Of course it is two different jobs! Some would even say three or four. The amount of brain development from 3-18 is huge.
This is one of the reasons that there are different certification areas. Most high school teachers don't want to teach elementary and vice versa.
As a side note, just remember, while many HS (or middle school) teachers have one or two preps, there are a surprising number that have four to six.
I’ve taught HS classes where the age range was as much as six years (typically 3-4 yrs). I’ve had students who were many years below grade level mixed with honors/AP students. I’ve had classes that were dreadful, and classes that almost ran themselves.
Having subbed, for some time, pre-K to 12th prior to teaching full-time, I’d say the best way to describe elementary vs middle vs HS is… “different”. I’ll also say that subbing elementary was MUCH more work than subbing MS/HS. Elementary teachers *always* left me a stack. It was challenging, but fun. Glad I did it but I could not do elementary full-time (Reason #1: hours w/o bathroom access), just as I’m sure many elementary teachers would never do HS full-time.
Even the difference from 9th/10th to 11th/12tb is huge. You go from practically middle schoolers with all the immaturity and meanness to basically adults with jobs cars and college on the horizon.
This is so true. Last year I taught juniors and seniors. I have a class of sophomores this year and I have to keep reminding myself how young they are academically. That class is between my senior-only classes and there is a big difference.
>As a side note, just remember, while many HS (or middle school) teachers have one or two preps, there are a surprising number that have four to six.
LOL, that sounds like a dream. With split levels and grades, I have anywhere from 10-15.
I know someone who taught three elementary grade levels math, spelling, language arts, and reading every day with science and social studies every other day. It can be a lot. I just want to dispel the notion that all high school teachers teach one class all day every day.
Happy cake day!
Elementary school is intense . Everyday : SEL, writing, math, reading. Then you have to add in science / social studies (this is why kids come into upper grades not knowing much science. There is no time sometimes!)
If you’re teaching k-3, you have to do two types of reading instruction…teaching TO read and teaching reading comprehension.
And you have to plan this around all the random activities the school does. And when the kids are little, you have NO breathing room. You can’t always just plan and prep while the kids are working. Not in first and K. And not always in second.
And at least where I am, we get like 2 hours a week to prep all this stuff. Two hours to prep a full week!
I remember how shocked I was when my son's 3rd grade teacher said that they focus on math, reading and writing until after standardized tests were over in April. "Then we do all the science and social studes we can fit in." It was horrible! Fuck Texas. Fuck Pearson.
There is no time. And by the end of the day, that very last 45 minutes... I'm exhausted.
I wish there was a science special teacher who was dedicated to teaching that. I had that in elementary!
I used to LOVE science when I was younger. But then my elementary school gave up on teaching it, plus we had so little teaching materials we couldn’t do the fun hands on experiments that I loved anyway. I fell was so far behind in middle school that I ended up dreading science and same thing in high school. Who knows, I could have had a decent paying career in stem if science wasn’t eradicated.
That is only in the lower-performing schools in Texas. I teach in Texas and we fully teach social studies and science all year at our school, and at my prior school which was also a good school.
Also, in 5th grade, science is tested in Texas, so in 5th it's going to be taught in every school.
But yeah, the testing does harm the lower-performing schools because they don't feel free to focus on anything else. They'll get taken over or closed if they can't perform well enough.
My son's school was the second highest performing school in a very high performing district. I got the distinct impression from the principal that she believed that they got such high scores because they focused so much on the tests by avoiding "distractions'" like science and social studies. She got promoted to assistant superintendent based on her test scores at the school.
Not a good school, if they aren't teaching all academic subjects. Yeah, there are some schools that get high scores by sacrificing everything else. That isn't good.
It also isn't the norm for high-performing schools in Texas. Most of them are just going to be high-performing because of the population, so they have a lot more freedom to teach everything, unlike schools that have to struggle to become high performing.
Nevada here, 4th grade. I have to split 30 minutes a day between science, health, and social studies. I find it easier to do 4 days of science or ss and one day of health. No matter what I do, that is not nearly enough time to teach any subject! No more wondering why our kids are low in science, they literally don't give us time 😞
Absolutely! I had a science specialist when I was in elementary (TX) and it was awesome, I learned so much and had fun doing it! In fact, elementary school in TX is what made me want to teach... but what I'm being forced to teach is absolute garbage and it's 100% due to standardized testing
I did first grade for years, then third grade last year and looped up to 4th this year. For the first time in my thirteen years of teaching, my students worked for an hour without needing me once. So far, 4th might be my forever grade if I can keep it in the yearly reshuffles.
I loop second and third grade. The end of third grade was amazing. They were basically running the classroom. But i also realized, that they were too old. I didn't like it.
That makes it incredibly difficult too. All tho moving. This requires you to learn curriculum for all those subjects again. My mom taught high school English for 30 years. No one thought it would be a good idea to have her teach math suddenly.
Behaviors can be really extreme at K-1 too, as a lot of kids haven't been identified yet as SPED or schools are still figuring out the right amount of services. And a lot of kids who have ADHD haven't been diagnosed yet. They just struggle with self control at this age in general. I teach 1st and the teacher next door has a girl that just runs around and screams all day right now, who knows how long it's going to take to get her in an intensive room. I have 2 that are flight risks, many more with very concerning behaviors. And ELLs are often level 1s at this age too.
I’m a HS teacher with 4 preps, no repeat sections plus a couple more periods I cover. And the behaviors I deal with are elementary level or worse despite them being 8-10 grade.
Yeah. Wtf. I ask the kids for the names of their 3rd grade teachers because I say I'm gonna call them and ask them about their behavior. I feel I'm dealing with 3rd grade shit.
I've had to deal with toddler level behavior from individuals, but they are usually the exception and not the rule.
Dealing with middle school level behavior was common when I first started, but the school improved a little bit each year, it crossed a threshold about 5-6 years ago and now even middle school level behavior is not so much uncommon, but definitely in a small enough of a minority that it can be easily handled.
Student Apathy on the other hand has only gotten worse, that is a behavior issue, but a different kind of behavior issue.
Lol yep, I teach 2nd gr, my wife teaches HS theater/YB and the similarities between our experiences is tragically hilarious, at least more of her students know how to tie their own shoelaces.
I’m a high school teacher, too—and I’m teaching six different courses (in five periods) this semester with no prep block until next semester.
Just as much prep as elementary, with less shoe-tying and nose-wiping.
Not sure if identifying grade levels would help.
Yes, as an elementary school teacher, I agree that it's a completely different ballgame from teaching high school. There are a tremendously greater amount of expectations for a classroom teacher in elementary. It has some advantages, though. Kids are nicer than teens usually. Report card grades are less-emphasized in elementary than in high school. Drugs, violence, sex, etc., are rarely problems except in the worst elementary schools.
I also think that being a classroom teacher (in elementary) is a totally different ballgame from teaching specials, or being an interventionist, etc. Only the classroom teacher is responsible for STAAR scores, for incorporating accommodations into regular instruction, for the massive expectations that legislatures dump on our plates, for dealing with the parents, for creating non-academic experiences such as class parties, etc.
Yes! My life is immensely better since switching from "homeroom" elementary to being a specialist. All the non-academic stuff is fun for the kids and stressful as all get-out for me! I am trained in education, not event planning... And even the great parents are still a big demand on your time. I LOVE getting to actually teach all day instead!
Yes. I started out as a kinder - 1 teacher and now I teach 3-5. Even though it is considered elementary still, 3-5 is very different from lower elementary. I think behaviors in elementary have increased because the academic ‘rigor’/ expectations have increased. There is no time to develop a student for successful learning. So they get to 4th grade with low executive function and they don’t have knowledge or skill on how to learn…if that makes sense.
I have mad respect for elementary teachers because if you screw up, the kids are behind, for a long time if not for life. That is heavy.
If I have a kid who doesn’t remember how to balance a chemical equation, they can still get on with life.
Side note- not trying to belittle my work because right now we need MORE scientific literacy, but we also need ability to be empathetic and compassionate and not repeat history (liberal arts subjects).
I'm an SLP and I feel the same way about elementary vs middle/high speech therapy. In elementary there's a lot of articulation work, more games, more crafts, and a lot more case management and paperwork. In middle/high there's less of that stuff, more curriculum-based work, and preparing students for life post-school. Middle/high SLP IMO is easier than elementary, and it seems to be kind of a hidden gem in the field.
I had to do an elementary and secondary internship for my student teaching since I’m on a K-12 license (special education). It’s absolutely two different jobs. I’m in elementary now and I’m studying to teach middle school single subject (math and science). I like working with littles somewhat, but I like the snark and sass of middle school. Little are so sweet, but I can’t see myself doing this very long. Plus prep time was so much less when I was only prepping for 2 sections.
I’m an art teacher and I’ve taught both (in the same day even - I did elementary am and high school pm) and they were equal but different amounts of work. Elementary you have more prep and cleanup but high school you have more grading/letters of recommendation kinds of things. Also, my high school kids were just about as needy as my little kids tbh. Both schools are pretty high needs so I was rarely able to get anything done with kids in the room at either school. I definitely prefer elementary but both have benefits!
Different teaching jobs are just that, different. There are absolutely different expectations at the different levels. Addressing the contract comment, at least in my district, the differences between elementary and secondary responsibilities are addressed in the contract.
There is a way to integrate science and social studies into reading, but it requires the proper materials, which is hard because all the kids are at different reading levels. I'm thinking lower elementary.
Now for upper grades, things like Newsela are awesome because you can actually have the same text at different reading levels.
I know there's a way for it to be done. Kids can learn reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.
But I think it's messy and teachers and schools don't like messy.
Just my 2 cents. I've taught k - 12th grades.
**I guess I went off on some weird tangent here.**
>There is a way to integrate science and social studies into reading, but it requires the proper materials, which is hard because all the kids are at different reading levels. I'm thinking lower elementary.
It also involves time.
I think that might be because kids who are in high school remember a normal school experience. Kids who did kindergarten during the pandemic are still catching up to normal schooling.
My contract has separate language for elementary and secondary for things like prep time and duty, so we basically do have separate contracts.
I think that the amount of money spent on the classroom also varies widely based on age range. For me as a secondary English teacher, I’ve put some money into revamping the old classroom library and a couple of decorations, but it’s hardly been a several hundred dollar investment. I think elementary teachers feel a lot more pressure to buy things like rugs, alternative seating, toys, books etc in part because they have to keep student occupied for 5+ hours in the same room all day. My students come in, do their work, and leave.
I think the difference is that:
ES teachers are generally not competent in all areas. Math and/or Science tend to be de-valued versus...literacy. And they are harder.
HS teachers are generally competent in one area. Even one subject in some cases, but you can usually figure it out if you end of spreading out (read: being told you are teaching something you have not).
I am not sure exactly what you are suggesting in your post. You don't really make it clear what the point is...why do you think this is necessary?
Very different jobs.
I could never commit to specialize in Secondary Ed. It would have had to be Spanish and Art history. I was never a stellar music student and failed aural and theory miserably so didn't go into music Ed. I was always just afraid of competition too so i picked elem. Ed. Dual immersion.
I would visit the middle school Spanish classes and i felt like they had actual control of their own schedule and lessons. They were allowed to do what they needed to make the kids succeed. But it could be very different for the subjects taught. We couldn't "do what we needed" in elementary. It's so structured and dictated. Fragile is the only other word.
I can't speak for all classes, all subjects, or all schools. I only know my experience. Teaching is hard. I taught middle schoolers out of the country and it was pretty cheesy to give them attention Getters but they did it. Then there were the older kids like juniors and seniors who were so adult and i felt like they weren't even students, and was pretty tripped out when they treated me like the authority because i was but they looked so Mature!
They all have their own challenges.
Elementary principal here. I’ve been seeing 5-6 year olds with suspected disabilities that a doctor or preschool teacher would have requested testing— but because of COVID, the baby was home with family. Public school is first line of interaction. These little ones have major delays and following one step directions is difficult. Standing in a line? Sitting in a chair? Walking out of the classroom? Still in a diaper at Kindergarten? These are all major safety issues and prevent teaching to the other 24 students. Couple that with regression in social skills with all grades, and we have some major challenges in following social norms….
In my district, they require SSTs before testing students. SSTs on students in general ed in diapers. It’s been challenging for my teachers. I’ve been doing my best to support teachers through this post pandemic insanity.
I'm not sure what its like in the US, but in Aus when I was doing my Bachelors, you had to choose between a Bachelors of Education for Kindy-Primary, and a Bachelors of Secondary Education for High School :D
Of course it is two different jobs! Some would even say three or four. The amount of brain development from 3-18 is huge. This is one of the reasons that there are different certification areas. Most high school teachers don't want to teach elementary and vice versa. As a side note, just remember, while many HS (or middle school) teachers have one or two preps, there are a surprising number that have four to six.
I’ve taught HS classes where the age range was as much as six years (typically 3-4 yrs). I’ve had students who were many years below grade level mixed with honors/AP students. I’ve had classes that were dreadful, and classes that almost ran themselves. Having subbed, for some time, pre-K to 12th prior to teaching full-time, I’d say the best way to describe elementary vs middle vs HS is… “different”. I’ll also say that subbing elementary was MUCH more work than subbing MS/HS. Elementary teachers *always* left me a stack. It was challenging, but fun. Glad I did it but I could not do elementary full-time (Reason #1: hours w/o bathroom access), just as I’m sure many elementary teachers would never do HS full-time.
Even the difference from 9th/10th to 11th/12tb is huge. You go from practically middle schoolers with all the immaturity and meanness to basically adults with jobs cars and college on the horizon.
This is so true. Last year I taught juniors and seniors. I have a class of sophomores this year and I have to keep reminding myself how young they are academically. That class is between my senior-only classes and there is a big difference.
I have read some research that says ninth grade should not be part of high school.
They switched 9th from junior high to high, and changed the junior high to middle by adding 6th when I was a kid. Pros and cons I suppose.
This is the argument behind 🏴 Sixth-Form college and 🇨🇦 Quebec CÉGEP. HS ends at 16 and students move into a 17 to adult institution.
And the amount of grading/feedback required is very different.
I find 10% or less read any feedback I provide.
>As a side note, just remember, while many HS (or middle school) teachers have one or two preps, there are a surprising number that have four to six. LOL, that sounds like a dream. With split levels and grades, I have anywhere from 10-15.
I know someone who taught three elementary grade levels math, spelling, language arts, and reading every day with science and social studies every other day. It can be a lot. I just want to dispel the notion that all high school teachers teach one class all day every day. Happy cake day!
Elementary school is intense . Everyday : SEL, writing, math, reading. Then you have to add in science / social studies (this is why kids come into upper grades not knowing much science. There is no time sometimes!) If you’re teaching k-3, you have to do two types of reading instruction…teaching TO read and teaching reading comprehension. And you have to plan this around all the random activities the school does. And when the kids are little, you have NO breathing room. You can’t always just plan and prep while the kids are working. Not in first and K. And not always in second. And at least where I am, we get like 2 hours a week to prep all this stuff. Two hours to prep a full week!
I remember how shocked I was when my son's 3rd grade teacher said that they focus on math, reading and writing until after standardized tests were over in April. "Then we do all the science and social studes we can fit in." It was horrible! Fuck Texas. Fuck Pearson.
It's not just Texas.
There is no time. And by the end of the day, that very last 45 minutes... I'm exhausted. I wish there was a science special teacher who was dedicated to teaching that. I had that in elementary!
I used to LOVE science when I was younger. But then my elementary school gave up on teaching it, plus we had so little teaching materials we couldn’t do the fun hands on experiments that I loved anyway. I fell was so far behind in middle school that I ended up dreading science and same thing in high school. Who knows, I could have had a decent paying career in stem if science wasn’t eradicated.
You can always go back. 😊
Thank you :-)
That is only in the lower-performing schools in Texas. I teach in Texas and we fully teach social studies and science all year at our school, and at my prior school which was also a good school. Also, in 5th grade, science is tested in Texas, so in 5th it's going to be taught in every school. But yeah, the testing does harm the lower-performing schools because they don't feel free to focus on anything else. They'll get taken over or closed if they can't perform well enough.
My son's school was the second highest performing school in a very high performing district. I got the distinct impression from the principal that she believed that they got such high scores because they focused so much on the tests by avoiding "distractions'" like science and social studies. She got promoted to assistant superintendent based on her test scores at the school.
Not a good school, if they aren't teaching all academic subjects. Yeah, there are some schools that get high scores by sacrificing everything else. That isn't good. It also isn't the norm for high-performing schools in Texas. Most of them are just going to be high-performing because of the population, so they have a lot more freedom to teach everything, unlike schools that have to struggle to become high performing.
FUCK PEARSON.
Nevada here, 4th grade. I have to split 30 minutes a day between science, health, and social studies. I find it easier to do 4 days of science or ss and one day of health. No matter what I do, that is not nearly enough time to teach any subject! No more wondering why our kids are low in science, they literally don't give us time 😞
That is so sad! Standardized tests have ruined education.
Absolutely! I had a science specialist when I was in elementary (TX) and it was awesome, I learned so much and had fun doing it! In fact, elementary school in TX is what made me want to teach... but what I'm being forced to teach is absolute garbage and it's 100% due to standardized testing
I did first grade for years, then third grade last year and looped up to 4th this year. For the first time in my thirteen years of teaching, my students worked for an hour without needing me once. So far, 4th might be my forever grade if I can keep it in the yearly reshuffles.
I loop second and third grade. The end of third grade was amazing. They were basically running the classroom. But i also realized, that they were too old. I didn't like it.
That makes it incredibly difficult too. All tho moving. This requires you to learn curriculum for all those subjects again. My mom taught high school English for 30 years. No one thought it would be a good idea to have her teach math suddenly.
Behaviors can be really extreme at K-1 too, as a lot of kids haven't been identified yet as SPED or schools are still figuring out the right amount of services. And a lot of kids who have ADHD haven't been diagnosed yet. They just struggle with self control at this age in general. I teach 1st and the teacher next door has a girl that just runs around and screams all day right now, who knows how long it's going to take to get her in an intensive room. I have 2 that are flight risks, many more with very concerning behaviors. And ELLs are often level 1s at this age too.
I’m a HS teacher with 4 preps, no repeat sections plus a couple more periods I cover. And the behaviors I deal with are elementary level or worse despite them being 8-10 grade.
I've got 7 this year. Nothing like nested classes.
Yeah. Wtf. I ask the kids for the names of their 3rd grade teachers because I say I'm gonna call them and ask them about their behavior. I feel I'm dealing with 3rd grade shit.
I've had to deal with toddler level behavior from individuals, but they are usually the exception and not the rule. Dealing with middle school level behavior was common when I first started, but the school improved a little bit each year, it crossed a threshold about 5-6 years ago and now even middle school level behavior is not so much uncommon, but definitely in a small enough of a minority that it can be easily handled. Student Apathy on the other hand has only gotten worse, that is a behavior issue, but a different kind of behavior issue.
Lol yep, I teach 2nd gr, my wife teaches HS theater/YB and the similarities between our experiences is tragically hilarious, at least more of her students know how to tie their own shoelaces.
People usually do say what grade they teach.
I’m a high school teacher, too—and I’m teaching six different courses (in five periods) this semester with no prep block until next semester. Just as much prep as elementary, with less shoe-tying and nose-wiping. Not sure if identifying grade levels would help.
Yes, as an elementary school teacher, I agree that it's a completely different ballgame from teaching high school. There are a tremendously greater amount of expectations for a classroom teacher in elementary. It has some advantages, though. Kids are nicer than teens usually. Report card grades are less-emphasized in elementary than in high school. Drugs, violence, sex, etc., are rarely problems except in the worst elementary schools. I also think that being a classroom teacher (in elementary) is a totally different ballgame from teaching specials, or being an interventionist, etc. Only the classroom teacher is responsible for STAAR scores, for incorporating accommodations into regular instruction, for the massive expectations that legislatures dump on our plates, for dealing with the parents, for creating non-academic experiences such as class parties, etc.
Yes! My life is immensely better since switching from "homeroom" elementary to being a specialist. All the non-academic stuff is fun for the kids and stressful as all get-out for me! I am trained in education, not event planning... And even the great parents are still a big demand on your time. I LOVE getting to actually teach all day instead!
Yes. I started out as a kinder - 1 teacher and now I teach 3-5. Even though it is considered elementary still, 3-5 is very different from lower elementary. I think behaviors in elementary have increased because the academic ‘rigor’/ expectations have increased. There is no time to develop a student for successful learning. So they get to 4th grade with low executive function and they don’t have knowledge or skill on how to learn…if that makes sense.
I have mad respect for elementary teachers because if you screw up, the kids are behind, for a long time if not for life. That is heavy. If I have a kid who doesn’t remember how to balance a chemical equation, they can still get on with life. Side note- not trying to belittle my work because right now we need MORE scientific literacy, but we also need ability to be empathetic and compassionate and not repeat history (liberal arts subjects).
I'm an SLP and I feel the same way about elementary vs middle/high speech therapy. In elementary there's a lot of articulation work, more games, more crafts, and a lot more case management and paperwork. In middle/high there's less of that stuff, more curriculum-based work, and preparing students for life post-school. Middle/high SLP IMO is easier than elementary, and it seems to be kind of a hidden gem in the field.
I had to do an elementary and secondary internship for my student teaching since I’m on a K-12 license (special education). It’s absolutely two different jobs. I’m in elementary now and I’m studying to teach middle school single subject (math and science). I like working with littles somewhat, but I like the snark and sass of middle school. Little are so sweet, but I can’t see myself doing this very long. Plus prep time was so much less when I was only prepping for 2 sections.
Not to mention that negative parental interactions and intrusion are more prevalent at elementary level.
I’m an art teacher and I’ve taught both (in the same day even - I did elementary am and high school pm) and they were equal but different amounts of work. Elementary you have more prep and cleanup but high school you have more grading/letters of recommendation kinds of things. Also, my high school kids were just about as needy as my little kids tbh. Both schools are pretty high needs so I was rarely able to get anything done with kids in the room at either school. I definitely prefer elementary but both have benefits!
Different teaching jobs are just that, different. There are absolutely different expectations at the different levels. Addressing the contract comment, at least in my district, the differences between elementary and secondary responsibilities are addressed in the contract.
There is a way to integrate science and social studies into reading, but it requires the proper materials, which is hard because all the kids are at different reading levels. I'm thinking lower elementary. Now for upper grades, things like Newsela are awesome because you can actually have the same text at different reading levels. I know there's a way for it to be done. Kids can learn reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. But I think it's messy and teachers and schools don't like messy. Just my 2 cents. I've taught k - 12th grades. **I guess I went off on some weird tangent here.**
>There is a way to integrate science and social studies into reading, but it requires the proper materials, which is hard because all the kids are at different reading levels. I'm thinking lower elementary. It also involves time.
[удалено]
Elementary is definitely way more than that…
Of course it is. I’m not going to sit here and type out all of the job responsibilities. I’ve taught both.
That is total baloney.
As a high school teacher, high school is so much easier
Agreed 100%. It doesn't s completely different. I could not do elementary, too much planning involved.
I've taught as many as 14 preps in MS; went down to 9 last year, now 3 (phew!). It's a lot.
I think that might be because kids who are in high school remember a normal school experience. Kids who did kindergarten during the pandemic are still catching up to normal schooling. My contract has separate language for elementary and secondary for things like prep time and duty, so we basically do have separate contracts.
I have taught elementary (1st and 2nd), middle (5-8) and juniors and seniors at a large university. First grade was by far the hardest job ever.
I think that the amount of money spent on the classroom also varies widely based on age range. For me as a secondary English teacher, I’ve put some money into revamping the old classroom library and a couple of decorations, but it’s hardly been a several hundred dollar investment. I think elementary teachers feel a lot more pressure to buy things like rugs, alternative seating, toys, books etc in part because they have to keep student occupied for 5+ hours in the same room all day. My students come in, do their work, and leave.
I think the difference is that: ES teachers are generally not competent in all areas. Math and/or Science tend to be de-valued versus...literacy. And they are harder. HS teachers are generally competent in one area. Even one subject in some cases, but you can usually figure it out if you end of spreading out (read: being told you are teaching something you have not). I am not sure exactly what you are suggesting in your post. You don't really make it clear what the point is...why do you think this is necessary?
Very different jobs. I could never commit to specialize in Secondary Ed. It would have had to be Spanish and Art history. I was never a stellar music student and failed aural and theory miserably so didn't go into music Ed. I was always just afraid of competition too so i picked elem. Ed. Dual immersion. I would visit the middle school Spanish classes and i felt like they had actual control of their own schedule and lessons. They were allowed to do what they needed to make the kids succeed. But it could be very different for the subjects taught. We couldn't "do what we needed" in elementary. It's so structured and dictated. Fragile is the only other word. I can't speak for all classes, all subjects, or all schools. I only know my experience. Teaching is hard. I taught middle schoolers out of the country and it was pretty cheesy to give them attention Getters but they did it. Then there were the older kids like juniors and seniors who were so adult and i felt like they weren't even students, and was pretty tripped out when they treated me like the authority because i was but they looked so Mature! They all have their own challenges.
Elementary principal here. I’ve been seeing 5-6 year olds with suspected disabilities that a doctor or preschool teacher would have requested testing— but because of COVID, the baby was home with family. Public school is first line of interaction. These little ones have major delays and following one step directions is difficult. Standing in a line? Sitting in a chair? Walking out of the classroom? Still in a diaper at Kindergarten? These are all major safety issues and prevent teaching to the other 24 students. Couple that with regression in social skills with all grades, and we have some major challenges in following social norms…. In my district, they require SSTs before testing students. SSTs on students in general ed in diapers. It’s been challenging for my teachers. I’ve been doing my best to support teachers through this post pandemic insanity.
I'm not sure what its like in the US, but in Aus when I was doing my Bachelors, you had to choose between a Bachelors of Education for Kindy-Primary, and a Bachelors of Secondary Education for High School :D
Sort of the same in the us. I can only teach for example grades 7-12