Unhappy with current grade level

[pearcen]

Hello. I need some advice from fellow teachers. Let me give you a quick bit of background:

During my 2-4 years of college I worked at a middle school doing various things. After I graduated (with an elementary ed. degree as well as certification to teach english grades 6-12) I decided to teach 2nd grade. Last year was my first year and like I mentioned before I taught 2nd graders. I liked it but thought I would rather teach middle LA since I had more experience working in the middle school setting. This current school year I got hired as a 7th grade LA teacher at the same middle school I worked at before. I loved it the first couple weeks. Now we are 2 weeks into our 2nd quarter and I hate it. I miss the little ones and being able to do fun games and activities to help them learn. I am feeling overwhelmed from going to having 18 students to 140+. I really want to change back to elementary school. My question is, how do you feel about teachers changing positions inbetween semesters if another position is available?

[Boxcar]

If you were teaching young children, I would tell you not to switch. As you probably know, the young ones need that consistency of care. You should never leave in the middle of the year if you can help it.

However, you are working with older children. That is a different story.

Here are some things to consider.

If you leave in the middle of the year, you will not likely ever be hired at this school again. It does not look good to leave a post before the year is over. Are you willing to have this affect you?

Consider why this position is open. Is it because the teacher is on leave? Will s/he be returning next year? This might be the case, or the previous teacher may have left because of problems with the school. Be sure of what you are getting into.

Think of ways to make seventh grade fun too. You can create fun games. The students might really enjoy them. Jepordy, Bingo, Hangman, WebQuest, Around the World, and more can all be played in your current subject area.

Remind yourself what you liked about middle school. What was great in the first few weeks? What changed? You may just be homesick right now. If that is the case, it'll probably pass. You might end the year glad you stayed.

As I said, it is up to you. Just consider what you're doing. If you want to know what I myself would do, here it is: I'd stay for the year. I'd keep my ears open for positions for the following year. If I still wasn't happy when summer came, I'd take one of these. However, I'm not actually in the situation. So, take what I have to say for what it is worth.

Good luck with your choice.

[mopar]

I would suggest trying to make the middle school more fun for you and the students. Yes it is a lot of students to teach but they are at a higher cognition level and should be able to do many fun activities.
Leaving in the middle of the year doesn't look good for you-unless of course you are tenured and are switching to a different position in the same district. Then maybe speaking with your principal but otherwise I wouldn't suggest it.
And sometimes middle schoolers need more consistency than little ones. Elementary students hit it off with most teachers but you might have a special bond with some students that they won't have with anyone else. They are constantly changing and growing-so keep that in mind before you switch.

[pearcen]

I really appreciate what you have both said. I agree that if I leave in the middle of the year I could be "burning some bridges" as they say and really don't want that to happen. I think I am going to try to stick it out until the end of the year and then re-assess the situation. I think I just need to look at it as a year long commitment I made and have to see through, whether I'm completely happy or not.

Again, thank you so much for your responses. It's nice to hear other points of view. :)

[mopar]

If you are ever looking for ways to spice up the classroom-let us know.
Continue working with younger kids during religious ed or afterschool programs.

[Boxcar]

I'm glad we could help out a bit. Sometimes it just is good to have someone else hear you. It makes things seem less mixed up.

Yes, let us know if we can help you come up with ideas. I'm sure we can all think of something. :)

[Chef Dave]

I agree with the others. If you leave mid-semester, you will burn your bridges with this district.

I think you should also consider the possibility of staying on for an additional year simply to enhance your work record. Just as you shouldn't leave mid-semester, you should avoid flip flopping jobs on an annual basis.

Consider the fact that you are a novice teacher.

All teachers need some time to settle into their jobs. In some respects, you are again working as a first year teacher since middle school is quite different from 2nd grade.

It typically takes 2-5 years for a novice teacher to "find their way" and to become comfortable with their job.

A lot of this has to do with the development of experience i.e. getting to know the curriculum, getting a feel for class management, learning how to keep your students interested and motivated etc.

Keep in mind that things are not always greener on the other side of the fence. If you were to go back to 2nd grade, you might find yourself missing the fact that middle school kids are capable of more in-depth learning and discussion than are 2nd graders. You might find yourself missing the independence of middle school kids.

I myself have taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. I am currently employed as a high school chef instructor and am the head of our small culinary arts department. There is a huge difference between high school kids and intermediate elementary kids.

Although I miss some aspects of elementary education, I like the fact that my high school kids understand my sense of humor. I also like the fact that they're (largely) capable of independent work.

[Boxcar]

I agree that finding your place can take awhile. Giving it time can be difficult, but it can be well worth it in the end. Change is hard, and it can be difficult to face the new things. Switching grades can be a big change, and it can be shocking.

[EricDNA]

Do what is right for YOU! Save yourself because the district really does not care as long as they have a body in the room. Request what you want, be pro-active and speak up or you will burn out. Save yourself, the kids are resilent about change. We had 7 math teachers last year in grade 8, bad kids who did not give a hoot about learning and their scores reflected it. Take care of yourself first. Do it now. Don't accept the change is it's not best for you.

[mopar]

Another job will come along when the year is out at an age that you might like better. But stick out the year. You don't want to make a bad impression.