In which grade did you begin having multiple teachers?

[Kathryn]

In reading about middle schools after reading anothe thread here, this claim on Wikipedia got my attention:

 

"The middle school concept often involves a group of teachers from different disciplines working as a team with the same group of students of the same grade level, with each teacher teaching a different subject.[dubious – discuss] This format facilitates interdisciplinary units, where part or all of the entire team teaches on the same general topic from the perspective of different disciplines. Students are assigned a homeroom. This is intended to foster as a sense of belonging, for social and emotional support to students transitioning from the usual single classroom in elementary school. Various discussions and activities occur in homeroom.[citation needed]"

 

I recall my mother telling me that junior high school was the first time that she changed rooms. I think she said that for her last year of elementary school, the teachers switched rooms, but the kids all stayed together in the same room. They even ate in their classroom (those who didn't go home).

 

When I was in school, we stayed in one room in (half-day) kindergarten. In first grade, I stayed in the same room (other than to the lunchroom), but other children went to different rooms for different reading level teachers. By second grade, we all switched rooms for all of our subjects, depending on what level we were for core subjects. Each teacher taught a different subject from second grade on. We went together with our homeroom class to art, music, PE, and lunch.

 

How did it work when you were in school?

[regentrude]

We had different teachers for all subjects beginning in 5th grade. Every teacher had a teacher degree in two specific subjects.

We changed rooms in the school, no problem.

 

In 1-4th grades, the homeroom teacher taught everything except art, music, pe and shop, and we also had  separate teacher for foreign language in 3rd+4th grade.

[...................]

5th grade- I went to Catholic school 1-3, and public 4-7.  

 

5th was way too early.  It was a very confusing and hectic year. I believe the small Catholic school did things better.  No multiple teachers until 7th grade.  And even then, we only switched rooms once.  It was far healthier for the children, because we were not running from class to class.  In 5th grade, I had the same level of responsibility as a high school student- knowing schedules, where the class was, going to a different room 6 times per day plus managing carrying extra books for two classes in a row because some classes did not leave time to get to the locker in between.  Ridiculous!

[...................]

switching rooms in 2nd grade?  I CANNOT imagine that.  Horrible.

[dbmamaz]

I started having different teachers . ..well, technically in 4th grade, when i was moved ahead a year for english.  But really, not until 7th grade, which was the first year of middle school.  My kids elementary starts switching in 5th grade for a few subjects, and middle school, with full time switching, starts in 6th.

[Murphy101]

5th grade.

[Matryoshka]

In 6th, we had two teachers, one for math/science, one for LA/SS.  The rooms were adjoining, so we switched without even going through the hallway.  That was still in the elementary school building.

 

The next year was jr. high, where we switched rooms and teachers for every subject, but we were always with the same kids,

[twoxcell]

Around here having more than one teacher does not start until middle school aside from library, art, computer, and music in elementary. We were always with the same class and teacher though and we would go to these classes as a group.. In middle school we had a homeroom for the 3r's and history/social studies, a science teacher, an art teacher, elective time, PE/Health, and a class that kinda rotated topics focusing on cultures. I only attended 4th, 5th and 6th in PS.

[Aurelia]

2nd. We had different math and language arts teachers, which may or may not have been the same as the "homeroom" teacher. Also, we had different teachers for music, art, PE, and theater arts who weren't our regular teachers. 

[HelenNotOfTroy]

I went to several different schools. The one I went to for 3rd had us changing classrooms and the one I went to after that did as well. The school I attended for 6th only had us going to other classrooms (as a group) for music, art, and PE.

[Kathryn]

switching rooms in 2nd grade? I CANNOT imagine that. Horrible.

It was this innovative 1970s concept where the rooms didn't have doors or right angles. We were in these pods that were built around a central office space for the teachers that had classrooms radiating off of it. The rooms were open in the front, which faced the office space, and the back, which is where the bathrooms, water fountains, and sinks were. Each pod had less bathrooms than classrooms, so you often had to go into other classrooms to get to the bathroom. It was just weird. Usually, you didn't have to leave your pod area to switch core classes, but sometimes units (of the math, science, social studies, and language arts teachers that you were taught from) got spilt up across pods and we'd have to cross hallways to get to a class.

[RootAnn]

In 4th, I switched to the local public school. We had a Spanish teacher come into our classroom. We went somewhere else in the building for music. Otherwise, we had one main teacher & one teacher for science, I think. In 5th, we just had one teacher. In 6th, we switched between two teachers/classrooms for math/science vs. LA. 

 

In 7th/8th, we were in the "Middle School" building and moved around to all different teachers/classroom with a "homeroom" like in the first quote. At this age, I didn't mind this so much as I definitely had favorite teachers (history, current events, math, science, french) & very-much-disliked teachers (english, geography).

[edithcrawley]

5th grade we switched for all subjects, in elementary we were in the same room all day except for music/art/PE etc (and those were done with the rest of the class). During math time in elementary, advanced students were sent down from each classroom to the gifted teacher's room.

[ktgrok]

In 4th grade I think. But, the classes all had inner adjoinging doors, so you didn't have to go into the hallway or anything, just walked from inside one room to inside the other. All the teachers taught english and social studies and math, and there was a separate science teacher that you went to for science. He was also the computer teacher, and the computers were all in that room. 

 

Oh, and art and music were in a different room, but we all went together as a class, in line. 

[Farrar]

Second grade, actually.  But I was in a sort of pull out program for gifted kids where we did science and history and some other things with our regular class but we did math and language arts in a big open multi-age classroom where we could basically do whatever we wanted.  Later, in the regular course of things, at a different school, it was fifth grade.

[go_go_gadget]

In elementary, we had one teacher for everything except science, which didn't happen daily. The class stayed together when we went to the science room; I think our main teacher walked us there and back, but can't swear to that. In middle school we had a ''core'' teacher who taught writing and social studies to the same group, and then separate teachers for math, P.E., art (only sixth grade), science, and an elective. We didn't move through those classes as a group.

[sewingmama]

8th grade.... Thats when high school starts in Australia. Before that we only had a different teacher for PE and music.

[Mom0012]

5th grade

[sbgrace]

7th grade (in elementary we did go to music class, PE class, etc.)

[melbotoast]

In 5th grade we had "pods". You would have a group of 3 teachers. Your homeroom teacher covered language arts, then you would rotate around for science, math, and history. In 6th grade, we had different teachers for everything.

[MistyMountain]

When I went to school 1st to 5th was elementary school and we stayed in one class with one teacher except for stuff like recess, art, gym and music. 6th to 8th grade was middle school. In 6 grade we had 2 teachers. One teacher for language arts type of classes and one for social studies, science and math. In 7th grade we had a homeroom lockers and different teachers for each subject. 6th grade was recently switched to middle school at the time and they did it as a gentle transition year to get used to switching but not full on with a new teacher for each subject and needing to go to your locker between each class. We only had to switch once in the day.

[Desert Strawberry]

7th grade. Before that, we were always with our own teacher. No switching. If we went somewhere, we did it together and our teacher was with us. Only special ed kids had a different teacher in a different room.

In 7th, I was part of a "core ".my classmates were all the same,. We all had our classes together. But our teachers were completely independent of each other. Each class was discrete. No coordinating subjects.

[lea_lpz]

In 5th grade we began having a seperate pe teacher and activity teacher (we rotated around 5th grade teachers who taught some sort of special project, like weaving, or gardening, or nutrition). I think it was to warm us up to switching classrooms,

 

In 6th we had a different teacher for each subject. Our home room class was longer and we returned to home room at the end of the day. I think we did a study hall.

[boscopup]

I can barely remember, but I *think* we didn't change classes until middle school (6th grade). I had gifted pull-out class starting in 2nd grade, but other than that, our main teacher did everything except PE/music/computer.

 

We had pods with cubicle style walls, but I don't think it was anything innovative. They were just too cheap to put in real walls. :lol: We also had a bunch of portables.

[PaulainTx]

7th grade.

[phathui5]

6th grade.

[Erin]

5th grade/first year in Middle School

[momma2three]

I can't remember if we switched for math in 1st grade.  I know that I had the same teacher for math, but I have a vague memory of most other kids moving around.  I know that we switched for math in 2nd grade.  We started switching for science in 5th grade.  6th grade was the year that they started the idea that you didn't have any 1 "main" teacher, but spent all day moving from classroom to classroom.

[momma2three]

switching rooms in 2nd grade?  I CANNOT imagine that.  Horrible.

 

That seems kind of like an extreme reaction... can I ask why you think it's horrible?  My school did it, and it wasn't a big deal at all.  Certainly not "horrible."  I remember my math teacher in 2nd grade had a better classroom pet than we did, so I always liked visiting his cage every day.

[awisha.]

In Australia (particularly my state) Prep (US Kinder) to grade 6 is called Primary School and Year 7-12 is Secondary/High school.

In primary you have most subjects in classroom and then different area/room for library, art, p.e and music. Your class teacher does each subject except for art and music which are dedicated teachers.

In high school you have homeroom for the morning meeting, then go to different rooms for each subject. Each teacher can have one or two subjects to teach depending on their specialty.

[Erin]

Oh I forgot!  We switched rooms for reading as early as 1st grade...But only for reading.  My grade school tracked kids.  

[Erin]

double post

[Arcadia]

Hubby and I had different subject teachers since preschool actually since chinese and music are taught by subject teachers. We just stay in the classroom and teachers move around.

My older have different teachers for Music since Kindergarten and Science since 1st grade for public school. He goes to another classroom for Science, goes to music room for Music and computer room for IT. His public school was K-8.

[TracyP]

Our whole class went to a different teacher for art, music, and gym from first grade on up. In 5th and 6th grade classes were split up based on level in Math and English. You didn't go to a special teacher; the three 5th grade (and then 6th grade) teachers split the levels depending on their personal bent. In 7th grade we went to Jr. High where the official 'different teacher for each subject' system began.

[Guest]

Our Jr. High was kind of team taught between two teachers, the whole class stayed together. I didn't really experience different teachers for different subjects until 9th grade. I went to private school.

[Ellie]

Sixth: one teacher for everything except math and science; the other teacher taught his class everything except English and history. We swapped for those. Otherwise, seventh was the beginning of 5-6 class periods/teachers each day

[duckens]

First Grade.

 

First and Second Grade were considered "Unit A."  Third and Fourth were "Unit B."  Fifth and Sixth were "Unit C."

 

In First and Second, they gave us yarn necklaces with large index cards on them.  Our names were on the top.  The bottom, largest area was divided into three parts.  The first number was one's homeroom.  The second number was math.  The third number was Social Studies.  The numbers were all color coded.  I don't recall if our Social Studies classes were mixed (First and Second students mixed together), of if some First Grade teachers taught Second Grade Math and vice versa.

 

So if I had a:

 

3  6  2

 

I would have Mrs. T for Homeroom (Room 3), Mr. C for Math (Room 6), and Miss I for Social Studies (Room 2).  This was also a good system to help point lost kids in the right direction during the first weeks of school.

 

Of course, we traveled as a class together to gym, music, and art rooms.

[KarenNC]

6th. Our class was the last one in the district that was still housed at an elementary school for 6th. We had 3 teachers and 3 classrooms (science/math, English, social studies, don't remember where other things got bundled in--no foreign language), but all on the same hall, and I don't remember having lockers. The district was switching from a jr high/high school (1-6, 7-9, 10-12) to a middle school/high school model (k-5, 6-8, 9-12). K was not included in public school when I started but was when my sister started 5 years later.

[Farrar]

That seems kind of like an extreme reaction... can I ask why you think it's horrible?  My school did it, and it wasn't a big deal at all.  Certainly not "horrible."  I remember my math teacher in 2nd grade had a better classroom pet than we did, so I always liked visiting his cage every day.

 

Agreed.  My experience changing classes at that age was unusual since I was in a special program, but it was definitely a positive experience.  I think if done right, it can probably be fine.  And if done poorly it can probably be terrible.

[Juliegmom]

7th grade which was considered junior high. I had six different classes and teachers. Prior to that (in elementary school) we were pulled out only for music.

[...................]

It was this innovative 1970s concept where the rooms didn't have doors or right angles. We were in these pods that were built around a central office space for the teachers that had classrooms radiating off of it. The rooms were open in the front, which faced the office space, and the back, which is where the bathrooms, water fountains, and sinks were. Each pod had less bathrooms than classrooms, so you often had to go into other classrooms to get to the bathroom. It was just weird. Usually, you didn't have to leave your pod area to switch core classes, but sometimes units (of the math, science, social studies, and language arts teachers that you were taught from) got spilt up across pods and we'd have to cross hallways to get to a class.

 

If had any faith in the school system at all, I would think that you were totally and completely pulling my leg.  In fact, I really thought that. THen I remembered we are talking about the system.  

[SorrelZG]

Seventh grade, although in elementary school there was always a different teacher for various sports, foreign language, music, and religious education.. There was no middle school, just elementary and then high school beginning with seventh grade.

[happymomofboys]

When I was in elementary school I had the same teacher for everything except P.E. and Music.  I did go to GATE which had a different teacher and due to my weight, I was given an extra P.E. class in the library with other chubby kids where we did exercise to a video.  When I moved in 3rd grade, I had the same teacher all day for every class, until 5th grade when we had pods where several classes all shared a common space (that was awful, btw) and some instruction was shared between teachers.  When we moved that year, my next school actually had two grade levels sharing one classroom.  The following year, I spent half the day with one teacher and the other half of the day with another and had to change classrooms.  Then I moved to a new state in 7th grade and that was the first time I changed classes for each period, but we were divided into teams all on one corridor, so the same group of students all had the same teachers.  

[Incognito]

We changed rooms for language arts and math in elementary school.  Everyone was changing at the same time, and it wasn't confusing at all.  They generally tried to make it so I'd say about half the kids didn't actually switch rooms.  I *think* this started in 1st grade, but I don't really remember.  Could have been 2nd or 3rd.

 

Actually changing teachers throughout the day was 7th grade.  I'm sorry, they did not coordinate anything.  And homeroom was not a community building class, it was 15 minutes somewhere to give us announcements and whatnot.

[vonfirmath]

We switched rooms in 3rd grade for math and then back to our home room for everything else.

 

6th grade was the first time we went to a LOT of different teachers. So every class was a different teacher. Though yes, the first two classes (English/Reading) was a double period/homeroom in 6th grade. In the other years even English and Reading were split into two different classes

 

[foxbridgeacademy]

We started switching in 4th grade (Southern Indiana). I had 4 different teachers, 1 each for: math, Lang. Arts, Science, and Social Studies. I don't remember it being an issue.

[carriede]

My last year of elementary, in 5th grade, we rotated through 3 teachers to help prep us for middle school. The teachers stayed in their own rooms while the kids switched.

 

There was another program at our school where they DID switch teachers at 2nd grade. The group I was in was called 'traditional', I don't remember what the other group was called. It wasn't a special needs or gifted program... I had friends from church in those classes, but the kids never mixed at school except for music productions done by grade level.

[Lanny]

First, my memories are of days long ago....  I believe in Elementary school, around 4th grade possibly, that we had a different teacher for Music. But, basically, we were with the same teacher all day, through 6th grade. In Middle School (then it was Junior High School), starting in 7th grade, we switched classrooms and teachers, every 45 or 50 minutes during the day, for different subjects.

 

Now, for DD, here in Colombia, very different. We hadn't intended to put her in pre school, but just before her 3rd birthday, we enrolled her in a Pre School. There, she was with one teacher most of the day, but they brought in other teachers, for Music and Art, as I recall.

 

Then, when she began in the private school in Cali, in K4, One teacher, plus an Assistant, most of the day, but, they had different teachers, for Physical Education, Art, etc. And, since DD was very advanced in English, they would pull her out once a week, for an advanced class in English with a special teacher. She was there in K5 and First grade, and the same mix of teachers.

 

For 2nd through 5th grades, she was in a different (much less expensive) private school in Cali. They had a variety of teachers, as I did in Middle School and in High School.

 

 

 

 

[hsmamainva]

That begins in 5th grade in our Virginia county.

[lexi]

7th grade

I went to a small private school in elementary and middle school. Then I was homeschooled in high school.

6th grade was considered elementary at my school. 7th and 8th was junior high and 9th and up was high school.