I teach in a very small Connecticut town in an equally small school. The school is a K-8 with about 100 students. There is just one class for each grade level and, therefore, only one teacher from each grade K-5 and each subject 6-8. So when I say I'm the middle school math teacher, I really mean I'm the middle school math teacher - I'm the only math teacher in the building. There are both challenges and benefits to this situation. There have been many times recently that people have commented either "that must be really nice to have the same students for 3 years!" or "that must be a lot of work to plan for 3 different grade levels!" Both are very true, so I thought I'd write about what I saw as the challenges and the benefits related to my very unique position.
Let's start with the obvious challenge - all the planning. Your typical middle school or high school math teacher plans for two or three different class because he or she probably teaches at least one of those classes two or more times a day. For example, when I was student teaching I had four class of 7th grade math and one class of Pre-Algebra - so I really only planned for two different classes. This year I am currently planning for six different classes each day - 6th grade math, 7th grade math, 7th grade Pre-Algebra, 8th grade math, 8th grade Algebra I, and Geometry (for an advanced 8th grader). So, yes, I do spend a lot of time planning and grading for each of those classes - definitely a challenge.
Another challenge is that my lessons are only taught once a year. While student teaching, since I taught 7th grade math four times a day, I could adjust a lesson if during 1st period it didn't go quite as I had expected. I could reflect during/after the lesson and determine what I could do differently to make it successful for the next classes coming in. Since I only teach each lesson once a day in my currently job this can't happen. It certainly can happen for the next year when I teach that lesson again, but not immediately.
Now on to the benefits! The relationships! At the end of each year teachers can reflect back on what great relationships they have formed with their students from that year - but at the end of each year I can reflect on the relationships that have formed and look forward to how much more those relationships are going to grow the following year. My current 8th grade class is the first class that I have had for three years. The connections I have with those students are so strong and so important to me. We are now the point where I can predict what they are going to say or do before they do it (and they can sometimes do the same for me). They know my expectations and exactly how to meet them. At the beginning of the year we can dive right into math content and not spend time going over rules and procedures because they already know them. I think forming connections with students is one of the most important thing we do as teachers and I love the fact that my position has allowed me to form deeper connections over a three year period.
Another benefit is the mathematical content. Since I taught them in 6th grade and in 7th grade when we get to a new topic in 8th grade that relies on a previously learned concept I know they learned it and I know exactly how they were taught. They can't pull the typical "we never learned this" line with me because I know they did. (I also work very closely with the 5th grade teacher so my 6th graders can't pull that line either.) I can also use this benefit to pull up previous knowledge by reminding them of an activity or game that we played. It also allows me to move forward with a curriculum when a certain class is full of fast learners. I know exactly where the curriculum is going in future grades so I can start to help them make those connections a year or two early.
I mentioned earlier the challenge of only teaching a lesson once a year - I think this is also a benefit. I love teaching something different each period. It makes my day so much more exciting and interesting. Although I loved being able to adjust my lesson based on previous periods while student teaching it got quite boring teaching the same thing four times a day. There certainly is nothing boring about teaching something different each period! It keeps me on my toes and keeps me entertained all day long!
There certainly are many other benefits (and some other challenges) but I find those to be the ones that stand out the most. The challenges may seem like very big things, but to me the benefits definitely outweigh the challenges. I love that I know exactly where they came from mathematically and where they are going! I love teaching a different thing each period and how it makes my day more exciting! And, most importantly, I absolutely love the relationships and connections I have formed with each and every one of my students because of the extended time I get to spend with them! People may say that my job sounds challenging, and it can be, but I love my challenge and all the benefits that come with it!
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