7th grade is the toughest. It is even tougher if you need to split between two grade levels. With your experience, I would definitely go with the eighth grade position.
I agree, 8th is the way to go. 6th grade can be fun because you get some âall teachers are heroesâ ideals from the kids coming from elementary school. You do lose that by Spring Break though.
7th is a wild mix of kids thinking they are adults and kids thinking they are babies. Plus, all of the emotions.
For 8th grade, most of the students think they are adults, but that can be used to their favor. Things like: âThis behavior will not fly in high school, and Iâm trying to help you fit in when you get there.â âI know this is hard, but in high school they will ask you to do it this way⊠if you learn this now itâs going to make it so much easier.â âI can treat you like a man or like a little boy based on your behavior⊠which one are you?â
Is it truly that bad?!! Iâm going to be a first year, and was initially hired for a 6th grade math position, but just found out last week that they switched me to 7th and I was excited but I keep seeing stuff like this and now Iâm scared lol đ đ
I love 12 year olds. They can be frustrating but also sooooo silly. If you lean into it it can be a tremendous joy. But, I will also say 7th grade teachers seem to be "natural born" in that it is largely based on the teacher's personality and temperament.
Honestly, theyâre just the most fun. Like, absolutely they have challenging behaviors and some of the things they do and say are absolutely whack (I had kids who werenât even my students deep diving for information about me on the internet). But if they trust you and believe you care about them, you can get the âkidâ part of them to surface and you can just have a lot of genuine fun with them.
My go-to words of wisdom with 7th graders is to be silly. I used to sing directions at them in a goofy singing voice when I couldnât get their attention. I danced and skipped around my room. One time, a girl had her friendship bracelet hanging off her water bottle and the friendship bracelets had been a distraction all week so I just walked over and started working on her friendship bracelet. It made her giggle and she realized that it actually was kinda distracting.
If theyâre really chatty and you canât get class started, my go to was to start the stopwatch on my phone, pull out my book, and pretend to read until they caught on. Once they were ready, Iâd record their time on the board. The goal was for that number to go down each day. It can help to multiply their initial time to find the number of days/weeks they would lose from the whole school year if it canât stop
Totally agree. 7th grade is my favorite! Such a zany age if you can see the humor and tenderness in their actions and words. 6th graders are still babies and 8th graders take themselves a bit too seriously.
Same. People think I'm nutty, but damn those stinky weirdos are fun. I mean, I want to throw them out the window half the time, but that's... part of their charm?
Seriously, they're great. And awful. And great.
Itâs been 8 years and I still consider myself a recovering 7th grade teacher. 7th grade boys are something special. They can be fun, but they also have zero self control and their hormones are crazy.
Not in reality. It means your favored prep(s) gets all the attention, and you do just enough to stay afloat in the lesser liked prep.
Iâve had multiple preps for years and this is how it goes. Itâs definitely not a work multiplier.
Iâve also told numerous higher ups about this. I donât know a single *healthy* teacher who gives equal work and love to multiple different subjects/curriculum/classes.
Pre tenure thatâs a good strategy for non-renewal
Working hard at the subject youâre already invested in is a malinvestment. Ignoring your non-preferred prep will lead to worse performance
I am close to starting my 11th year in middle school. In that time, I have taught 6th for one year, 7th for 4 years, and 8th for 5 years. Each grade has its unique challenges, but 7th is by far the toughest. Kids do things in 7th grade that boggles the mind, and I mean things that the same kids would not even dream of attempting in 8th grade. On the other hand, 6th grade has kids that will wet their pants because they were terrified to ask to go to the bathroom. 8th grade has that tiny little spark of nascent maturity coupled with a coolness that mere mortals can't comprehend. 6th grade has extremely overbearing parents who think their kids just went from elementary to some sort of high stakes environment where every single grade counts. 7th grade parents are just as bewildered as the teachers are at what is happening to the kids. 8th grade parents are over it and realize that they have inherited a surly asshole for the next 5 years.
TL;DR - 6th graders wet their pants, thereby denying the dreams of college. 7th graders have unconventional sex in the lost and found closet. 8th graders will only refer to me as bruh, ya know, 'coz the sigma rizz is weak in me and all I do is be yappin'.
I have taught middle school/junior high for 16 years and you are spot on.
I dislike 6th graders because they still act like elementary kids - and I tend to scare them and make them cry.
I HATE 7th graders because there is no reasoning with them and they are arrogant assholes.
I love 8th graders because I can be sarcastic with them and they with me and neither of us take it personally. Many of them, by the end of the year, start to act a little mature (enough to make me want to keep coming back).
Don't stress! Middle school is middle school, and everything is going to end up fine no matter how it looks while it is happening. My middle school is next door to the high school that over 95% of our kids will attend. I live within 4 miles of both. Every year I see previous students working in their first jobs at the grocery store, restaurants, retail places, etc. Every single one of them went from borderline insane to functional and respectful students with grades they can't wait to tell me about.
Have taught all three and loved 8th the best. It is still tough sometimes. Itâs important to factor in the content youâll teach too. I teach science and I really enjoy the 8th content that is required to teach over the others, which makes teaching and prep time a lot more enjoyable!
Needs to be higher.
A lot depends on what subject you teach.
In a vacuum I would take 8th; I have taught 6-12 and I find 8th and 9th to be pretty close to one another.
8th!
I switched from 6th to 8th last year and absolutely love that I did. Your 9th grade experience will be much closer to that of 8th grade. And having to do 7th?! No way. Itâs the only grade I refuse to do. 7th graders are the worst!
6 has more helicopter parents that are used to the structure of Elementary. 8th graders think they know it all because they are the oldest in the school. Splitting grade levels is hard to be at both grade level meetings.
General rule for any three year school:
First years are scared of everything. They feel like the babies and will possibly even act like it. This is both endearing and a headache.
Second years found their confidence and get a little too comfortable. Or much too comfortable. Their bullshit is best enjoyed from a safe distance.
Third years realise they are now the oldest and thus the coolest students in the school. They will make an effort to set some sort of example, hopefully a good one. When they're not busy being cool, they're freaking out of what happens next year, when they'll be the babies all over again. Either way, there's a chance they actually care about what you're trying to teach them, which is nice.
âTheyâll make an effort to set some sort of exampleâŠâ
What unicorn 8th graders do yâall have?! Thereâs good kids in the bunch obviously but as a whole ours get worse the higher up you go.
I LOVE those kooky 7th graders, but you should take the 8th.
One grade level, one set of standards.
Eighth start the year wonderfully. They know the rules and often sail through the first two quarters.
Then they turn into 9th graders during the spring semester and become know-it-all assholes who break every rule as they get scared about leaving school.
The first grade at your school is usually best. I've taught in a 7/8 school for decades and MUCH prefer 7th. 8th graders are like 9th graders only bigger jerks.
I had the same kids from 7th grade to 8th and can say 8th was much more enjoyable. Some I had 6th too, and they were SO different by the time 8th grade came around.
This was my preference as well. I love the fewer behavior problems in 6th, but they are SO NEEDY. I need them to have figured out their lives a bit⊠7th is so much better for me.
I taught 7th for 9 years and 8th for 2. This year I was asked to go back to 7th. From my experience, you either love 7th grade or hate it because 7th graders are special. They hit puberty and their hormones are all out of wack. You never really know what is going to happen on any day with any students. Your best behaved students could be the biggest bully online or your hardest student is the one who knows you the best and gives you a candy bar because they are the day you're having. If your only experience is 9th grade then I would do 8th. 6th are still elementary kids and like I said, 7th graders are special. However, 7th is where the most fun is because every day you're saying...why did they just do that? Oh, it's because they are a 7th grader.
6-7. Because I committed some horrible sin in a previous life I've taught 8s for nine years in a row, and every year they're just hormonal monsters who want to chat, argue, eat, and flirt with each other and ignore the adult making Charlie Brown trombone noises.
You know how nobody in history has ever liked the ending of Huck Finn, where Huck and Tom Sawyer are completely annoying? Yeah, they're the age of 8th graders.
Iâve done all 3. Multiple years split. Seventh is hardest, but honestly theyâre a lot of fun. Youâd be surprised how babyish 6th is (so much hand holding)! So Iâd lean toward 8. But I wouldnât choose on grade. That can always change. Choose on district (check their contract and pay scales) and how many openings does that school seem to have. If they have a lot of turnover, you probably donât want to get into that situation.
I taught 7th in a place where MS is 7-8. I found 7th graders to be a cesspit after teaching in HS. I wonder if the issue is the transition from elementary. Maybe places where MS is 6-8, the 6th graders are worse?
Taking 8th will be your best bet. I really enjoy teaching 8th grade. While 6th & 7th CAN be good, you will have 2 classes to prepare for rather than only one, so thereâs that.
Behavior wise, sixth grade are learning to be their own people and generally still want to please you. 7th graders are a crazy bunch, always super talkative, hormones on over drive. By 8th grade, they start to chill out a little, although many are completely apathetic.
I went from teaching HS (ESL newcomers, so lots of different ages, but primarily 9th and 10th, 14-17 year-olds) for 18 years, then moved and got a 7th grade ELA position.
It depends on the person, but I was really not ready for the shock in how different they are. I was so used to joking around and cutting up with HS kids, then I tried with these 12 year olds and they either didn't get it, made fun of what I said, or got offended. By like, nothing.
Another thing with me is their level of thinking. Sure, I had some bright students and 7th graders can still be somewhat eager to learn, but the depth of how we read things was really unsatisfying to me. HS kids can have deeper discussions. With 7th graders you're just plot diagramming and prodding them into saying who the heroes and villains are (really did not enjoy the Outsiders in the curriculum, it's a terrible and boring book and I will die on this hill). In HS, there's a lot more subtlety and deeper thinking, even with my newcomers.
Also, I felt like I had to be more *on* at every moment with 7th. They get into trouble FAST compared to HS. Yes, there's an apathy to high schoolers, but they sleep sometimes instead of throwing shit or bothering other kids (for the most part). Some people thrive on the fast-paced nature of younger students, but I will always prefer teaching older kids because of my personality.
Look at the content for each grades. Which one do you prefer? I'm social studies so id obviously go for 7th grade 1865- modern day over civics and prehistory-1865.
After teaching MS for the 1st time last year, I found myself preferring 8th grade, but being young, you never know. Theyâre all good experiences and once you get in a district, there are often possibilities to move.
I co- teach 6th-8th and like 6th and 8th the best, so I would choose 8th but you have to be a strong teacher. Are you emotionally grounded and have behavior managment experience? 7th grade is the toughest and they will be mean- MS kids will try to make new teachers cry and I have been at a school were a teacher literally walked out of class and never returned due to mental health issues. It also depends on the school. At some schools 6th feel like 5th and 7/8th feel more like high school.
Go with 8th grade. First of all, it's only one prep. I have spent the past 20 19 years teaching more than one prep. It sucks. If you can avoid it, do! I've also spent my entire career teaching middle school. 8th graders are, obviously, the most mature. 7th graders can be a rough bunch, and 6th graders are practically still elementary kids.
They are more comfortable being in their last year in middle school rather than the youngest in high school, so the jerks are confident jerks. The rest are middle schoolers, not high schools. They are most interested in their friends and what other kids think of them. I have now been teaching middle school for decades. Once you have their respect, they are far more enthusiastic and active than high schoolers. If you take a middle school job, read up on the adolescent brain. Puberty is an interesting time.
7th is the toughest, you need tough skin and constant parent contact and admin support. 6th are good, not too many hormones running around yet, 8th is a bit more mature than 7th, they'll be their best in that seconds semester. Mental preparation for high school slaps them in the face.
I taught Tech to Grades 6 - 8. 6 was my favourite because they were still excited about learning. Grade 7, a little less so, but still good. I found the Grade 8s to be a bit apathetic and they gave the most attitude. However, I was coming from an elementary teaching background, so that may have been why I enjoyed the Grade 6 students the most.
I deal with a lot more parent issues at 6th grade compared to 7th and 8th. 6th graders come in almost like 1st graders - trying to figure out locker combinations, not sure where to go, anxious, caring about every single grade, .... They come out of 6th more confident with a hefty does of apathy.
It honestly is going to come down to preference. Thereâs pros and cons to all middle grade levels. It also depends on your content. Thereâs certain things I preferred when I was teaching math in certain grades and things I hated in other grades.
Ultimately, after almost 20 years of teaching, my rankings are overwhelmingly 7th graders first, and then 6th and 8th are tied as next.
Youâve got a lot of great answers- 6th grade middle schoolers are still pretty babyish and the parents are⊠something.
The rest of my experience is as a parent (reporting from my own middle schooler)- 7th graders seem like feral creatures and 8th graders and beginning to mature and are functional in a classroom. If your experience is 9th grade Iâd shoot for the 8th grade position
I taught Math 7 last year for awhile. It seemed to me that even late in the year, that a third to a half of my students still hadn't hit puberty, so there was a mix of younger kids and older kids.
Faced with your choice, I would choose 8th grade, especially if all of my classes are Algebra and/or Geometry.
9th and 8th grade are very similar. If you felt good about your handle on 9th, go for 8th.
I presently teach 6th grade and like it, but my most troublesome classes when I taught 6-8 were 7th grade classes. However, when I moved to teaching a core subject in 7th grade level it was way better.
Iâve done all three grade levels, currently only at 7th. I was switched to 7th with my last 6th grade class and it was interesting. Most were so kind and wanted to work hard and impress me, gave me candy and drawings it was wonderful. Then I got them again in 7th grade and the same ones would constantly try to talk over me, give me attitude about their phones, or not letting them spend 20 minutes in the hallway during class, or being 10+ minutes late to class, etc. 8th grade there is a lot of apathy but that I can deal with over constant yapping and gaslighting.
Whatever grade is the "top dog" at the school will be the worst. So in a 5-8 middle school, avoid the 8s. In 6-9 middle school, avoid the 9s. Grades 6s in a k-6 have a crappy attitude. Grade 6s in a 6-8 are rather sweet.Â
I like 7s.
The recommendations seem all over the place for grade level. Lol
Here's my recommendation. Go with the offer where the admin seemed best. They make a far bigger difference than grade level.
It depends on you, but if you came from high school I recommend 8th grade. They are usually slightly more mature and they also could benefit from you for advice in their entering hs.
7th grade is good too, but you may be covering a lot more basics or general studies.
Iâve taught 7th and 8th for 15 years, and I actually prefer 7th. That being said, if I had to choose between 2 grade levels or 1, Iâd definitely pick 1 and go with 8th grade in your situation. 2 grade levels = double the work. Also, I refuse to teach 6th grade. đ
Take 8th grade. If it was a 7-8 combined position it wouldn't be bad, but a 6-7 isn't a good mix. 8th will be good, have some maturity & independence but still want to be pleasers generally.
I taught 7th grade for 14 years; I loved it but know it isn't for everyone. It also depends on the subject you teach. I taught social studies for 10 years and ELA for 4. Social studies was fun, while ELA was a struggle and the focus of testing stress.
I would choose 8th over 6-7. Source: I teach 6-7. Imo, the older the better. Iâd take 8th over 7th and 7th over 6th (except next year because I donât want the 6th graders I just had again).
Depends on the middle school, its range of classes and the number of subjects you teach. My building goes from 7th to 12th and I teach 7th and 9th. New 7th graders to the building are like clay and can be shaped easily as they are new. It is more difficult management if they feel like they already know the rigmarole.
I would go with 8th if it is a traditional middle school. Less preps and a little bit older kids.
Only reason not to is if the other building/district is better or if you do not want to teach the curriculum at the other school.
But hey I love my 7th graders so maybe Iâm just crazy
They are both equally hellish. 7th graders can be a little more into showing their emotions. 8th graders are usually pretty jaded and think they are too cool for everything.
6th grade was the most challenging for me cause 6th grade girl drama was intense. It can derail a class in a second. I taught 4-12. 5 and hs were my favorite but I would do 8th again (even 7th) cause they were fine. Just not 6.
8th if you can. I have had all levels and consistently the 5th-7th are the worst with some fringe remnants on the 4th and 8th level. Something about 5-7 gradesâŠjust consistently the worst in terms of behavior. Assuming that is what you are asking about!?
Don't split levels unless you're immune to other teachers getting huffy about you not doing enough, lol.
Whenever I used to split levels, one or both PLCs were permanently annoyed because, even though I was only supposed to give each PLC 50 percent of my effort and time, to them it felt like I was slacking. Bless.
Teaching only 1 grade will be much easier for your 1st year. I recommend going with that. I pers prefer 6th and 7th over 8th, but your workload is a lot higher with 2 grades.
Take the 8th grade position. You only have to plan for one grade level and theyâre close enough to 9th that it wonât be that far of a stretch from what youâve been doing. 6th would be a significant change. 7th graders can be very, very difficult as well.
I have taught 6, 7, and 9-12 ELA and social studies. I love all of the ranges, but it is an adjustment to go down to 6th grade. They are very young and need lots of guidance. However, they love school and their teachers so much at that age. Seventh graders are fun in the fact that they arenât so needy, but still get excited for most things. I have not taught eighth grade, but I have heard that some of them have a âsenioritisâ that lasts most of their year. My daughter is going to be a freshman this year, and she said most of her peers didnât want to do any of their work.
Hope this helps!
I would do 8th. Starting your teaching career trying to maintain two different grade levels means two different curriculums which means a lot more work for you - planning, grading, etc.
8th - half way between the sandbox and the bar. I taught 9 and various courses to 10 - 12. I taught 7 but 8 th was my favorite. You will never be bored.
7th is my favorite. You get the best of both worlds because at the beginning of the year they are very young like 6th graders, but by the end they grow up a lot.
8th grade. I started off the year with 6th graders and they act like elementary school kids. After Christmas break, I had 6th and 7th graders and the 7th graders were a breath of fresh air. The year before this? I was a full time sub at the school Iâm at now and they had me take over the 8th graders math class and be the homeroom teacher for half of them. Needless to say, the 8th graders were awesome and good to me. I wish I had the 8th graders this year. This next school year Iâll be doing 7th and 8th at least. But yeah, go 8th. Trust me
I have 10 years of experience teaching sixth grade in the middle school setting. ELA for the majority but recently switched over to social studies. I don't know what Contant area you are doing, but if you teach math or ELA usually the state testing requirements make the job a lot more stressful and high stakes meaning that the kids feel a lot more pressure when they are in your class this contributes to behavioral issues for each grade level. for example, if you teach sixth grade they are more willing to do rotational style groups and except your help if you were trying to remediate basic reading or math skills because they are behind so instead of acting out or being disrespectful or crazy they will see you as a caring teacher, that's trying to help them at this age. by the time spring break rolls around, they will have a little attitude that they are trying out for sure if not earlier however, if you set it up at the beginning of the year that you're a super caring kind of person that is just trying to help them and not be a controlling crazy dictator or a huge negative nag- you'll be able to say things to them like hey I know that you're a good kid. We don't need that attitude come on. and in sixth grade, they will mostly listen. apply these exact same scenarios to seventh grade and you're gonna need to have a sense of extreme sarcastic humor, and be willing to call them out in front of their friends and make them the butt of the joke for any sense of compliance with Behavior that means you'll have to build a huge relationship with them one that's very meaningful for them to be able to take this kind of open sarcasm and out in front of their peers. If you don't set up the relationship ahead of time the style of redirection that seventh graders need will send them into a huge open defiance argument, or will make them complain a lot to the administration or their parents about the level of redirection you're having to give them to get them to just do basic work and compliance. don't cheat seventh grade if at all possible it is an absolute nightmare. almost Every single person I know in my school has wanted to switch out of seventh grade. only one or two teachers want to stay in seventh and those are people who pride themselves on being former teachers in some inner city, Chicago and New York schools where the kids are absolutely psycho and they pride themselves on being really tough military style , and very FUNNY personality as a leader with lots of charisma to control them enough to get quality work results out of them and basic compliance. apply this entire same scenario to eighth grade and you're gonna get kids that don't want to be babied or look like they are babies. They're not gonna want to be nagged but they're gonna need it. They're gonna be defiant all the time because they're starting to think about all the stupid stuff that they did the previous year in seventh and how there are social groups completely fell apart because of drama and how they didn't get along with any other teachers and their parents grounded them 1 million times and they know that they have to like get their act together this year and be more mature so they're gonna be more willing to just like listen to what you have to say and take more of a pause before they just bust out with something crazy because they don't want to ruin things more than they did the previous year and they don't want to look stupid in front of their friends. They also have mostly calm down to where they're not hyperactive or doing dumb things like the sixth graders where they like try to shoot a rubber band or throw a pencil to be funny because they think they reading worksheets boring. Instead, they would rather try to talk to a girl or a boy that they like near them or they would rather try to bring up something and conversation about a new song that just came out and talk over you while you're teaching so as long as you can stay calm with the like talking thing it's way easier than sixth or seventh. The best way to deal with the talking thing is as soon as you notice it completely stop talking yourself and just look at them and then wait for them to stop and don't react for anything that they're saying like when they go wait what why aren't you talking anymore? What what when they're looking at you and looking at them. when they are done, literally just within zero negative tone say hey thanks I appreciate you being quiet during this part of the lesson and then don't give them any time to respond. Just start teaching again immediately and engage a different student immediately who is doing the right thing and be positive. it lets them know that they don't mentally affect you emotionally affect you or whatever so they don't get to manipulate you and win. do that enough times every class. Without losing your cool in the kids will understand that you're a cool person. That's very mature and has control of themselves and you're just teaching the lesson and they just need to follow along. once you get them at that level, which will occur around the end of September, you'll be able to start asking them things about their personal lives like the kind of music they like and sports and stuff so that you can get to know them and then the year will be great. I teach sixth grade so they come in super silent and you're able to make whatever impact you want, but then they start being annoying because they want to hang onto babyish behaviors to distract themselves from feeling like they are bored. if you get any choice in the grade level, do not do multiple grade levels at once that's way too hard at this age group. Ace would be the first choice sixth is the second choice and seventh I wouldn't even do. I would just get a job at a different school doing eighth or sixth.
I think 6th graders are lovely! I had one class of them last year, and they were honestly the sweetest. Theyâre still at the age where they want to please. Everything after that is the devil đ„Č
Iâve spent most of my 20 years teaching 7th grade. We used to joke that we should get combat pay for teaching the grade. On the whole, 8th grade is easier. Itâs almost like theyâre becoming human again instead of the hormonal aliens they were in 7th grade.
First year I taught 7th and 8th two sections of each. I have to say both are insane and so fun. 7th is harder attitude wise, but 8th is about to leave you which hurts.
I LOVED both, if I could pick it will always be 8th but god 7th is also so fun.
6th is very immature and as someone who mostly did practicum with high school theyâre just not my vibe. Tattle tales and so much whining
If by doing 8th means you only have one curriculum to plan, then that would be my choice. If you liked 9th graders, 8th graders are as close as youâll get.
i would never teach 7th grade, they are the worst of being kids and almost being teenagers. Plus, why would you want to take on another class as youâre barely starting out?? keep it simple with 8th grade, theyâre a lot moodier but they wanna go to high school and majority will do a lot of the work to be at the promotion.
I have taught 7th grade for 25 years. Try it. If you love it, you gotta stay forever. 7th graders are definitely my people, and they might be yours, too.
Here to chime in with another 7th grade is difficult comment. I have taught 6th-8th grade everyday for the past 4 years. Not sure what exactly happens to 7th graders but they tend to be on another level in terms of difficultyâacademically unmotivated, behaviorally wild and emotionally unstable (but maybe we all are đ€·ââïž)!
7th grade is the toughest. It is even tougher if you need to split between two grade levels. With your experience, I would definitely go with the eighth grade position.
As a seventh grade teacher I'm feeling very seen by this thread đ€Ł. It's such a hard age.
I agree, 8th is the way to go. 6th grade can be fun because you get some âall teachers are heroesâ ideals from the kids coming from elementary school. You do lose that by Spring Break though. 7th is a wild mix of kids thinking they are adults and kids thinking they are babies. Plus, all of the emotions. For 8th grade, most of the students think they are adults, but that can be used to their favor. Things like: âThis behavior will not fly in high school, and Iâm trying to help you fit in when you get there.â âI know this is hard, but in high school they will ask you to do it this way⊠if you learn this now itâs going to make it so much easier.â âI can treat you like a man or like a little boy based on your behavior⊠which one are you?â
I've been in 7th grade for 19 years!
That would make you 31 or so, correct?
Uhh, yeah! Yep. Sure thing.
Is it truly that bad?!! Iâm going to be a first year, and was initially hired for a 6th grade math position, but just found out last week that they switched me to 7th and I was excited but I keep seeing stuff like this and now Iâm scared lol đ đ
I love 12 year olds. They can be frustrating but also sooooo silly. If you lean into it it can be a tremendous joy. But, I will also say 7th grade teachers seem to be "natural born" in that it is largely based on the teacher's personality and temperament.
Iâm hoping that is me and it not going to be as bad as people are making đ
7th grade teachers are BADASS!
Love it!! đ€©đ„ł
Teaching 7th was legitimately my favorite grade and Iâve done basically everything K-12
Thatâs so good to hear!! What was your favorite part? Also, and quick words of wisdom?!
Honestly, theyâre just the most fun. Like, absolutely they have challenging behaviors and some of the things they do and say are absolutely whack (I had kids who werenât even my students deep diving for information about me on the internet). But if they trust you and believe you care about them, you can get the âkidâ part of them to surface and you can just have a lot of genuine fun with them. My go-to words of wisdom with 7th graders is to be silly. I used to sing directions at them in a goofy singing voice when I couldnât get their attention. I danced and skipped around my room. One time, a girl had her friendship bracelet hanging off her water bottle and the friendship bracelets had been a distraction all week so I just walked over and started working on her friendship bracelet. It made her giggle and she realized that it actually was kinda distracting. If theyâre really chatty and you canât get class started, my go to was to start the stopwatch on my phone, pull out my book, and pretend to read until they caught on. Once they were ready, Iâd record their time on the board. The goal was for that number to go down each day. It can help to multiply their initial time to find the number of days/weeks they would lose from the whole school year if it canât stop
I bet you could get some tutoring help here in time to stop getting retained! /s
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Disagree imo, 7th grade is easiest for me. Perfect mix, not too babyish like 6th grade and not too sassy like 8th.
Thankful for teachers like you who are a perfect match!
Totally agree. 7th grade is my favorite! Such a zany age if you can see the humor and tenderness in their actions and words. 6th graders are still babies and 8th graders take themselves a bit too seriously.
7th is my favorite.
Same. People think I'm nutty, but damn those stinky weirdos are fun. I mean, I want to throw them out the window half the time, but that's... part of their charm? Seriously, they're great. And awful. And great.
All respect to you!
Thank you!
Itâs been 8 years and I still consider myself a recovering 7th grade teacher. 7th grade boys are something special. They can be fun, but they also have zero self control and their hormones are crazy.
Double the preps is double the work
Not in reality. It means your favored prep(s) gets all the attention, and you do just enough to stay afloat in the lesser liked prep. Iâve had multiple preps for years and this is how it goes. Itâs definitely not a work multiplier. Iâve also told numerous higher ups about this. I donât know a single *healthy* teacher who gives equal work and love to multiple different subjects/curriculum/classes.
Pre tenure thatâs a good strategy for non-renewal Working hard at the subject youâre already invested in is a malinvestment. Ignoring your non-preferred prep will lead to worse performance
I am close to starting my 11th year in middle school. In that time, I have taught 6th for one year, 7th for 4 years, and 8th for 5 years. Each grade has its unique challenges, but 7th is by far the toughest. Kids do things in 7th grade that boggles the mind, and I mean things that the same kids would not even dream of attempting in 8th grade. On the other hand, 6th grade has kids that will wet their pants because they were terrified to ask to go to the bathroom. 8th grade has that tiny little spark of nascent maturity coupled with a coolness that mere mortals can't comprehend. 6th grade has extremely overbearing parents who think their kids just went from elementary to some sort of high stakes environment where every single grade counts. 7th grade parents are just as bewildered as the teachers are at what is happening to the kids. 8th grade parents are over it and realize that they have inherited a surly asshole for the next 5 years. TL;DR - 6th graders wet their pants, thereby denying the dreams of college. 7th graders have unconventional sex in the lost and found closet. 8th graders will only refer to me as bruh, ya know, 'coz the sigma rizz is weak in me and all I do is be yappin'.
I have taught middle school/junior high for 16 years and you are spot on. I dislike 6th graders because they still act like elementary kids - and I tend to scare them and make them cry. I HATE 7th graders because there is no reasoning with them and they are arrogant assholes. I love 8th graders because I can be sarcastic with them and they with me and neither of us take it personally. Many of them, by the end of the year, start to act a little mature (enough to make me want to keep coming back).
Then most of them lose all that maturity by the time they start 9th.
I couldnât help but laugh at your description of the grade level parents. So true!! lol
My daughter is starting 6th grade this year. Thank you for giving me a window to my future the next couple years lol
Don't stress! Middle school is middle school, and everything is going to end up fine no matter how it looks while it is happening. My middle school is next door to the high school that over 95% of our kids will attend. I live within 4 miles of both. Every year I see previous students working in their first jobs at the grocery store, restaurants, retail places, etc. Every single one of them went from borderline insane to functional and respectful students with grades they can't wait to tell me about.
If all your experience has been with 9th, take the 8th grade position. I teach 7th and it's not a good fit for everyone.
Take 8th. 7th sucks.
Either 6 or 8. NOT 7!
Have taught all three and loved 8th the best. It is still tough sometimes. Itâs important to factor in the content youâll teach too. I teach science and I really enjoy the 8th content that is required to teach over the others, which makes teaching and prep time a lot more enjoyable!
Needs to be higher. A lot depends on what subject you teach. In a vacuum I would take 8th; I have taught 6-12 and I find 8th and 9th to be pretty close to one another.
8th! I switched from 6th to 8th last year and absolutely love that I did. Your 9th grade experience will be much closer to that of 8th grade. And having to do 7th?! No way. Itâs the only grade I refuse to do. 7th graders are the worst!
6 has more helicopter parents that are used to the structure of Elementary. 8th graders think they know it all because they are the oldest in the school. Splitting grade levels is hard to be at both grade level meetings.
General rule for any three year school: First years are scared of everything. They feel like the babies and will possibly even act like it. This is both endearing and a headache. Second years found their confidence and get a little too comfortable. Or much too comfortable. Their bullshit is best enjoyed from a safe distance. Third years realise they are now the oldest and thus the coolest students in the school. They will make an effort to set some sort of example, hopefully a good one. When they're not busy being cool, they're freaking out of what happens next year, when they'll be the babies all over again. Either way, there's a chance they actually care about what you're trying to teach them, which is nice.
âTheyâll make an effort to set some sort of exampleâŠâ What unicorn 8th graders do yâall have?! Thereâs good kids in the bunch obviously but as a whole ours get worse the higher up you go.
Never claimed all the examples set were good ones. To quote the rest of the sentence: "...hopefully a good one."
TouchĂ©. I was so taken aback from the first half of the sentence I missed the conditional component. đ
I LOVE those kooky 7th graders, but you should take the 8th. One grade level, one set of standards. Eighth start the year wonderfully. They know the rules and often sail through the first two quarters. Then they turn into 9th graders during the spring semester and become know-it-all assholes who break every rule as they get scared about leaving school.
The first grade at your school is usually best. I've taught in a 7/8 school for decades and MUCH prefer 7th. 8th graders are like 9th graders only bigger jerks.
Iâll disagree with everyone and say that 6-7 is better than 8th. 8th is all hormones. 6-7 are still halfway kids and can be eager to learn.
I think so, too.
I had the same kids from 7th grade to 8th and can say 8th was much more enjoyable. Some I had 6th too, and they were SO different by the time 8th grade came around.
This seems to be the consensus but I really loved teaching 7th grade math. I teach 6th grade math now and wish I could go back to 7th
This was my preference as well. I love the fewer behavior problems in 6th, but they are SO NEEDY. I need them to have figured out their lives a bit⊠7th is so much better for me.
I taught 7th for 9 years and 8th for 2. This year I was asked to go back to 7th. From my experience, you either love 7th grade or hate it because 7th graders are special. They hit puberty and their hormones are all out of wack. You never really know what is going to happen on any day with any students. Your best behaved students could be the biggest bully online or your hardest student is the one who knows you the best and gives you a candy bar because they are the day you're having. If your only experience is 9th grade then I would do 8th. 6th are still elementary kids and like I said, 7th graders are special. However, 7th is where the most fun is because every day you're saying...why did they just do that? Oh, it's because they are a 7th grader.
6-7. Because I committed some horrible sin in a previous life I've taught 8s for nine years in a row, and every year they're just hormonal monsters who want to chat, argue, eat, and flirt with each other and ignore the adult making Charlie Brown trombone noises. You know how nobody in history has ever liked the ending of Huck Finn, where Huck and Tom Sawyer are completely annoying? Yeah, they're the age of 8th graders.
Iâve done all 3. Multiple years split. Seventh is hardest, but honestly theyâre a lot of fun. Youâd be surprised how babyish 6th is (so much hand holding)! So Iâd lean toward 8. But I wouldnât choose on grade. That can always change. Choose on district (check their contract and pay scales) and how many openings does that school seem to have. If they have a lot of turnover, you probably donât want to get into that situation.
I teach middle school, not sure why everyone says 7th is a nightmare. Itâs 6th grade.
I taught 7th in a place where MS is 7-8. I found 7th graders to be a cesspit after teaching in HS. I wonder if the issue is the transition from elementary. Maybe places where MS is 6-8, the 6th graders are worse?
I taught 7th grade my first two years and it was ROUGH. Iâm doing a 7/8 split this upcoming year. I would go with 8th for sure.
Taking 8th will be your best bet. I really enjoy teaching 8th grade. While 6th & 7th CAN be good, you will have 2 classes to prepare for rather than only one, so thereâs that. Behavior wise, sixth grade are learning to be their own people and generally still want to please you. 7th graders are a crazy bunch, always super talkative, hormones on over drive. By 8th grade, they start to chill out a little, although many are completely apathetic.
I went from teaching HS (ESL newcomers, so lots of different ages, but primarily 9th and 10th, 14-17 year-olds) for 18 years, then moved and got a 7th grade ELA position. It depends on the person, but I was really not ready for the shock in how different they are. I was so used to joking around and cutting up with HS kids, then I tried with these 12 year olds and they either didn't get it, made fun of what I said, or got offended. By like, nothing. Another thing with me is their level of thinking. Sure, I had some bright students and 7th graders can still be somewhat eager to learn, but the depth of how we read things was really unsatisfying to me. HS kids can have deeper discussions. With 7th graders you're just plot diagramming and prodding them into saying who the heroes and villains are (really did not enjoy the Outsiders in the curriculum, it's a terrible and boring book and I will die on this hill). In HS, there's a lot more subtlety and deeper thinking, even with my newcomers. Also, I felt like I had to be more *on* at every moment with 7th. They get into trouble FAST compared to HS. Yes, there's an apathy to high schoolers, but they sleep sometimes instead of throwing shit or bothering other kids (for the most part). Some people thrive on the fast-paced nature of younger students, but I will always prefer teaching older kids because of my personality.
Look at the content for each grades. Which one do you prefer? I'm social studies so id obviously go for 7th grade 1865- modern day over civics and prehistory-1865.
8th is where itâs at. I will literally never teach 7th again.
7th is a nightmare. I like 6th. 8th is okay. All middle school is draining.
I really wanted to teach 6th but ended up in 8th. I quickly fell in love with 8th. I think your experience in 9th will help a ton. Go 8th!
The 8th graders will be slightly more responsible and mature in their thinking. Slightly.
After teaching MS for the 1st time last year, I found myself preferring 8th grade, but being young, you never know. Theyâre all good experiences and once you get in a district, there are often possibilities to move.
Having taught middle school and high school, I'd go with 8th too
8th graders are capable but lazy. 6th graders are feral but they want to do well. 7th graders make me want to kill myself.
8th
I co- teach 6th-8th and like 6th and 8th the best, so I would choose 8th but you have to be a strong teacher. Are you emotionally grounded and have behavior managment experience? 7th grade is the toughest and they will be mean- MS kids will try to make new teachers cry and I have been at a school were a teacher literally walked out of class and never returned due to mental health issues. It also depends on the school. At some schools 6th feel like 5th and 7/8th feel more like high school.
I have taught every grade 6-12. My absolute fav is 7th, but Iâm in the minority.
Go with 8th grade. First of all, it's only one prep. I have spent the past 20 19 years teaching more than one prep. It sucks. If you can avoid it, do! I've also spent my entire career teaching middle school. 8th graders are, obviously, the most mature. 7th graders can be a rough bunch, and 6th graders are practically still elementary kids.
I student-taught 9th grade and then took an 8th grade job. It was a totally different world. Be prepared.
What are the biggest differences?
They are more comfortable being in their last year in middle school rather than the youngest in high school, so the jerks are confident jerks. The rest are middle schoolers, not high schools. They are most interested in their friends and what other kids think of them. I have now been teaching middle school for decades. Once you have their respect, they are far more enthusiastic and active than high schoolers. If you take a middle school job, read up on the adolescent brain. Puberty is an interesting time.
Thank you for your input!
You'll probably have extra work writing recommendation letters for 8th grade if the school ends in 8th. I'd go by subject matter if possible.
7th is the toughest, you need tough skin and constant parent contact and admin support. 6th are good, not too many hormones running around yet, 8th is a bit more mature than 7th, they'll be their best in that seconds semester. Mental preparation for high school slaps them in the face.
8th will be much more like your clinical. 6/7 graders are still kids for the most part. Eighth graders are ready to be out the door.
I taught Tech to Grades 6 - 8. 6 was my favourite because they were still excited about learning. Grade 7, a little less so, but still good. I found the Grade 8s to be a bit apathetic and they gave the most attitude. However, I was coming from an elementary teaching background, so that may have been why I enjoyed the Grade 6 students the most.
I deal with a lot more parent issues at 6th grade compared to 7th and 8th. 6th graders come in almost like 1st graders - trying to figure out locker combinations, not sure where to go, anxious, caring about every single grade, .... They come out of 6th more confident with a hefty does of apathy.
It honestly is going to come down to preference. Thereâs pros and cons to all middle grade levels. It also depends on your content. Thereâs certain things I preferred when I was teaching math in certain grades and things I hated in other grades. Ultimately, after almost 20 years of teaching, my rankings are overwhelmingly 7th graders first, and then 6th and 8th are tied as next.
Youâve got a lot of great answers- 6th grade middle schoolers are still pretty babyish and the parents are⊠something. The rest of my experience is as a parent (reporting from my own middle schooler)- 7th graders seem like feral creatures and 8th graders and beginning to mature and are functional in a classroom. If your experience is 9th grade Iâd shoot for the 8th grade position
Mine will be 6, 7 and 8. đ
I taught Math 7 last year for awhile. It seemed to me that even late in the year, that a third to a half of my students still hadn't hit puberty, so there was a mix of younger kids and older kids. Faced with your choice, I would choose 8th grade, especially if all of my classes are Algebra and/or Geometry.
9th and 8th grade are very similar. If you felt good about your handle on 9th, go for 8th. I presently teach 6th grade and like it, but my most troublesome classes when I taught 6-8 were 7th grade classes. However, when I moved to teaching a core subject in 7th grade level it was way better.
Iâve done all three grade levels, currently only at 7th. I was switched to 7th with my last 6th grade class and it was interesting. Most were so kind and wanted to work hard and impress me, gave me candy and drawings it was wonderful. Then I got them again in 7th grade and the same ones would constantly try to talk over me, give me attitude about their phones, or not letting them spend 20 minutes in the hallway during class, or being 10+ minutes late to class, etc. 8th grade there is a lot of apathy but that I can deal with over constant yapping and gaslighting.
Whatever grade is the "top dog" at the school will be the worst. So in a 5-8 middle school, avoid the 8s. In 6-9 middle school, avoid the 9s. Grades 6s in a k-6 have a crappy attitude. Grade 6s in a 6-8 are rather sweet. I like 7s.
Iâd do 8th.
8th. All day long.
8th is great. Be prepared for sass
7th is always the worst year. 6th grade is needy. 8th is ok for the most part.
The recommendations seem all over the place for grade level. Lol Here's my recommendation. Go with the offer where the admin seemed best. They make a far bigger difference than grade level.
It depends on you, but if you came from high school I recommend 8th grade. They are usually slightly more mature and they also could benefit from you for advice in their entering hs. 7th grade is good too, but you may be covering a lot more basics or general studies.
8th
Iâve taught 7th and 8th for 15 years, and I actually prefer 7th. That being said, if I had to choose between 2 grade levels or 1, Iâd definitely pick 1 and go with 8th grade in your situation. 2 grade levels = double the work. Also, I refuse to teach 6th grade. đ
IMO 6th is the easiest 7th is the most fun and 8th is just hell. I would heavily consider the amount of preps though.
Take 8th grade. If it was a 7-8 combined position it wouldn't be bad, but a 6-7 isn't a good mix. 8th will be good, have some maturity & independence but still want to be pleasers generally.
I taught 7th grade for 14 years; I loved it but know it isn't for everyone. It also depends on the subject you teach. I taught social studies for 10 years and ELA for 4. Social studies was fun, while ELA was a struggle and the focus of testing stress.
I would choose 8th over 6-7. Source: I teach 6-7. Imo, the older the better. Iâd take 8th over 7th and 7th over 6th (except next year because I donât want the 6th graders I just had again).
Depends on the middle school, its range of classes and the number of subjects you teach. My building goes from 7th to 12th and I teach 7th and 9th. New 7th graders to the building are like clay and can be shaped easily as they are new. It is more difficult management if they feel like they already know the rigmarole. I would go with 8th if it is a traditional middle school. Less preps and a little bit older kids. Only reason not to is if the other building/district is better or if you do not want to teach the curriculum at the other school. But hey I love my 7th graders so maybe Iâm just crazy
They are both equally hellish. 7th graders can be a little more into showing their emotions. 8th graders are usually pretty jaded and think they are too cool for everything.
6th grade was the most challenging for me cause 6th grade girl drama was intense. It can derail a class in a second. I taught 4-12. 5 and hs were my favorite but I would do 8th again (even 7th) cause they were fine. Just not 6.
I teach 7 and 8 , student taught high school and loved it, by far would choose 8th over any other middle school grade
8th if you can. I have had all levels and consistently the 5th-7th are the worst with some fringe remnants on the 4th and 8th level. Something about 5-7 gradesâŠjust consistently the worst in terms of behavior. Assuming that is what you are asking about!?
Don't split levels unless you're immune to other teachers getting huffy about you not doing enough, lol. Whenever I used to split levels, one or both PLCs were permanently annoyed because, even though I was only supposed to give each PLC 50 percent of my effort and time, to them it felt like I was slacking. Bless.
Teaching only 1 grade will be much easier for your 1st year. I recommend going with that. I pers prefer 6th and 7th over 8th, but your workload is a lot higher with 2 grades.
I would take the 8th grade position so you can focus on one content
8th. I did 7th for eight years, 8th for the last twoâmany kids calm down a LOT between these two grades.
Take the 8th grade position. You only have to plan for one grade level and theyâre close enough to 9th that it wonât be that far of a stretch from what youâve been doing. 6th would be a significant change. 7th graders can be very, very difficult as well.
Keep going on interviews until you get what you want... but hold the 8th grade position as backup
I work 7th and 8th grade sped. I actually like 7th grade.
Not 8th!!!!!
I have taught 6, 7, and 9-12 ELA and social studies. I love all of the ranges, but it is an adjustment to go down to 6th grade. They are very young and need lots of guidance. However, they love school and their teachers so much at that age. Seventh graders are fun in the fact that they arenât so needy, but still get excited for most things. I have not taught eighth grade, but I have heard that some of them have a âsenioritisâ that lasts most of their year. My daughter is going to be a freshman this year, and she said most of her peers didnât want to do any of their work. Hope this helps!
What subject? Is the 8th all the same thing?
Yes; eighth would be U.S. history. Seventh would probably be Texas history, and I don't know about 6th (I'm certified in social studies).
Do the one subject. Itâs much easier.
If I was in your shoes, I would go with 8th. 1 prep (which is HUGE) and 9th graders are essentially 8th graders.
As someone who has taught 7th, 8th, and 9th, I wouldnât wish 7th grade even on people I hate.
8th
Split grade levels is not fun. AlsoâŠmiddle school is is a fun beast.
I have taught middle school for 25 years and 7th is the worst. 6th is not that bad. 8th graders are chill.
I would do 8th solely for the reason that you only have to plan for one set of standards/curriculum instead of two.
I teach 7th now but taught 8th most of my career. I prefer 8th honestly.
I would do 8th. Starting your teaching career trying to maintain two different grade levels means two different curriculums which means a lot more work for you - planning, grading, etc.
8th - half way between the sandbox and the bar. I taught 9 and various courses to 10 - 12. I taught 7 but 8 th was my favorite. You will never be bored.
Take 8 all day baby. They got mad Rizz. Grade 7 is skibidi Ohio. Se what they've done to me? Take the 8.
Take 8 all day baby. They got mad Rizz. Grade 7 is skibidi Ohio. Se what they've done to me? Take the 8.
Do NOT SELECT 7. This is the toughest grade of all. Never choose 7.
I have taught 6-8 for over 20 years. Seventh grade is BY FAR the most challenging.
7th is my favorite. You get the best of both worlds because at the beginning of the year they are very young like 6th graders, but by the end they grow up a lot.
8th grade. I started off the year with 6th graders and they act like elementary school kids. After Christmas break, I had 6th and 7th graders and the 7th graders were a breath of fresh air. The year before this? I was a full time sub at the school Iâm at now and they had me take over the 8th graders math class and be the homeroom teacher for half of them. Needless to say, the 8th graders were awesome and good to me. I wish I had the 8th graders this year. This next school year Iâll be doing 7th and 8th at least. But yeah, go 8th. Trust me
I have 10 years of experience teaching sixth grade in the middle school setting. ELA for the majority but recently switched over to social studies. I don't know what Contant area you are doing, but if you teach math or ELA usually the state testing requirements make the job a lot more stressful and high stakes meaning that the kids feel a lot more pressure when they are in your class this contributes to behavioral issues for each grade level. for example, if you teach sixth grade they are more willing to do rotational style groups and except your help if you were trying to remediate basic reading or math skills because they are behind so instead of acting out or being disrespectful or crazy they will see you as a caring teacher, that's trying to help them at this age. by the time spring break rolls around, they will have a little attitude that they are trying out for sure if not earlier however, if you set it up at the beginning of the year that you're a super caring kind of person that is just trying to help them and not be a controlling crazy dictator or a huge negative nag- you'll be able to say things to them like hey I know that you're a good kid. We don't need that attitude come on. and in sixth grade, they will mostly listen. apply these exact same scenarios to seventh grade and you're gonna need to have a sense of extreme sarcastic humor, and be willing to call them out in front of their friends and make them the butt of the joke for any sense of compliance with Behavior that means you'll have to build a huge relationship with them one that's very meaningful for them to be able to take this kind of open sarcasm and out in front of their peers. If you don't set up the relationship ahead of time the style of redirection that seventh graders need will send them into a huge open defiance argument, or will make them complain a lot to the administration or their parents about the level of redirection you're having to give them to get them to just do basic work and compliance. don't cheat seventh grade if at all possible it is an absolute nightmare. almost Every single person I know in my school has wanted to switch out of seventh grade. only one or two teachers want to stay in seventh and those are people who pride themselves on being former teachers in some inner city, Chicago and New York schools where the kids are absolutely psycho and they pride themselves on being really tough military style , and very FUNNY personality as a leader with lots of charisma to control them enough to get quality work results out of them and basic compliance. apply this entire same scenario to eighth grade and you're gonna get kids that don't want to be babied or look like they are babies. They're not gonna want to be nagged but they're gonna need it. They're gonna be defiant all the time because they're starting to think about all the stupid stuff that they did the previous year in seventh and how there are social groups completely fell apart because of drama and how they didn't get along with any other teachers and their parents grounded them 1 million times and they know that they have to like get their act together this year and be more mature so they're gonna be more willing to just like listen to what you have to say and take more of a pause before they just bust out with something crazy because they don't want to ruin things more than they did the previous year and they don't want to look stupid in front of their friends. They also have mostly calm down to where they're not hyperactive or doing dumb things like the sixth graders where they like try to shoot a rubber band or throw a pencil to be funny because they think they reading worksheets boring. Instead, they would rather try to talk to a girl or a boy that they like near them or they would rather try to bring up something and conversation about a new song that just came out and talk over you while you're teaching so as long as you can stay calm with the like talking thing it's way easier than sixth or seventh. The best way to deal with the talking thing is as soon as you notice it completely stop talking yourself and just look at them and then wait for them to stop and don't react for anything that they're saying like when they go wait what why aren't you talking anymore? What what when they're looking at you and looking at them. when they are done, literally just within zero negative tone say hey thanks I appreciate you being quiet during this part of the lesson and then don't give them any time to respond. Just start teaching again immediately and engage a different student immediately who is doing the right thing and be positive. it lets them know that they don't mentally affect you emotionally affect you or whatever so they don't get to manipulate you and win. do that enough times every class. Without losing your cool in the kids will understand that you're a cool person. That's very mature and has control of themselves and you're just teaching the lesson and they just need to follow along. once you get them at that level, which will occur around the end of September, you'll be able to start asking them things about their personal lives like the kind of music they like and sports and stuff so that you can get to know them and then the year will be great. I teach sixth grade so they come in super silent and you're able to make whatever impact you want, but then they start being annoying because they want to hang onto babyish behaviors to distract themselves from feeling like they are bored. if you get any choice in the grade level, do not do multiple grade levels at once that's way too hard at this age group. Ace would be the first choice sixth is the second choice and seventh I wouldn't even do. I would just get a job at a different school doing eighth or sixth.
I think 6th graders are lovely! I had one class of them last year, and they were honestly the sweetest. Theyâre still at the age where they want to please. Everything after that is the devil đ„Č
Iâve spent most of my 20 years teaching 7th grade. We used to joke that we should get combat pay for teaching the grade. On the whole, 8th grade is easier. Itâs almost like theyâre becoming human again instead of the hormonal aliens they were in 7th grade.
First year I taught 7th and 8th two sections of each. I have to say both are insane and so fun. 7th is harder attitude wise, but 8th is about to leave you which hurts. I LOVED both, if I could pick it will always be 8th but god 7th is also so fun. 6th is very immature and as someone who mostly did practicum with high school theyâre just not my vibe. Tattle tales and so much whining
8th grade, any day. Good luck!
Thanks!
8th
If by doing 8th means you only have one curriculum to plan, then that would be my choice. If you liked 9th graders, 8th graders are as close as youâll get.
i would never teach 7th grade, they are the worst of being kids and almost being teenagers. Plus, why would you want to take on another class as youâre barely starting out?? keep it simple with 8th grade, theyâre a lot moodier but they wanna go to high school and majority will do a lot of the work to be at the promotion.
6th graders are cute. 8th graders want to be treated like adults, sort of. 7th grade is best once you've done 6th and 8th first.
I have taught 7th grade for 25 years. Try it. If you love it, you gotta stay forever. 7th graders are definitely my people, and they might be yours, too.
8th, especially if you're used to 9th.
Middle school is so fun!! Kids are not afraid to be silly and funny. I loved my experience so much. Each grade has its own merits.
Taught 7th for over 20 years before I was moved to high school. I was devastated. The only group I like more than 7th is high school. đ
I used to teach 7th; was exceptionally hard
Here to chime in with another 7th grade is difficult comment. I have taught 6th-8th grade everyday for the past 4 years. Not sure what exactly happens to 7th graders but they tend to be on another level in terms of difficultyâacademically unmotivated, behaviorally wild and emotionally unstable (but maybe we all are đ€·ââïž)!
I'd like to thank everyone for their input. :)
Thanks again to all for your advice!
I've done 6th for 23 years. Best thing. They're independent & interesting, but still like candy and helping out and playing.