secondary - do you have a favourite age group?

[PumpkinPie2016]

We were discussing this at work as a have been asked for our timetable preferences.

I like the two extremes as it were - love teaching Y7/8 and love teaching A-level. Although I obviously do my best for every class I teach, I definitely feel most at home at KS3/5!

What's your favourite at group?

Oh, I wish we were asked about timetable preferences!

I think I would go for Y7 and A level, too. I love the enthusiasm and curiosity of the Y7s, such fun!
My A level students keep me on my toes and you can have proper adult conversations with them. I already miss my wonderful Y13s who has their last lessons today

I’m going to be a a Head of Sixth Form in September so should probably say A Level. I do love teaching A Level but my favourite year to teach is actually year 11. I think that’s a lot to do with the curriculum though. I really love the history GCSE topics. The topic I teach at A Level is good, but wouldn’t have been my first choice of unit to teach.

Controversial but year 10.

Year 7 too needy, year 8 full of immature boys, year 9 need to go home and get over themselves, year 11 have too much pressure (on the kids).

I'm with you OP - 6th form, closely followed by Y7, for exactly the reasons that Queen mentions.

My worst is Y9...

10 and 11 then 9 in my current school. I love my a level groups but hate teaching a level.

A level. Got so sick of teaching the younger years I moved to a college.

My school doesn’t go up to A level but I agree with Dermymc. Year 10 have started to settle down, year 9 are awful.

Year 7 because of enthusiasm in general.
Glad Der doesn't work at our school due to her sweeping generalisation on Y 8 boys !!

I preferred year 7. Hated Y9

Year 12. Especially since we ditched AS levels, it’s fun again!

year 9 need to go home and get over themselves

^^ This!

I have a middle ability Y9 class with about 5 very loud, cocky, bitchy girls, and as for the boys, I have no idea what's going on in their heads, I suspect they don't either, but it's definitely not school work.

I have to keep reminding myself that loads of them are actually lovely.

Definitely year 10. But I do quite like year 7 as well.

Year 9 are definitely the worst for me

@roisinagusniamh it is a very sweeping generalisation but typifies my current year 8 group! There are some lovely students but the boys seem very "silly" compared to the maturing girls. Apologies if that caused offence.

Another vote for year 9 being my least favourite - I love yr 11, 12 & 13

Controversial but yr 10 & yr 8. Yr 7 needy, yr 8. They’ve settled into the swing of things and are just normal human beings. Yr 9 just eugh. Yr 10 have got through the drama of yr 9. And this is the year that I tend to have a lot to do with so start to know them a bit better. Yr 11 all of the pressures. Yr 13 unrecognisable from yr 11. Yr 13 are fab

Haha Y9 are my worst as well! Had a top set last year - full of really bright kids by oh my - the drama!! Endless drama!

Out of KS4, I think Y10 would be my choice - most seem to be morphing in to reasonable human beings again by then.

I will miss my Y13 group when they go they have been a really amazing group and at such lovely people. I'm hugely proud of them though and I know they will go on to great things.

Anything from 9 upwards. I struggle with the neediness of year 7.

6th Form. I only teach 6th form now. My own DTDs are year 8 and sometimes their conversation over dinner is enough to make me remember why I hated teaching KS3.

7 and 8. So much freedom on what you can do. Yr9 are hard work but last year I had a group I only saw once every 2 weeks and we could do so many interesting things.

Ha, it's reassuring that year 9 are the same the world over! I'm similar to lots of others, year 7 or year 13. BUT only if I have a year 7 class to myself (science) or I am their main teacher so I can 'shape' them from the start. I came back from maternity after Easter this year and all year groups have had lots of short term supply- they are feral!!!

I always feel Yr9 suffer from middle child syndrome

God Yr9. Ugh.

It's not so much middle child syndrome as peak shitty teenage years. It is hideous being 13/14. Feel for the kids, but only occasionally because half the time my year 9 are vile.

Like Yr7 and some A level, though my current yr12 need a rocket up them.

Is anyone going to come along and say Year 9? It’s not going to be me!

For me it’s not about specific year groups but much more influenced by the particular classes I have in that year group. I teach all 7 year groups and last year had appalling ks3 classes, so much so I kicked off about it, this year i have much better groups there. At KS4 the general rule per year is one decent group, one ropey one, KS5 should always be great, last years y13s I loved to bits, this years not so much.