Finding your level

Teacher Magazine recently ran a series of three first-person narratives called “Take this job and love it.” In each, a teacher described how she had discovered their perfect grade level (elementary, middle, high school) for teaching.

I had always expected to be a high school teacher, but I was assigned to student teach in a 7th and 8th grade classroom, and discovered despite myself that I loved working with middle school students.  On the other hand, after four years teaching 7th and 8th grade, I hit a wall and ended up, like so many teachers in their first five years, out of the classroom.

Was it the grade level?  I do wonder sometimes how things might have been different if I’d started out working in a high school.

How did you choose your grade level?

Labels: Conversations

Posted by jimpud2 on May 20, 2007 1:26 PM

I started like you did, teaching 7th and 8th grade despite my high school science certification. I found my niche by accident.

Middle school ("junior high” when I started) students are just starting to show the character they will have as adults. They are exciting, exasperating and challenging to teach. However, it is the last chance to teach to the student instead of concentrating on the subject matter. When I eventually had my chance to “move up” to high school teaching, I turned it down.

I eventually spent 35 years teaching science (and occasional Language Arts, Social Stuudies and Computer Sciences) in the middle school. It was the most fun anyone could have and still get paid for it.

Posted by gharp on May 21, 2007 5:53 PM

It was not the grade level that got me into teaching – it was the children.!

I started teaching 5th grade with a degree in biology and chemistry. It was good for me because at 20 years old the high school students would have eaten me alive. I loved the 5th graders and after one year I was assigned to teach 6th graders. I thought 6th grade was a good fit for me because I had the opportunity to experience the outdoor camping program with my students. Many of my students had never left the Westside of Chicago so we had a blast in northern Wisconsin. After getting acclimated to my 6th graders, my grade was changed again – this time I was assigned the 7th and 8th graders. I finally got to teach just science. The 7th and 8th graders were so different because many were trying to discover who they were at the same time that I was trying to figure out what I wanted to teach. I thought this was where I needed to be; it was something about this age group that made me want to stay here.

Each year I found myself teaching a different grade level and after four years in elementary school, I was assigned to teach high school biology. This was a challenge for me to teach 9th – 12th graders; adolescents are opinionated, smart and well informed on most issues except the subjects that you want them to learn. I wanted to go back to elementary school and teach 5th grade but I never made it back! Actually, I connected with these adolescents as I thought about my own high school experience and the extraordinary commitment that my best teachers made to me – to make sure that I graduate and go to college. That teacher was my father because not one of my high school teachers encouraged me to go on, so I committed myself to stay in high school to inspire students to keep going!

In a way, I was happy that I started teaching in elementary school because it helped me understand my high school students better – both socially and academically!

Hi Jim!

Posted by jenn on May 23, 2007 8:46 PM

As a career changer, I did some research first. I volunteered at a science museum with elementary aged students and I observed at a friend’s high school. I used these experiences to decide that high school was the place for me. My sister-in-law is currently considering an education program to teach K-8 and I’ve strongly encouraged her to spend time with K-8 aged kids before she starts the program.

Posted by Anonymous on May 24, 2007 11:58 PM

I always wanted to teach the “little ones”. I put in three years at the beginning of my teaching career in 2nd and 3rd grade before getting my opportunity to teach Kindergarten. I have not looked back---I teach pre-school now and would only go up to Kindergarten.

Posted by Anonymous on June 7, 2007 10:53 AM

I found my niche through experiences. I always thought I’d teach elementary school. Fortunately, in special ed, you have to student teach at the elementary level and at the high school level to earn a k-12 certificate. I had more fun with the kids at the high school level than at the elementary level and realized maybe high school is where I should go. I worked at one for my first two years. While I enjoyed myself, when I went looking for a school with better pay I also decided I wanted to go back to elementary. I was there one year and was in complete shock within one week. I never realized I had to march my class everywhere in the building and had to figure out how to get through a day without a plan period that I had grown accustomed to in the high school. I went back and spent the next 5 years at the high school.

Sadly, I’ve left the classroom but it wasn’t because of the students. It was because of the administration. I still work for the district and feel I’m doing more for our students now being a resource person than I was able to as a teacher because of the restrictions my administration placed on us. I also get to see all types of programs in special education our district has and if I were to go back to the classroom, I would go back as an upper level resource teacher.