This past school year I made the move from teaching preschool to teaching 5th grade. I won’t lie or sugar coat it. It was hard. I knew that no matter what, I would give it another year. My first year in preschool was a hard year too. With time to reflect I have come up with a list of what didn’t work for me.

1. Thinking 5th graders are “big kids.” Don’t get me wrong. They are big kids, but they still need reminders and explicit instruction on almost everything. I am talking raising their hands, when is a good time to sharpen pencils.
2. Not having a solid plan for flexible seating from day one. I did not have a plan to make sure seats were not being “hogged” or an explanation of how often you should be changing seats or when to change seats.
3. No clear bathroom management plan. I need to remember that even 5th graders will use the bathroom as an avoidance strategy.
4. Not communicating enough with parents. Being in a new grade with new content, I did not do a good job of communicating with ALL parents about what was happening in our classroom.
5. Not asking for help when I needed it. Not to say terrible things were happening in the classroom, nor were there any major breakdowns, but there were a few instances in which I should have gotten help sooner than I did, and maybe the year would have been smoother.

I have a plan for what to change in order to make sure I don’t make these same mistakes next year. I have made it a point to make this summer about reflection and decompression so that I will be fully ready to take on a class of 5th graders next year!