made before was Kindergarten to 3rd. You're making quite a jump! I don't know what to tell you other than seek help from others who will be teaching the same grades as you. When I went to 3rd I found it helpful to talk with others teaching 3rd in my school. They could tell me about what the students could/couldn't do, how I might need to change certain routines, etc... Good luck!

[Unregistered]

im a student and im bored @ skoll anyone no any chat sites?

[Unregistered]

As a fifth grade teacher of five years, I can tell you that you must be very patient. Fifth and sixth graders are entering or going through puberty. It is very important that you not try to embarass them in front of their peers. Their peers are very important to them at this age, even more important than their teacher. Also, don't be fake or phony with them, just be yourself. Most of all have fun and don't show much fear. They can smell the fear.:)


Good Luck!

[Unregistered]

Wow ! That is quite a jump. You are not going to know what has hit you. Talk about 'Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire'. You poor thing. Was teaching the very young ones so stressful?

My only advice is to ask other teachers, my only question, if you had doubts that you could do it, why did you apply for the job?
Good luck, you are going to need it.

[Unregistered]

Strudents at that age are at a difficult stage ie puberty. Watch them and watch your back. P**s them off and you and and respect that you may have had are finished.

[Unregistered]

I taught 5th for years. When I moved to 6th I thought, what's one year.
hehehehe was I in culture shock! I love them now and wouldn't teach any other grade except for maybe 7 or 8.

You must have an edge. Learn magic to incorporate in Math and Science, how to tie balloon animals for their birthday, learn how to TELL stories, not just read'm, but they love to be read to, especially scary stories. Try Spirit Bear, Single Shard, Almost Absolute Chaos, Most of the love the stage, so do much in the way of plays, readers' theater for the parents or school or younger age children. They get a little iffy if performing for their peers. If teach social studies, come dressed as one of the characters once in awhile. Science experiments are a must, they are MESSY but learn best through doing.
And whoaaaaaaaaaaaa when spring comes and the hormones rage, be ready, read all about adolescence, tie a knot and hang on.

Parents are always wondering why their puberty-stricken child earned all A's and B's in fifth and now could care less about academics in 6th? They want to blame the teacher because they haven't read much about adolescence, but you'll need to be an expert about adolescence and try to explain this phenomenon to them, with tact!

[Unregistered]

You MUST establish expectations in the first three days and this will determine the behavior for the rest of the year. Be honest, be warm, be firm. Say what you mean and mean what you say. They'll test you every day, sometimes every hour.

Self-contained !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk to your collegues and see if your grade level will team (each teach 1 or 2 subjects).

Read, read, read, read, read about adolescent behavior. Parents will expect you to be the expert as many are clueless about this "change" in their child.

Above all teach them manners, with peers, lunchroom, educational assistants.

Most need structure and yet you need to be above all creative and unique with many projects. Homework is not thier first priority at home. At this age they are involved in soooooooooo many extracurricular activities. An handful of parents will support homework. Make sure it is NOT busy work, NOT work they can't do alone.

Keep valium in your desk drawer :0)

[Unregistered]

I did a student teaching program that required an almost full year experience. I had kindergarten for two days a week at the beginning of the year and fifth grade full time at the end of the year. I understand how this jump can be challenging! I am currently teaching fifth grade.

The biggest difference is that these fifth graders will be a lot more independent than kindergarteners but yet need you just as much even if they don't show it. You will be able to get places much more quickly if you are running late and they can function so much more at lunch. They will turn to you a lot for friendship advice and their personalities will change frequently.

I love how you can start having wonderful conversations with fifth graders. Kindergarteners are fun for their complete innocence, but you will be surprised how much a fifth grader can discuss. Appreciate them for who they are and their changes in life. At the same time, they need more consistency in discipline than many of the other grades because their emotions are not constant. Also keep an eye out on the second semester and your girls. The girls always have a tendency, no matter how wonderful they are, to have many silly fights that they find extremely serious at the end of the year.

What you will love about fifth grade is how deep you can go with the material and how hands on you can be with their learning. They will love an active teacher that tries unique lessons. While they are older, they still love being read to out of pictures books and appreciate some activities that we might consider "childish", as long as they are not overdone. Also, keep up on their homework...some will definitely fall behind if they aren't pushed.

Have fun!

[Unregistered]

I am so excited for you! Fifth grade is a wonderful age! My advice would be to share you life with them. Tell them what you like, do, read, the foods you eat. They are so interested in you as a person not just a teacher. They still love you and admire you...not yet in the middle school stage!

Good Luck!

[Unregistered]

I went from fifth to kindergarten a few years ago so that I may stay in my building after my position was cut. I love kinders but miss fifth. Be prepared for grading the reams and reams of papers that fifth graders can generate. Give each student $10,000 to invest in the stock market after they research and give reasons for choosing their stock. Don't let them sell or trade until January. Base your reward system on checkbooks. Pay them based on the occupation they research and choose. Dock pay for missing homework and poor behavior. Make them fill out a 1040A. Let them make the questions for their tests. Get a hamster for a classroom pet and send it home each weekend after getting permission slips. They have to keep a journal for the hamster. At home they must try to teach it something from a fifth grade text, read to it 30 minutes, and do a family project with it for 30 minutes. Try to provide all five animal types in the classroom: mammal (hamster), bird (hatch chicken eggs), reptile (anole), amphibian (tadpole to frog), fish (a 10 gallon aquarium). The student leader of the day is responsible for feeding, cleaning, and general care of all animals. Also decides who can play with the critters and when. Assign a major book report each month with a creative presentation, like for biography month, have them write the report on a life-size outline of the person. Let them write original works in pairs or groups and ask for input from the rest of the class (authors chair). No put downs, only constructive criticism allowed. Great plays were written this way and presented to the whole building. Expect involvement in elections. They can research and take on the role of the candidates and do a debate. Initiate grounds clean up around the school in the spring to make it safe for the younger ones. Set up reading buddies with a younger grade class. When you know of a friend going out of the area, send a stuffed animal with them to give to someone else who is traveling. The animal can go around the world with postcards pre-addressed to the class. Send out letters to other parts of the world to other fifth grade classes asking how their lives are different or the same. Do all the hands-on science that you can. They love being involved and being helpful. Never, never underestimate what they can do. They will do their best to live up to your expectations.

[claudia]

Wow! Great descition! It´s a good chance to learn more about education. First, I´d like to tell you some tips that have worked for me. Stablish the classroom rules by teams. You have to give them the chance to stablish their own limits. Then have them working by projects in general. Be patient. They love being characterized. Good luck!!!!!!!!!

[Unregistered]

I went from 1st to 4th. The hardest thing for me to adjust to was the greater speed with which the students worked. The best part of the move was the curriculum. Remember, you are the professional. Show no fear.

[Madame J]

Hormones on steriods with legs. :0) These individuals are just beginning to think independently and yet some act as old souls, "with a what will my peers think mentality". There are so many things you will learn through trial and error... the key is not to be afraid of what might happen. Your best defense is a good offense. Get to know the parents/guardians. Introduce yourself to them through a phone call and via a letter of introduction at the beginning of the year. Always reflect upon the events that happened each day primarily to determine if something different could be done to improve expected outcome. Self-contained students will be with you all day except for electives and PE. You must be well organized and have a discipline plan that is reasonable yet enforceable. Do not threaten, by that I mean, don't follow through on doing what you say you will do. Keep your cellular phone on your person so that you may phone parents as needed. Ask parents if it is alright to call them if need be, only, after you have encountered difficulties with a student. REMEMBER... Parents send us (teachers) the very best that they have, and we must work with that to enhance their opportunities for success in society.
Classroom Organization, Discipline Plan, Keep a sense of humor and NEVER, NEVER, EVER ENGAGE IN AN EXCHANGE OF WORDS WITH A STUDENT... reason... because they feed off of it. They intentionally try and make you lose control.. I have more but I must leave. I taught self-contained my first year of teaching. Please read their files to determine each student's particular disability(ies) because they could have multiple disabilities. Don't just give them busy work, provide them with enrichment strategies and class assignments. Relate as much as you can to their everyday environment because it constitutes continuous learning experiences.

Stay Cool and reward yourself and the students in small unassuming ways.

[Unregistered]

I taught 4/5 self-contained (9 students last year) for 3 years and had a lot of fun! (This coming year I am teaching 3rd grade) These kids need charts, stickers, schedules, constant positive reinforcement and praise! If your class is anything like mine, you will have kids at all different levels and will want to work 1:1 with each. I had students at a preschool reading level and some on grade level. You will need to be very organized! Also, look at their IEP's now and create graphs for each goal. What I did is taught the class common things they needed to know...for instance time. We talked about time and what they know as a whole class. Then I had worksheets or activities for them to do focusing on the area that they needed work on...then I called them over individually to do work on their math goals on their IEP. Do what works for you! Remember that your self-contained kids will be a lot like 2-3rd graders in bigger bodies! I also had my class in charge of a school-wide fundraiser by popping popcorn every Friday and selling it for a quarter. We gave all profit to the Tsunami relief, but you could use it for things in your classroom or school too. It gave them a sense of belonging and working as a group! By the end of the year, they were popping the popcorn on their own and I was doing reading groups. Each Friday at the end of the month, we had a popcorn party in my room and my students got to watch a movie and alternate popping popcorn.