Summer Preparations for a Grade Level Change

Most teachers dread the idea of being called into the principal's office and told that they will be teaching a different grade level the next school year. Usually, a grade level change also comes with a classroom change. As a result, your summer off has now become a summer of work. Grade level changes are often an unwelcome reality for new and veteran teachers alike. If you are a new teacher, I can almost guarantee that you will be "bounced around" between grade levels for your first few years of teaching because the veteran teachers on your staff are usually granted their grade level preferences each year.

I spent the first two years of my career teaching first grade. I absolutely loved it! But at the end of my second year, I was informed that I would be teaching fifth grade the following year. I was terrified! The fifth graders seemed so big and intimidating compared to my precious little first graders. The thought of teaching higher-level math, science and language arts only added to my stress. Luckily, a veteran teacher on my staff took me under her wing and helped me make the transition. I'd like to share some of the helpful hints she shared with me.

Ask Other Teachers in Your Grade Level for Help

Out of all the advice she gave me, this was the best! I quickly found that teachers (even ones who worked at other schools and barely even knew me), were happy to help me in any way they could. They gave me tons of classroom materials, great ideas on how to organize the school year, and lots of assurance that I was going to love teaching the fifth grade.

Advocate for Yourself

Once you determine what your classroom needs to make you feel confident when you open your door in late August, don't be afraid to contact your principal and ask for what you want. This could be anything from a new set of desks, to some new carpet, to a particular science curriculum that you think would be ideal for your students. If you don't ask for what you want, you will have NO chance of getting it!

Get Your Room Set Up Early in the Summer

This will be a stress-reducer for you! Having your room decorated, and the seats arranged the way you want them, will help you feel like your transition is nearly complete. If you procrastinate, your stress level will rise. Having your room ready early in the summer will enable you to feel like you're still getting some time off.

Plan the First Month of School

This will be another huge stress-reducer for you. Knowing what you will do for the first month will enable you to get off to a confident start in your new grade level.

Observe Other Teachers

Once the school year starts, ask your principal for some release time so you can observe other teachers. You will be amazed at how many great ideas you will get from your observations. In addition, being in other classrooms at your grade level will help you feel more comfortable in your own classroom once you return.

While a grade level change can cause anxiety, I hope you can see that it is an opportunity to try something new. If you are a teacher who has just started in your career, you may be pleasantly surprised by how much you like teaching a different age group. If you are a veteran teacher, a grade level change can often result in a feeling of renewal and reinvigoration. Once my school year started with my fifth graders, I got over my initial feelings of anxiety quite quickly, and did indeed find that I loved teaching the upper grades. In fact, I never did go back down to the first grade. I spent the rest of my career at the fourth and fifth grade levels and was quite happy there.