When it became apparent that we were going to have a 5/6 combo this year, I volunteered to take the class. Two years ago I had the same combo and figured out the logistics so I thought, why not take it again and not put one of my colleagues through the stress of this split. Lol - no one fought me for it.
I've taught splits at both ends of the spectrum - K/1 and 5/6 and they are truly difficult. With Kinder you get kids who have no language, no letters, no numbers, no social skills while the first graders are often beginning to read and write or at least have their phonics and can blend simple CVC words and have a year of social skills under their belts.
With the 5/6 split you have 4th graders (because we all know that at the beginning of the year they are still largely the previous grade) who are usually still pretty sweet and respectful and you are merging them with end of the year 5th graders who are feeling their oats and ready to stretch their wings as incoming 6th graders. Not to mention the curriculum - you are really split in 1/2 trying to teach the two curriculum's. There is absolutely no way to teach history and science as there are different focus areas in each. With math there are some areas that you can teach together, particularly if you are fortunate enough to get a class that is of similar skill set, since our job is to take the students from where they are to where they need to go. The only subject that I'm teaching as whole group is reading. Since our district is in the process of piloting new curriculum for ELA, I'm using the strategies that we have been successful with in turning our school around with - Notice and Note for close reading using read alouds.
I am really fortunate that my colleagues are so willing to help. The first time that I taught this there was one other 5th and one other 6th and we weren't able to make it work....this time there are two fifths. With only 7- 5th graders the two other 5th grade teachers so kindly split my kids up and welcome them in for math and for writing. This has really saved my sanity. My paraeducator goes with them and supports the fifth graders.
That's another thing that has saved my sanity - a paraeducator! My district provides 5/6 combo classes with a part-time paraeducator. This year mine is the sweetest, just-out-of-school, perpetually happy young lady who jumps right in without being asked. She also goes with the 5th graders to math and writing, since there are additional students when adding in my kids to the other 5th grade rooms. I plan and prep the lessons for the 5th grade science or history and she teaches it to them in small group. They are all succeeding and it shows in their test scores. I check in on them frequently but I don't feel the need to be split in 1/2 - I can concentrate on instructing the 6th graders during the same hour. With having Title pull-out for an hour a day, I have to use every minute purposefully.
Having a combo class is not ideal and is something that is usually avoided to the best of the principal's ability but unfortunately is seen at many sites across the grades. Our district is unique to those around us as we are the only one (at least to my knowledge) that allows parents to choose to keep their sixth grader on the elementary campus or send them to junior high. Having combo classes is not something that junior high 6th grade teachers have to worry about and I sometimes wonder about this decision to allow parents to choose. In allowing parents to choose, we run a fine line between having enough students for a full sixth grade class or classes on the elementary campus.
As a parent myself (my daughter is in 4th this year) I try to take my teacher self out of the equation and have been thinking about this as a parent. The 6th graders on junior high campuses in our district are very well insulated. They are often being taught by a teacher with a multiple credential rather than single, which means that the teacher must have the same students for a majority of the day so often they will have ELA and History with one teacher and Math and Science with a different and that same teacher will teach them a supplemental class as well....at least that's how it's been explained to me. Please correct me if I'm wrong - always happy to learn! Their lockers are all in the same area as their main classes, they attend PE with the other 6th graders and only possibly interact with the older students at lunch and perhaps electives. Realistically the worry that I have as a mom, that my 12 year old girl will be interacting with 13/14 year old boys, is not well-founded. The benefits of attending 6th on a junior high campus as opposed to an elementary one out weighs the cons. She will be able to have music and art, as well as a full PE class. She won't be put in a split class as there aren't 5/6 combos to worry about....for me as a parent, I am more likely to send her to junior high when the time comes in a few years.
So a final thought about combo classes...while they are difficult to teach and can be draining, when you have the support of your colleagues, principal and district they are manageable. When your principal comes to you with this split, it's not the end of the world - take a deep breath and find out what your resources are. For those of you who aren't having to deal with this, be patient with those who are - their attention is being split, they are tired and at times feeling overwhelmed.
I've taught splits at both ends of the spectrum - K/1 and 5/6 and they are truly difficult. With Kinder you get kids who have no language, no letters, no numbers, no social skills while the first graders are often beginning to read and write or at least have their phonics and can blend simple CVC words and have a year of social skills under their belts.
With the 5/6 split you have 4th graders (because we all know that at the beginning of the year they are still largely the previous grade) who are usually still pretty sweet and respectful and you are merging them with end of the year 5th graders who are feeling their oats and ready to stretch their wings as incoming 6th graders. Not to mention the curriculum - you are really split in 1/2 trying to teach the two curriculum's. There is absolutely no way to teach history and science as there are different focus areas in each. With math there are some areas that you can teach together, particularly if you are fortunate enough to get a class that is of similar skill set, since our job is to take the students from where they are to where they need to go. The only subject that I'm teaching as whole group is reading. Since our district is in the process of piloting new curriculum for ELA, I'm using the strategies that we have been successful with in turning our school around with - Notice and Note for close reading using read alouds.
I am really fortunate that my colleagues are so willing to help. The first time that I taught this there was one other 5th and one other 6th and we weren't able to make it work....this time there are two fifths. With only 7- 5th graders the two other 5th grade teachers so kindly split my kids up and welcome them in for math and for writing. This has really saved my sanity. My paraeducator goes with them and supports the fifth graders.
That's another thing that has saved my sanity - a paraeducator! My district provides 5/6 combo classes with a part-time paraeducator. This year mine is the sweetest, just-out-of-school, perpetually happy young lady who jumps right in without being asked. She also goes with the 5th graders to math and writing, since there are additional students when adding in my kids to the other 5th grade rooms. I plan and prep the lessons for the 5th grade science or history and she teaches it to them in small group. They are all succeeding and it shows in their test scores. I check in on them frequently but I don't feel the need to be split in 1/2 - I can concentrate on instructing the 6th graders during the same hour. With having Title pull-out for an hour a day, I have to use every minute purposefully.
Having a combo class is not ideal and is something that is usually avoided to the best of the principal's ability but unfortunately is seen at many sites across the grades. Our district is unique to those around us as we are the only one (at least to my knowledge) that allows parents to choose to keep their sixth grader on the elementary campus or send them to junior high. Having combo classes is not something that junior high 6th grade teachers have to worry about and I sometimes wonder about this decision to allow parents to choose. In allowing parents to choose, we run a fine line between having enough students for a full sixth grade class or classes on the elementary campus.
As a parent myself (my daughter is in 4th this year) I try to take my teacher self out of the equation and have been thinking about this as a parent. The 6th graders on junior high campuses in our district are very well insulated. They are often being taught by a teacher with a multiple credential rather than single, which means that the teacher must have the same students for a majority of the day so often they will have ELA and History with one teacher and Math and Science with a different and that same teacher will teach them a supplemental class as well....at least that's how it's been explained to me. Please correct me if I'm wrong - always happy to learn! Their lockers are all in the same area as their main classes, they attend PE with the other 6th graders and only possibly interact with the older students at lunch and perhaps electives. Realistically the worry that I have as a mom, that my 12 year old girl will be interacting with 13/14 year old boys, is not well-founded. The benefits of attending 6th on a junior high campus as opposed to an elementary one out weighs the cons. She will be able to have music and art, as well as a full PE class. She won't be put in a split class as there aren't 5/6 combos to worry about....for me as a parent, I am more likely to send her to junior high when the time comes in a few years.
So a final thought about combo classes...while they are difficult to teach and can be draining, when you have the support of your colleagues, principal and district they are manageable. When your principal comes to you with this split, it's not the end of the world - take a deep breath and find out what your resources are. For those of you who aren't having to deal with this, be patient with those who are - their attention is being split, they are tired and at times feeling overwhelmed.