The beginning

In the beginning there was 4th grade. It was a chatty group of 25 with 17 rowdy boys.

Then, the numbers came in and everything changed.

 The orders came from above, a class was being dissolved.

A teacher was being moved to another school and a new 4/5 combo needed to be created. We were all going to have 30 students now. I looked at my teammate who was a first year teacher and put on my best Katniss hat and I volunteered as tribute.

With 4 years of diverse experience and a combo class for student teaching under my belt,  I was confident I could take on this experience.

I was nervous and excited. I was nervous because I always told myself I didn't want to teach students older than 4th grade. I was excited because I actually enjoy combo classes; they open up a world of opportunity for all students.

The year a child is born in does not dictate their ability or destiny. The dance of two grade level curriculums allows me to really tailor my instruction to my students' needs. It is exciting. It is also a lot of work.

My class is now one that is a GATE/PACE cluster (aka the gifted students). However, not all student in my class are gifted. Many are EL and my school is LES (Low Economic Status) aka Title 1. This means some students do not have support or structure at home. This means some students come to school and need love before they can learn. This means that my job is more challenging because of behavior, but is also that much more important and rewarding.

We have been in school about a month and just finished week 2 with the new combo.

We are still developing our rhythm and our routines. We have our challenges. For example, my students love to chat and transitioning is painful.

But I know this is going to be a great year. We are going to keep working on it and I will not give up on them. They will reach or exceed my expectations. I know they will because I set them high and children rise to meet your expectations when they know you care.


And I already love them.