Early Childhood Pro teaching 5th grade!?!?!?! HELP!

[Scared_of_big_kids]

I'm going into my 9th year of teaching, I have a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education, and have always taught K-1...I got bumped to 5th grade this year!!!

Just found out...freaked a little...

But now I'm trying to build up a library...what do those big people like to read?

And WHAT IN THE WORLD do you do for classroom management?

I'm under 5 feet tall...I'm afraid they are going to give me a wedgie and stuff me in a closet.

Ideas?

[AmberEB]

I had the same thing happen to me last year. I taught 2nd grade for 8 years and was moved to 5th grade. All year long I thought of ways to get moved back to the primary level. Unfortunately my jerky principal moved me again...to 6th grade. I was very upset about this. Then, I taught 1st grade at-risk students during summer school. This was a blessing for me b/c I learned that I actually prefer working with the older kids. No longer do I feel as though primary is the place for me.
I am not going to lie to you and tell you that the big kids are easy to work with. They can be very challenging. I learned that if you show them that you care for them and that you respect them, they are very eager to please you. You must remember to start out very firm with them. It is easier to loosen up than it is to gain control after they've tested you. MAke sure that you say what you mean and do what you say. Be very consistent with them. They pick up very quickly on teachers who are not consistent. Also, I noticed that the students think nothing is fair. They need to know that life is not always fair. The students also need lots of help getting organized. It is very important to prepare them well for junior high.

I hope this has helped. I dont remember all of your questions.

[MissusLBee]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scared_of_big_kids:
[B]I'm going into my 9th year of teaching, I have a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education, and have always taught K-1...I got bumped to 5th grade this year!!!
And WHAT IN THE WORLD do you do for classroom management?

You are going to love teaching 5th graders! I have taught nearly every grade from K-8 through the years, and 5th is absolutely my favorite- this year I will be teaching my 9th year of 5th. First of all, the students are fascinating. They are right on the "cusp" between "Little Guys and Girls" and becoming Middle School students. One minute, they are acting all grown up, and the next they need to be babied a bit. It is a milestone year, and you will notice a huge difference between your "September students" and your "June students"!!!!
Your greatest asset and resource is your sense of humor--and, unlike younger students---5th graders will get your jokes! Let them know by your attitude and actions that you care and want them to be successful, and they are yours! If I can help you with any specifics, please just e-mail me. To respond to your question about what the students read, there are some great books out there for this age group, but you will need a variety of reading levels for your strong enthusiastic readers, as well as your reluctant readers with weaker skills. Among favorite books with my high reading groups are "Homecoming" and Dicey's Song," "The View From Saturday," "The Giver," to name a few. My highest reading groups also read required classics (we are a Core Knowledge School)-"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," "Sherlock Holmes," "Don Quixote," "A Midsummer Night's Dream" among others. I also have a Literary Classics Challenge Award that I give out at the end of the year (a Reading Achievement Medal) for which students have read "The Pearl," "White Fang," "Little Women," "Across Five Aprils," "The Diary of Anne Frank," and "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" among others. My lower reading groups read "Bridge to Terabithia," "A Wrinkle in Time," "Bull Run," "Lyddie" and a variety of Gary Paulson books. There is a wonderful website that gives reviews of YA books and makes suggestions. I have to locate it on my other computer "favorites," but if you are interested I will send you the site.