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Original poster

TEACHERS!! Changing the year group you teach...

36 replies

spudmasher · 20/03/2010 17:16

Si I have Year Six at the moment and have had Year Six for about 10 years (not great professional development but I got stuck there because I get the results) anyway, now I want to move up the ladder and get some KS1 experience and the head hads FINALLY agreed to let me go to year 2 in September.
And now I'm really scared.
How different will it be?
Has anyone made this jump?

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Original poster
spudmasher · 20/03/2010 17:16

So...not see

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Original poster
spudmasher · 20/03/2010 17:16

Si even...just finished planning.....googly eyes..

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cece · 20/03/2010 17:18

I'll let you know. Just about to go into Year 2 after my maternity leave finishes at Easter...

A bit nervous tbh as never done the little ones before. Give me a class of Yr 5 or 6 anyday! The small ones scare me...

eandh · 20/03/2010 17:21

Not a teacher but DD1 started reception in September and her teacher moved from Yr 2 (apparently taught yr 2 for along time) to reception, I think he found the change as hard as the children found settling into school but on the whole the kids seem to love him and DD1 always comes out telling me baout what Mr X has said today (although they do stay and play sessions for parent sto interact I cannot go as noone to have DD2 but friends that have gone say the TA in the class is the one who gets them sitting and listening!!)

cat64 · 20/03/2010 17:24

This reply has been deleted

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snorkie · 20/03/2010 17:45

A friend of mine moved from yr 6 (where she'd been for ages) to yr 3 last September. Not quite the same transition, but similarish. She's really enjoying the littlies.

Feenie · 20/03/2010 17:46

My career was similar - was stuck in Y6 for the same reasons, and had to practically be dragged kicking and screaming down to Y2! But after 5 years it ended up being my favourite year group ever. They are so enthusiastic about everything ('Times tables! Yay!' etc) and often make huge leaps and bounds in progress. There are lots and lots of light bulb moments.
As others have said, it's mainly more time spent on resources and planning, and less on marking (in general).
If you need any help with resources/planning, I would be happy to let you have any of my stuff, just CAT me. (I am in Y5 currently, to raise standards at the other end of the school, but would love to go back to Y2 any time!

mrz · 20/03/2010 17:50

Very different our Y6 teacher made the move for similar reasons to you and baled out after a term. I would ask to spend some time with the present Y1 class next term so you can get a realistic view of their development in addition to shadowing the Y2 teacher. Take any advice coming your way and I'm sure you will be fine.

Timetraveller · 20/03/2010 22:56

I,m a TA in year 1 and 2, and one of the year 2 teachers I work with had year 6 last year. She found year 2 really hard at first.
Mainly the fact that you have to repeat everything SO many times.Also, the physical contact that some of them need freaked her out, she just wasn't used to it.

sarararararah · 20/03/2010 23:47

I think it's tiring for different reasons too. In Year 6 there is more marking, but in Y2 the children are obviously much less independent so are more needy which can be very draining. It IS very rewarding though, but for different reasons than teaching Year 6 is rewarding. I second mrz's suggestion to spend time with them now so you can see what their starting points are. Good luck! I'm sure you'll love it

crocdundee · 21/03/2010 12:30

Moving from Year 6 to Year 2 was the best move I made! Year 2 is a lovely year group, and moving will revitalise you, and give a very useful perspective on where the children are coming from if you go back to KS2. You may even find you prefer littlies - I did, after always having been a 100% Year 6-a-holic!
As others said, the challenges and rewards are different. I found the day more challenging - you cannot take your eye off the ball for even a minute, the children need more from you physically and attention-wise. Also, planning in KS1 tends to be more in depth and has more to it (you need more because of the attention span. On the upside, a lot of your marking will be verbal.
One thing to watch out for - one or two ignorant parents may think you are being demoted!
Have fun and good luck!

doubleexpresso · 21/03/2010 13:23

A friend of mine moved from Y6 to Y2 and initially she found it very difficult, bit soon got used to it. The biggest thing to get your head around (apart from less marking ) is the discipline is completely different. My friend was scared of Y2 and went in all guns blazing, as you can with Y6. The Y2s were scared and it took her a couple of weeks to tone down. I would go in gently, smiley but firm. Enjoy it.

Littlefish · 21/03/2010 20:40

I went in the opposite direction. I moved from Reception to a mixed year 3/4 class when I came back from maternity leave.

I found it incredibly stressful, but I think this was more to do with having had nearly a year on maternity leave, than on the actual year group move.

Will you be working with another year 2 teacher? The one thing that really helped me was to be working in a team of 3, year 3/4 teachers so we could co-plan and share ideas.

SE13Mummy · 21/03/2010 22:40

I'd only ever done upper KS2 until recently when I changed schools and took on a PPA/SMT cover post. One reason was because I saw it as a way of gaining KS1 experience without having to commit myself (or the class) to a full year of small people.

Before doing cover (from Reception all the way up to Y6) I don't think I'd realised how wriggly, loud, excitable, questioning and keen the younger ones are. They're fun to teach but need so much more energy and physical space, I also found the whining rather frustrating and am not a fan of being tapped/having my feet fiddled with so haven't enjoyed those bits.

The excitement and enthusiasm is lovely though and it's refreshing to be able to see children develop so quickly and to have the opportunity to be involved so much earlier in the learning process instead of feeling like I'm picking up the pieces in Y6 all the time.

Having said that, I still prefer the older ones!

Original poster
spudmasher · 22/03/2010 18:44

Thank you everyone for your valuable insights.
I feel scared still but I have to do it. I think I'm looking forward to the chance to create a bit of fun and magic in their lives, and closer contact with the parents...that fizzles out a bit in Year 6.
SE13Mummy...I wonder if our paths have crossed......

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SE13Mummy · 22/03/2010 21:11

spudmasher.... I've only ever taught in school in SE13 so I guess it depends on your location...!

Original poster
spudmasher · 23/03/2010 18:23

Well....I am VERY SE13 infact, you can't get more SE13 than my school! Unless the borough decide to relocate us for a while......again.......

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SE13Mummy · 23/03/2010 18:51

Are you the school whose parents have been camping out on the school roof/front of the News Shopper?!?

Original poster
spudmasher · 23/03/2010 20:31

Well I couldn't possibly say!!!!

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SE13Mummy · 23/03/2010 22:17

In which case my advice would be to spend no more time worrying about the age-swap but ensure you have a room in which to teach!

I doubt our paths have actually crossed; although always in SE13 my last school was a Greenwich one (which fairly regularly exchanges pupils with yours if it's the one I think it is).

Original poster
spudmasher · 01/04/2010 21:05

Change that.........I am now going to Reception.

Oh goodness me.

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gherkinwithapurplemerkin · 01/04/2010 21:13

Spud - i am secondary teacher but did lots of primary supply last year. You need Quiet Fox. Hold your hand up, put middle and ring fingers aainst pad of your thumb and point index and litte finger up- bit like Justin from the Darkness . This is Quiet Fox - his mouth is closed and his ears are up and istening. The kids copy and they are quiet too.
It saved my bacon lots of times with the v small ones!

Littlefish · 02/04/2010 13:30

Bloody hell spud. Yr 6 to Reception is a massive jump.

You need to spend lots of time next term in different reception classes (not just the one in your own school). You also need to get on some EYFS training pronto, and also, spend some time in a variety of feeder nurseries (LEA and Private) to get a feel for the sort of environment the children will have come from.

Then, throw out your work wardrobe, and buy a whole new set of compeltely washable, stain proof clothes.

Buy a really decent waterproof coat with a hood, and some wellies as you will be spending lots of time outside.

Practise squatting and knee bends as you will be sitting on the floor or on teeny tiny chairs!

Will you be doing home visits either in July or September? If not, you should consider it.

I'll be back later!

SE13Mummy · 02/04/2010 15:33

To Reception?!?

Last year I had Reception for part of the morning followed by Y6 - that was enough of a jump for me. A year in Reception would kill me!

Good luck getting to know all the EY jargon, phonics, how to assess children whilst they move/jump/leap etc.

hocuspontas · 02/04/2010 15:43

Wow! Massive jump

Start practising observing small children now. Have you got lovely tiny writing? You need to be able to fit a novel on a post-it note!