Which grade to teach

Teachers who choose early childhood education as a specialization often enjoy working with little kids, tend to be extraordinarily patient and good-natured, and may be drawn to this area of teaching because they want to make the most significant possible impact on their students' futures.

There are upsides and downsides to becoming an elementary school teacher. Among the pros: young children are enthusiastic learners who provide teachers numerous opportunities to be creative in the classroom. Silliness is encouraged between 1st grade and 5th grade. Because elementary school teachers handle everything from reading to science to social studies, every day is different.

Teachers spend their days with the same group of kids all year and get to form close bonds. On the downside, elementary school teachers—especially in the younger grades—have to be extra patient, extra cheerful, and not too picky about personal space. They're expected to be crafty and have a cute classroom while also doing what can amount to more lesson planning than secondary school teachers.

It can be helpful to look at elementary education as two distinct fields. Teaching in grades one through three is very different from teaching in grades four and five.

In the former classrooms, students usually need more hands-on help but are typically open-minded, enthusiastic, and kind to one another. In the upper elementary grades, students begin pushing more boundaries, and many are on the cusp of adolescence, but they're also more independent and very passionate about their favorite subjects. Unfortunately, you may not always be able to choose whether you're assigned to a first-grade or a fifth-grade classroom.

It's not uncommon for schools to ask teachers to transfer between grades, so you may need to keep an open mind about what grades you're willing to teach. Teaching in middle school and teaching high school is hard.

Your students are still technically children, but those children can have all kinds of adult-size problems, fears, and traumas. You may see the same students week in and week out, but you'll never know which personalities they'll wear on any given day.

Your students will be intelligent, engaged, and motivated. They will also be rebellious, quick to anger, and unruly. If you become a high school teacher, you'll be responsible for ensuring that students meet not only state testing standards but also the basic admissions requirements of colleges and universities.

You may be the only adult in some students' lives who encourages them to dream big But it's not all bad! The very best thing about teaching middle schoolers and high schoolers may be that you can share what you're passionate about with a population of students who are exploring the interests that will shape the rest of their lives.

Lots of teachers switch between grade levels. Some even enjoy it and find that working with different age groups has made them better teachers. When you move from upper grades to lower grades, you have a stronger sense of what you need to do to prepare students for the material in later grades.

When you move from an elementary school classroom into a middle school or high school classroom, you'll benefit from the knowledge you've gained about how children develop and the early experiences that shape how they learn. Being able to teach different grades can also make you a more valuable employee. You'll be able to transition between districts more easily, and the breadth of your experience may help you stand out from the crowd when you're looking for work.

Being flexible enough to move between grades can also help you stay employed when your school's needs change. That said, successfully moving between grades isn't easy. I've seen high school teachers teach 8th reasonably well, but in 6th those same high school teachers can't find their mark.

Conversely, I've seen elementary teachers try to teach a group of high schoolers how to conduct themselves when they do 'book buddies' with the little ones, and those same excellent elementary teachers cannot command the attention of jaded high schoolers.

There's also research that suggests that grade switching can lead to worse outcomes in students because grade switchers don't see the same year-over-year skill improvements that teachers who stick with a single grade usually see.

One study found that second graders assigned to a teacher switching from another grade lost the equivalent of about 42 to 50 days of instruction. When those students moved on to third grade, they were still behind. It can be tempting to look at teacher salaries when you're trying to decide which grade to teach, but that's not a great metric because there's not as much variation in salaries across grades as most people assume. You can earn big money as a first grade teacher in a private school in an affluent area or barely scrape by as a high school teacher in an underfunded public school.

Chances are you already have a good idea of which grade you'd like to teach, but keep an open mind. You might discover that teaching a different grade level is rewarding in ways you could never have anticipated. Some teachers really enjoy interacting with lots of students from lots of different grades. Some are only passionate about teaching because they get to share their areas of interest.

Others love the enthusiasm of younger students and being able to teach a little bit of everything. Consider whether you'd rather teach someone to read or guide them as they read a novel—those are two very different things. Most teacher preparation programs recommend taking the time to explore your options.

That's excellent advice. Look for opportunities to visit classrooms and shadow teachers in specific grade levels. Reflect on your interests and what kind of impact you want to have on your students' lives.

Do a few job searches to see where the teaching jobs are in your area. Around 10 years old. Early teens. Study hall. Gym class. They're too high. You didn't know what they get paid. It's fine considering they get summers off. They should be paid a million dollars. School starts earlier.

No more naps. No more recess. You can't stay home every day. Middle school. High school. Elementary school. Almost all of it.

You'd hang out on weekends sometimes. You only saw your friends at school. It's something you thought about. You didn't know how to get people to like you. It was the most important thing. You liked everyone equally, so you thought they would like you equally. Work hard to prove you're right. Ignore them.

Talk trash about them. Try to work it out peacefully. Police officer. You like being around them. They are offputting. Trip and fall in front of the kid to make her laugh.

The kid will be fine, kids fall down all the time. Let the parents handle it, it's not my responsibility. Rush to the child, yelling, "Oh no! Are you hurt? Wait to see if the parents notice. Do you have lots of friends? I hang out with a big group, but I'm only really close with a few.

I keep to myself, but I have a few acquaintances. Just a few close friends. You have plans with a friend for later tonight, but they just canceled. Instantly assume that you did something to upset them.

Ask them if everything is OK and see if you can help. Feel hurt and get emotional. No biggie, these things happen. Call up another friend and complain about them. When are "good parents" most important in life? When young adult begins to make important life decisions. When children are infants. When a young person begins to their way in life.

When person becomes a 1st time parent. When you are around kids, you try your best to. Help them. Inspire them. Encourage them. Protect them.