Get kids ready for kindergarten.
Fifth Grade Teachers give young students the skills and knowledge they need to face junior high. Elementary School Teachers typically teach full-day programs with the same group of students, where they cover all of the academic subjects, excluding specialty classes like art or gym. Fifth Grade Teachers spend almost the entire day with their students, laying the foundation for their continued training down the line. If you want to make a difference in the lives of young children in the classroom, then this could be the job for you.
While other Teachers, like Art Teachers or Gym Teachers, specialize in one area, Fifth Grade Teachers do it all. Every day has its own unique challenges. Whether it’s guiding the class through a difficult reading passage, helping two students resolve a conflict, or talking one child through a difficult situation at home, flexibility and openness will help you help them.
Fifth graders are in the midst of a lot of changes, and may not fully know how to handle their thoughts and feelings. It’s your job to provide them with a caring, nurturing environment in the classroom.
But not all of your work time is spent with kids. Creating lesson plans, and attending staff meetings and, of course, parent-Teacher conferences before or after school are all important parts of your job. Anyone who says that being a Teacher is a “seven-to-two” workday or a “part-time” job is way off base.
And despite your summers off and various “vacations” (spring break, holidays, etc.), you have plenty of papers to grade and essays to read when the school doors are closed. But it’s not about time “off.” Rather, it’s about helping young people build their futures using the skills you give them.