I'm beginning a teaching credential this fall and I know we have a lot of teachers here, so wanted some opinions! Elementary vs. secondary...pros and cons to each? What made you choose one or the other? I'm planning on getting credentialed in both (I'm in CA and it will be one extra class + one extra test). I will be subbing a lot this year and doing observations. Plan to start in elementary but want to have the option to teach middle/high school English in the future. In general, I'm a geek on career stuff and just love to hear what people like and don't like about their jobs...not really looking for advice, just info.
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I find middle school english to be a fun, though demanding, subject to teach. I love that it's creative, allows me to teach a variety of texts, and lets me get to know my students by seeing their writing and hearing what they have to say. However, there's also a lot of pressure that comes with English as a result of standardized tests--and I've seen our curriculum become more directed by the district with every passing year. I also have a large roster every year--often 100-130 students.
With regards to secondary vs. elementary...I've thought about going to elementary (it could be so much fun! I could do whole thematic units and connect the different subject areas! Easier grading (possibly) and fewer students! But...there's also a lot of pressure of elementary school teachers, and in my particular area, their curriculum is even more mandated by the district than ours. Also, I'd often be with the same group all day, so a challenging class means it could be an even more challenging day. Just thoughts! Either way, welcome to the profession. It's smart of you to get credentialed in both. And we need good teachers!
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I'm a high school teacher and you couldn't pay me enough to spend the whole day with the same group of kids! I love having 60 minute periods where I can really engage for the whole time, and if there are kids I can't stand they are out and gone. I think I would really struggle if I had a personality clash with a child and had to see them for long periods of time, day in and day out. I also only like science and would hate to have to teach other subjects!
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I've taught lower elementary (I teach pre-k currently) and I think most teachers gravitate to a particular age-level. I love the joy & wonder of small kids learning brand new things about their world. I love teaching the fundamentals of language and math and science. I love the explicit play that helps kids learn and the thematic component. I love how "cutesy" lower elementary can be and seeing kids potential at the very beginning of their lives.
I struggle with how emotionally fragile small kids are. I struggle with having to wrangle 20-25 small humans all day with little breaks and teach social skills on top of everything else. I think elementary can be difficult because the teacher needs to be knowledgeable in every subject, not just their specialty. Also, parents are tough to deal with when their kids are younger. (But I feel like all these "pros" and "cons" could well fit in to other age groups! Or their inverse could be equally challenging. The core of teaching remains the same for all levels I think!) -
Elementary is more challenging, for sure!! Every quarter, I have to grade a little over 25 subjects (strands) per student. Not counting that I need several pieces of evidence to back up each grade. Strands times about 25 students- so about 625 report card grades per quarter and then 25 personal comment paragraphs. And that's just one of the challenges I face. If I didn't have to grade, I would have the perfect job. The teaching is easy. Grading is not.
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@808love: wow those are some really excessive grading policies! Out of the 3 districts DH & I have worked in, the requirement has only ever been one grade per week (though we usually do 3 grades every two weeks, on average). We use standards based grading but you don't have to grade every standard.
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I've taught 5th & 8th, with short stints in 2nd, 7th, and 10th. I fully agree with @atoz: @ScarletBegonia: .
Elementary:
Pro: much more motivated, love to engage with teacher, more open with their hearts, sometimes cool to do interdisciplinary stuff and take longer periods to do deeper lesson... if admin permits diverging from the schedule. Deeper relationships because less kids.
Cons: Too many subjects to teach them all well. Most end up skipping sci / SS even those are vital too. SO MUCH PLANNING (reading, writing, math, reading small groups, writing small groups, math small groups, sci, SS, etc). Lack of independence of students, self-management skills, and high-level thinking skills / discussion. Same group of kids all day.Secondary (mainly middle school, my experience)
Cons: Attitude. Disinterest in school. Pushing behavior boundaries since they're becoming young adults (expected but annoying). Sometimes a limited schedule... that can be a pro too
Pro: Delve into your subject and share your passion. Discuss current events or other thought provoking topics. Students have more independence and self-management skills. Only 60-90 minute periods, which I love - I love improving each class period and having the mini-break of new students, new lesson. Only planning 1-2 subjects (!!!!!) Plan one or two lessons per day and you're set. -
@DesertDreams88: I usually give one grade per main subject every other week for a total of 4-7 grades per quarter to calculate each strand. So on the lower end about the same sub grades but that's not even counting formative checks where students are getting feedback.
For the report cards though it is reported in strands. For example, social studies, we have 5 strands to grade: political science, economy, geography, cultural anthropology and history. It is crazy!!!! We usually put n/a for a few sections rather than grading all every single quarter but still we grade almost all. Fine arts has 2 strands, science 3, math 5.... it is way too much!! Maybe I should move to sixth grade!!
With my elem degree I could teach in a middle school and have different kinds of problems to solve.
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I loved teaching middle school. My 7th graders were my favorite. They still retained some of their childhood innocence, but old enough for meaningful engagement. They were truly a joy. My 9th graders were cool, confident, and definitely had a higher incidence of defiance. I loved them as well - but man, they pushed boundaries. It's much easier to start strict and ease up. My 8th graders were in comfortable mix of the two.
I also taught elementary, all grades. Much more difficult, more repetition, less abstract lesson plans. Some kids were more trying than my 9th graders. I preferred the older kids, so I primarily taught grades 3-6. But I really enjoyed teaching middle school.
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I would say it is less repetitive in elem because you have a different lesson plan every single hour or twenty minutes if you are doing differentiated groups. You need to be flexible, adaptable and structured all at the same time. Like teach the same thing, 5 different ways for various learning styles, paces and levels. Challenging but definitely never boring. Been doing it awhile and still passionate, although I definitely need those breaks!!
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@SugarplumsMom: could you share a bit about why and when did you stop? Also how long you did it for? I rarely hear people loving middle school.
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@808love: I teach 7th grade and love it! I never thought I would want to teach middle school, but once I was introduced to this level I loved it.
The kids are definitely LOUD and more defiant, and there is a lot of attitude at first, but once they get to know you they really are quite sweet. I like that they're old enough to joke around with a little more. Depending on the year I've taught 1-2 subjects, and I like that I can specialize more. The grading isn't fun, but I think the same can be said for any level.
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@LemonJack: Are you grading about one thing a week or something every class period? OR just a few big projects? I love project based learning and I am finding pressure to conform to teachers who love all the worksheets they print from the internet. Which is ok once in a while but not for unit after unit. I don't know which subject to pick if I went to middle school because I love them all.
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@808love: It averages out to me grading about one item per week. I would never be able to grade daily because of the number of kids I teach. I'll have 140 students this upcoming year.
I do take some completion grades, and also some small grades with exit cards, etc. The bulk of my grades come from projects, activities, and written work though. I'm not a fan of worksheets either. I'm fortunate to work in a school where interactive and project based learning is encouraged.
There are positives and negatives to all subjects, so if you're considering the switch to middle school, I would try to narrow down what you are most passionate about.
I really do love teaching kids that age. It's a lot of fun!
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