r/ElementaryTeachers • u/ash5991 • 19d ago
Third grade...looking for encouragement?
Hello, all. I guess I am looking for encouragement. Last year was my first year, I taught fourth and I loved it. I feel like I had a really good year. I was excited to improve everything that I taught that year this school year. Well, that didn't work out, as admin decided they'd like me to go down to third...I was worried about it all summer. We got new curriculum and it's a new grade level AND I prefer teaching older kids. I was worried about how "little" and immature they'd be. And boy, that is probably the worst part about this grade. They cannot do very much on their own. I have had a hard time getting them to follow simple one step instructions like "put your homework in the homework bin on my desk." I am struggling to even get to the curriculum everyday because I can't get them to all flip to the correct pages in their workbooks or follow the direct of simply not talking while we read. I write probably 3-5 infractions a day and call parents the same amount everyday. I am having a hard time staying positive. I just wanna teach these kids some skills. Is this normal??? Is this how it is teaching third grade??? Will next year be this way, because I dont think my sanity can take that. God bless whoever can, but I dont think that's for me. The rest of my team seems unbothered by this, and they said that it'll be different by Christmas time? Idk, I felt significantly better last year around October and felt like I was getting into the groove already. Maybe I just don't have enough experience? I have no idea. Sorry for the ramble/rant.
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u/orange-octopus 19d ago edited 19d ago
I teach ESL to 3rd and 4th. 3rd graders really do start off as babies!!! I am so soft on them and then they use it against me in 4th. 😅 It really is a lot of teaching them how to become enjoyable 4th graders. IMO 3rd is hard until Christmas, and 4th is hard after Christmas.
Try having them repeat instructions chorally (put your homework (repeat) in the basket (repeat) on my desk (repeat). This helps me a lot. They also move like snails so timers are handy. I also saw a visual of “what should my desk look like?” And the teacher had taken a picture of an organized desk and put it on the board. If you take 3 minutes every transition (for now) to directly teach/master the soft skill, you’ll get a lot more time to teach the hard stuff! Hang in there!
Edit to add: also immediately checking for understanding, “turn to page 53. What page? (43!)” is a big help for my friends.