I love teaching fifth grade, but have been asked to teach eighth grade English at the same school. I'd focus on reading and writing, my passions, but wonder if I'd connect to eighth graders the way I do to fifth graders. Any ideas?

well, I guess there is only one way to find out whether you’d connect or not. I personally feel I would connect better with students at an 8th grade level than a 5th grade. Not sure why, maybe something to do with me having majority of my memorable experiences in school from that time period.

I say take the position, worst case scenario, you hate it and you end up going back to teaching 5th grade again.

Well there’s the hormone factor, and I think it’s huge. Fifth graders are mostly preadolescent; eighth graders are almost all right in the confusing first stages
of hormonal change. I think they’re almost like a different type of animal.
So besides teaching them subject matters, you have some obligation to help them with an unfamiliar sense of reality. Good luck. I’m sure literature can help them.

I say just try eighth grade for a year and if you don’t like it, go back to 5th (if that is possible). I do not know what highschool to go to, so I am trying one for a year and seeing how it is (they are both excellent schools).

If you act like a clown or something like “Hey kids! It’s time to do wacky math so come on in!” then stick to 5th (or possibly pre-k~).

Most important in my opinion is: if you could succeed to share your enthousiasm on your passions about reading and writing in that classroom the upcoming year…..
they might even remember you years from now as that ONE special teacher.. The one most of us all still remember, because she (or he)really made school more fun and enjoyable…!

Well, let just say: I drive a school bus for a private school in the Seattle area. It is a K to 12th. I have all ages on the bus from every grade starting with 2nd grade on up to the top. The fifth and 6th graders are way more compliant! 7th & 8th, maybe because of age or a new school (middle school here) control just goes to pot. They so much want to be older, they try to act older and do things they woundn’t dream of the year before. I have a huge problem of the older kids interacting with the younger kids in, what seems to me, to be a little inappropriate. This includes the 10th 11th & 12th graders spending too much time with the middle school kids and the 5th & 6th graders, but not so much with the last group. By the 8th grade the girls wear some clothes that would have gotten you kicked out of school 25 years ago. Its not just the boys boxers showing, it’s the girls mainly. Example: I called girl down for her clothing and took her to the principles office. Thats not really my job, but WOW. She had on red thong underwear with, essentially, see through white linen pants. Oh, she was a 9th grader.

If you have any lack of control now, you better stay where you are. 8th, 9th & 10th grades kids are Hell on wheels. The older ones either are absolute thugs or just a little rowdy or you wish they belonged to you. The last 2 groups are why you keep going back. In the first group you will see their names in the newspaper police blotter soon enough, and you will not be surprised! They seem out of sync with the system. Good luck.

Any questions, ask me privately. T

Can you volunteer/observe in an 8th grade classroom for a day or two? Obviously it’s not at all the same as running the classroom but at least you can get a feel for the kids and try to imagine yourself in the teacher’s position. If you can talk to the teacher(s) afterwards and share your dilemma that would probably help too.

Personally I know I would love to teach 5th grade (I currently teach 3rd) and I would never in a million years want to teach 8th. Too much social drama/insecurities/attitude for me. However 8th graders are also uniquely idealistic and passionate about becoming themselves and some teachers excel at tapping into that potential. One of my best friends teaches 8th grade English and she absolutely loves her students, insecurities and all. My advice would be to do some soul searching and see how you feel when you are around a bunch of 8th graders all day imagining yourself as their teacher.