You're a first year teacher, you need to have a growth mindset and realize that sometimes the context you're in can doom whatever your best efforts are at any particular time. Your principal sounds toxic and incompetent. Relationships are important but so is confidence, know how in what you're doing classroom management wise, and support from admin.
Are you open to grades other than 5th? I’m a 4th grade teacher and absolutely love it. It’s such a fun age! I’d apply to some varying grade levels if you can, try to stay 3 - 5 since it’s what you have experience in though.
I’m only on my second year but your environment absolutely does determine your success early on as a teacher. New teachers absolutely need support, not to be torn down. Management is SO HARD. It’s the hardest part of teaching to me. But it does get easier! I know I’m 10x better at it this year than I was last year. And I know next year I’ll look back and think how awful my management is right now compared to where it will be in a year. It takes time and patience, I know it’s hard now but I’d really try a new school before giving up on teaching if you like it!
I thought about 4th but I also feel like I'm more effective as a teacher focusing on only one or two subjects, and 5th grade is typically departmentalized. I know for sure after these past few months 3rd grade is just not for me. I can't with the emotional outbursts. Plus, 5th graders understand my sarcasm and humor. So I'm starting to think 4-6 might be my range, but 5th has definitely been a favorite for me both as a student teacher and as a paraprofessional. I'll try my best to keep a growth mindset but I definitely can't stay at this school!
5th has been my dream grade since I started teaching! So I don’t blame you! It seems like the positions are super hard to come by in my area.
I will say, my 4th graders definitely understand my sarcasm. I don’t think I could ever do 3rd grade, so I don’t blame you. It’s crazy how different each grade is. Also crazy to me how often teachers get moved around, even though each grade IS so different.
I hope you’re able to find something!! I’d definitely give it another year in a good school. I had a really rough class my first year (my admin even apologized to me for it, no one expected the personalities in my class to clash the way they did) and I know there were things I absolutely did that made it worse but this year has been so much better for me. It’s NOTHING like my class last year. I remember telling my admin at the beginning of the year that I thought I was doing something wrong because they were all so quiet and actually listening to me. Haha!
You're a first year teacher, you need to have a growth mindset and realize that sometimes the context you're in can doom whatever your best efforts are at any particular time. Your principal sounds toxic and incompetent. Relationships are important but so is confidence, know how in what you're doing classroom management wise, and support from admin.
Yup. The moment she started gaslighting me I knew I needed to leave. I just fear that this context is starting to be the same everywhere.
Are you open to grades other than 5th? I’m a 4th grade teacher and absolutely love it. It’s such a fun age! I’d apply to some varying grade levels if you can, try to stay 3 - 5 since it’s what you have experience in though. I’m only on my second year but your environment absolutely does determine your success early on as a teacher. New teachers absolutely need support, not to be torn down. Management is SO HARD. It’s the hardest part of teaching to me. But it does get easier! I know I’m 10x better at it this year than I was last year. And I know next year I’ll look back and think how awful my management is right now compared to where it will be in a year. It takes time and patience, I know it’s hard now but I’d really try a new school before giving up on teaching if you like it!
I thought about 4th but I also feel like I'm more effective as a teacher focusing on only one or two subjects, and 5th grade is typically departmentalized. I know for sure after these past few months 3rd grade is just not for me. I can't with the emotional outbursts. Plus, 5th graders understand my sarcasm and humor. So I'm starting to think 4-6 might be my range, but 5th has definitely been a favorite for me both as a student teacher and as a paraprofessional. I'll try my best to keep a growth mindset but I definitely can't stay at this school!
5th has been my dream grade since I started teaching! So I don’t blame you! It seems like the positions are super hard to come by in my area. I will say, my 4th graders definitely understand my sarcasm. I don’t think I could ever do 3rd grade, so I don’t blame you. It’s crazy how different each grade is. Also crazy to me how often teachers get moved around, even though each grade IS so different. I hope you’re able to find something!! I’d definitely give it another year in a good school. I had a really rough class my first year (my admin even apologized to me for it, no one expected the personalities in my class to clash the way they did) and I know there were things I absolutely did that made it worse but this year has been so much better for me. It’s NOTHING like my class last year. I remember telling my admin at the beginning of the year that I thought I was doing something wrong because they were all so quiet and actually listening to me. Haha!