EYFS to Year 2

[NoNeedforALlama]

I've always taught in EYFS since I qualified nearly 15 years ago, my degree and all my training was in EYFS.

This year I've been moved into Year 2 and I know we're not even two weeks into the new year but I feel out of my depth and completely miserable.

I don't know the curriculum and every time I think I do I get told "Oh that's what it says but we actually push them a bit more so do this as well ...", the teaching isn't my style, there's lots of standing at the front telling children what to do. I feel like I'm not giving the children quality time because they're all working at once and I'm running around trying to get to the least able ones to give them a chance at accessing the work, the most able to make sure they're being pushed, the ones who CBA to chivvy them along then everyone else doesn't get any time from me. (No class TA to delegate to)

And to top it all off, I don't know why but the children seem to think they can talk over me or just outright ignore me, my behaviour management wasn't a problem in reception and nursery but I feel like I'm back to being a nervous NQT!

Has anyone made a move like this and have any tips on how to make it any more bearable?

I sometimes feel like that in Y3 about standing at the front talking. It's sad! I also feel exactly the same about quality time, and hate that I often shoo little girls away from me because we have to move onto the next thing but they would chat all day if they could!

Do you have progression documents for each subject? You shouldn't really be going beyond the year group objectives habitually and should be using opportunities to look at problem solving etc instead.

Stop talking if they're talking over you. Be firm. Develop a good 'look' if someone is doing the wrong thing. Still loads of praise for good behaviour like in EY.

Thanks @Moonsoup glad to hear it's not just me that feels bad for not spending all day chatting!

we do have progression documents but they're quite basic so get added to. I don't think it's really major stuff but just things like when we're teaching living/non-living/dead in a few weeks we won't just introduce the 7 living processes, we'll go into quite a lot of depth about what they all mean for different animals and plants. I get that it is important to be able to use them to then identify what is and isn't living but we seem to go into a lot more detail than what's really required for Year 2 and time spent explaining those concepts I'm just there thinking we could be doing some lovely play based activities right now!

Is there no opportunity for provision at all? It's so sad when these KS1 classrooms are made to be mini KS2s!! It makes me so cross with our education system!!

We have book corners and that's it. When I started at the school there was so much more, role play areas, play based activities to explore concepts, access to small but well equipped outdoor areas, and time for the children to access these but it's fallen by the wayside massively.

The areas that used to be creative spaces for painting, junk modelling and the suchlike now just get used for intervention groups, the outside areas are dumping grounds and the classroom layouts, furniture and resources have been changed/removed so there is very little scope to have any hint of continuous provision at all. I'm trying to shoehorn some in but on top of learning a new curriculum and way of teaching, this is adding another mental burden that I'm not sure I can handle right now. But then I'm not sure I can go on teaching from the front either.

Added to all of this, with not having a TA and the rooms being separate compared to foundation unit where reception and nursery worked across the area together, I feel really lonely for a lot of the day. The start of the year has been rather depressing to say the least!

The new Ofsted framework is all about deepening understanding and children knowing more and remembering more. Our school has very much gone the other way to yours - teach less and teach it well so the children remember. There's a huge focus on children re calling key knowledge from the previous lesson which they just can't do if you overcomplicate it. Are the 7 living processes even KS1? I thought Mrs Gren was LKS2.

It's really tough with no TA. I know it's budgets but the fact so little is thought of for 5-7 year olds drives me mad. They benefit so much from that extra support at the beginning of their schooling!!!

The only silver lining is that at least you don't have to do the whole assessment process in year 2 this year which was an absolute killer both in terms of workload and morale. Not that that helps you now!

Are you a one form entry or do you have another year 2 teacher for a bit of moral support?

@Moonsoup it's in the first Twinkl lesson for living/dead/non-living so that's what we're going with apparently

@careerchange456 I have a year group partner who has been really good and explained things well and has basically just said not to stress too much but she's got a mostly KS2 background so has a very different approach to me.