Middle school teacher or high school teacher? How I made my choice + advice for secondary teachers
2021 ж. 25 Мам.
7 505 Рет қаралды
Teacher testing video from a few weeks ago: • English teachers! Advi...
Okay, teachers, let’s rumble!
Which is better - middle school or high school? Explain your vote.
What’s your favorite grade level to teach and why?
If you voluntarily teach 8th graders, please know that I think you are a saint. Then, leave a comment to help me understand your very brave career choice.
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I've taught 8th grade for 5 years and LOVE these kids. Old enough to get it but young enough to still play games :)
You're awesome, Briana! I love that you're there to guide them. Hallelujah!
For middle school, on day one, establish rules and routines and stick with them! With 8th graders, they want to be treated like high schoolers, so I let mine know upfront: I will treat you the way you act. For most, it works!
I hear you. The same works for my high school kids, too. I always treat them like they're a year or two older than they actually are and they (mostly) step up to meet those expectations. 👍
When I graduated with my teaching degree I wanted to teach lower elementary. Unfortunately or fortunately, there were no positions available for lower elementary, so I interviewed for a middle school position. It’s been 24 years now and I still teach middle school! I love middle schoolers. :)
Sounds like you made some delicious lemonade, Nancy. :)
Thank you this was such a helpful video!
Glad it was useful. :)
I work at a private school. I teach middle school and high school English. I prefer HS but I don’t mind teaching middle school. One of my biggest hurdles is teaching American Lit to my 11th graders. I enjoy the grammar, writing portion of my English classes as a former journalist, but it’s making the other parts of literature fun for them to understand
I hear you, Robert. That can be a challenge, and I've found some success in tying something from today's world to the historical texts. I demo an example of this here: kzhead.info/sun/rJuCn8dlq6OZm5s/bejne.html Hope this is helpful! :)
Hi Laura! Just wanted to say thank you for making this video-it is exactly what I was hoping existed on the internet somewhere. I’ve taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade the last 2 and a half years, and I’m really thinking about trying to transition to high school at the end of this year. I appreciate the perspective you provided so much! It gave me some good food for thought and also confirmed some of the things I’ve already been thinking.
Glad you found me, Chloe! And, you know, there's good and bad in everything, so... 😅
I’ve subbed for both, and have enjoyed both! Certified for middle school though, because while they’re starting to get to the point where you can talk to them like people, they’re still rocking some of that elementary cute factor (and most haven’t really started rebelling yet)… plus the content (especially in something like math) is more likely to actually be important later lol
"starting to get to the point where you can talk to them like people" = You made me laugh, Lia!
Thank you for this video! I’m currently still in school planning to go into secondary ed and I’m not sure what to make of it. I will have an ELA, ELL and a reading endorsement which might make me a better fit for middle school, but I think I prefer high school for the reasons you mentioned. I’m definitely much more interested in fostering complex discussion and advancing skill sets, rather than teaching ELA students how to write a paragraph with punctuation. Thanks for encouraging me to go with my gut! I’m excited to get some classroom experience in a middle school and see how it feels, just to be sure
Such an exciting time for you! Once you're spending time in the schools, I suspect you'll know quickly which grade level feels right to you. Circle back around sometime and check-in with me. Would love to hear how next semester goes!
Listening to KZhead videos like podcasts is so much fun! Definitely my favourite way of engaging with them.
Absolutely! Makes washing the dishes so much better.
Not all your videos are applicable to me but many of them I can find ways to connect. I am a second year teacher... about to go into my third.. but I currently teach middle school health and a little PE. Next year, I am supposed to teach middle school health and high school health and pe. I absolutely adore my content and high school is something that I have never been super inclined about just because of the content that I teach like the amount of disinterest kids have. But with middle school and younger I love their willingness to do and try even if they do need a pep talk.
Oh, Lindsey, I'm so glad you're here with me on the channel! I actually taught high school health (9th grade at first and, later, an 11th-12th combo elective) and I think you'll be happy to learn that h.s. kids are VERY interested in your course content. I imagine you'll have a lot more certainty about your preferred grade level at this time next year. :)
Thanks for this video. I’m leaning toward middle school and feel better about this decision because of the reasons you mention. I’m recently married and planning to start a family soon. And I want a position that suits this lifestyle choice.
You are so wise to think about this ahead of time, Amanda! Congratulations on your marriage and career launch. An exciting time for you! :)
I enjoy classes that have a mix of age groups. (running the fall play for instance) but I like the book ends, seniors and freshmen. I like the deep discussions with seniors and I like providing structure for the freshmen.
Oh yeah, mixed-age classes, like yearbook, were always a favorite of mine, too.
Taught 7th grade during my practicum, but got the chance to observe some high school. Decided to go the MS route for my first gig. Taught 7th grade for a couple years, then got assigned 9th grade. I've been teaching juniors and seniors the last couple years and just got my assignment for next year, which will include sophomores for the first time. I prefer high school for the level of discourse (English teacher), and I find it easier to build relationships due to my sense of humor. There is still a soft spot in my heart for 7th graders, and I sometimes daydream about going back to MS, but then I remember I have little interest in teaching 6th or 8th grade.
I totally get it, Kameron. I worked with 6th grade last fall because the position allowed me to continue with face-to-face rather than having to teach remotely. I adore the younger kids, but there's really nothing better than the give-and-take of a high school class when everything's clicking. I miss those kids a bunch.
You can't always be strong, but you can always be brave.
Beautifully said.
Super helpful video! Right now, I’m in the middle of my Secondary English Ed. degree, so this has been on my mind a lot as student teaching looms closer and closer!
Welcome, Nathan! Happy you're here to grab the baton and run with it. 😀 As you prep for that assignment, maybe this'll be helpful? kzhead.info/sun/mZeHj6pvoJenaKs/bejne.html
My favorite grades I have taught were 7th and 10th. Both grades have a bit of a handle on school because they've navigated the "new kid" year. But they don't think they are the top dogs and so they are a bit more eager to interact with their teachers/fellow students and learn from them. Also, your encouragement means more to them because they are especially hard on themselves in those years. Personally, I feel better about teaching middle school because I've taught high school and I know what I'm preparing them for. For high schoolers, I have not taught college classes and I feel like I might not be strenuous enough for them. I do like interacting with HS more than MS, so I tend to volunteer more with them. I agree, 8th grade is super challenging. I haven't had to teach 8th in a while, but I'm often giving strategies to 8th grade teachers to help them survive the crazy hormone attitudes that run rampant in the 8th grade year.
Words of wisdom from you, keys teacher. :) I'd definitely volunteer for 7th over 8th to avoid those "crazy hormone attitudes" you mentioned. You get it. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Fiduciary Responsibility: Make sure you have enough School & Public Service Professionals available if vaccine experiment shows failures in the winter. Especially school teachers administrators and any power/nuclear services in your area
GAH! I love my 8th graders, even after 30 years.
You, my friend, are my hero. :)
I think 8th is ideal...young enough to still play along but old enough to want to dig into ideas. Love 8th!
@@jennifermcguinness4275 Y'all are making me see there's a lot of crossover with the 9th graders I love so much. Thanks for this!
Rikki Tikki Tavi... oh my. Memories of teaching middle school.
I thought I wanted high school, but now I teach 5th grade English. I could not be happier! I actually suspect I would like high school a lot more now that I'm older. It was tough to teach high schoolers when I looked like one. Plus, the authority and knowledge that comes from experience just wasn't there yet. There's a bit more room for error with the littles. Teenagers will expertly bite your head off if they see weakness or flaws in your teaching. 😅
For sure, Emily. High schoolers have no qualms about letting you know how you're doing. 😂
I still battle with my decision of teaching 7-8th (mainly 8th over the years). Fifteen years in, I’m too afraid to start over in the HS and possibly make a mistake. I always say...”Grass isn’t always greener.” 🤷🏼♀️ In all honesty I hope to be out of teaching once I figure out another career that still contributes to my pension/med benefits.
Hey, Brie! I hear you. Sometimes, it's better to stick with what's known. Also, just wanted to let you know I made a video this weekend especially for you (yes!) that'll be posted on Wednesday. Stick around! I have some TpT advice that might help you start building that bridge to a new future...😊
Hard to say what I prefer. I've taught from primary through university and all levels have their advantages and drawbacks.. Also it really depends on the particular group of students themselves.. A great class at any level changes the game completely.. So it really depends.
For sure, Alex. Isn't it wild how the particular chemistry of those individual 35 kids can change everything? I've seen it time and time again. Sometimes, it's just magic - we all click and run fast together! Those are the classes I'll never forget. :)
I've taught grades 6-8 for the last 18 years, with most of those years in 8th grade. I enjoy middle school kids; however, I'm looking at moving to the high school level. I also teach driver's education, which is mostly high school kids.
Driver's ed, Steven?!! Oh my, oh my... 😳
8th grade is great because you get such a mixture of students (some who seem very young and think that way and then others who are more mature and act more "high school-y"). It's the best, though it's all I've ever taught. :)
Oh, Patrick, thank you for the work you do! :D
I talked about being a teacher I’m thinking about teaching high school
Pretty big fan of 7th 😃 8th isn’t bad either. 6th feels a little squirrelly for me.
"Squirrelly" is the right word for 6th, Thom. Also, since you're a tech teacher, you know that 7th and 8th graders are SO GOOD at video creation and storytelling. I mean, there's an army of middle schoolers who are teaching me the tricks of video editing via KZhead every time I need to iron out a new wrinkle. Those kids are so smart!!!
@@laurarandazzo1158 Ha, just hire them out to do your editing.
@@gibsonedu You might be onto something there. Hmm...
I'm delighted to see so many teachers in the comments who are passionate about teaching 8th grade, but I have to agree with you, Laura: it's an age group I hope I never teach again in my entire career. It's just not a match for me. But just like you mentioned, how strange that I adore those students a few months later when they reach high school! 8th grade teachers deserve a free pass to paradise, like the Monopoly card that says "Advance to Go, Collect $200."
Amen to that! :)
I love high school (freshman & juniors are my favorite) and never thought I'd teach in middle school. I "fell into" the job I have now - you guessed it - middle school (7th and 8th graders). It took me a bit to adjust, but 7 years later, I'm still there and adore middle school students. Last year, I moved into a position where I advanced 7th and 8th graders. My 8th grade class "bridges" 8th and 9th grades, and my students can get 9th grade credit if they make an A or B in my class. So, it really is the best of both worlds. Oh, and I also went part time last year (5 hours a day), so I may never quit!
I love this, Charlene. The universe sometimes places us exactly where we're supposed to be, eh? And part-time? Oh, yeah! :)
Soon to be educator here, I think due to my fun and joking personality I would fit best with middle schoolers. Or so I’ve been told. Advice or tips?
Welcome to the profession, Rogelio! Almost all learners respond well to a fun and joking personality, so no worries there. Can you tour or volunteer at different schools to see which ones feel the most natural to you? When I was thinking of becoming a teacher, I was required to put in a certain # of volunteer hours before starting the graduate-level classes. That was incredibly helpful in guiding my path.
I always knew I wanted to teach high school. However, our school is 8-12, and as an EL teacher I get to teach all 5 grades. Usually 8th grade is like “gaahh! Make them stop!!!” But I’ll tell you, this year with zoom and all the social distancing and masking, I’m actually glad to have those talkative 8th graders. The uperclassmen have been just way too quiet and their attendance has been atrocious.
Great point, Renata! I'd much rather lead squirrels at a disco than pull answers out of church mice and sleepy sloths.
I would go to high school before middle school.
Same.
I’ll take any job I can get! Lol
I hear you, Marc. There's a time to be picky and a time to get the rent paid. My first year I taught Eng. 9, Eng. 11, health, and yearbook - a lot of preps, but I needed to launch. Good luck in your search! :)
These days....6th grade, unfortunately, is not so sweet and innocent 😳☹️
Uh-oh...
@@laurarandazzo1158 They can still be fun though 🤪
@@rachael5752 I’m teaching 6th graders now and they are something this days. They’re definitely not innocent anymore, no one of them. They know way too much. But they are funny sometimes, not enough for me to stick around another year tho 👀
the second graders I tutor are already on tiktok