Dear Stellar Teacher: How to Navigate Changing Grade Levels with Confidence

Sara Marye

Hey there, stellar teachers! Welcome back to another episode of The Stellar Teacher Podcast. If you are tuning in, then you are joining us for our monthly Dear Stellar Teacher segment. I love it when Emily gets to join me on the podcast because we get to have a more casual conversation around something in education. Today, we are going to be talking about our experience—and really what it’s like—when you have to switch grade levels, switch schools, still stay in the classroom or maybe work in a school building, but you’re having to start something new. We’ll share our experience with that and just some advice.

Before we get into our topic though, I always love to check in. Emily, welcome back, of course! What have you been reading lately?

Emily

Hey, Sara! Glad to be back. I just read a really good book. It was one of those books where I just needed to find out what happened, so I flew through it. It’s called The Business Trip by Jesse Garcia. Write it down! It read almost like a Freida McFadden, where it hooked me right from the start and I was just really—I was just hooked the whole time. So I read it super quick.

And I also just wanted to share something kind of reading-related that has been bringing me joy. I have a two-year-old, so after I put her to bed, I put my headphones in, pick up the house—you know, kind of do my little bit of a reset in the evenings—and I just listen to my audiobook. It just makes it so much more enjoyable. And then my house is clean by the time I finish a chapter or two. So that has been an awesome routine for me.

Sara Marye

We don’t have kids, but I feel like I need that in the evenings as well, because I don’t know—it’s usually just me at home during the day, and I’m like, how is it that my house can get so messy when it’s just me at home? I might need to start doing that before I go to bed as well—with audiobooks.

 

Emily

Yeah. What about you? What have you been reading?

 

Sara Marye

So, I have been on a bit of a Christina Lauren kick lately. Have you read anything by her before?

Emily

She wrote The Paradise Problem. I loved that one, yeah.

Sara Marye

The Paradise Problem – Yes! Also, fun fact that I just discovered—Christina Lauren is actually two people! Not one author. I don’t think they’re sisters—I think they’re best friends—but I did not realize that it was two people. So now I’m reading their books completely differently, because most of their books alternate every other chapter from a different person’s perspective. So now I’m like, ooh, I wonder if they take on the personality of the characters, or if they co-write all of the chapters. So of course, I’ve got all sorts of questions now.

Emily

Well, it’s funny that you mention that because my friend just sent me a message—they’re coming to my town for a book talk in a couple of weeks!

Sara Marye

When?!

Maybe I’ll have to come meet you up there. I’m not close—I’m not close to you at all. But I do enjoy their books. So anyways, I just recently finished The True Love Experiment, which was cute. It was about a reality TV dating show, and of course, a love story from that. It was just an easy, fun read. I listened to the audio version—the narrators were both really great and easy to listen to. Cute story.

And like I said, I’ve been on a kick of theirs. I just started—right after I finished that—I just started reading… I forget what it is. But it’s whatever their book is that has “Wilder” in the title. I can’t remember the name of it now.

Emily

I need to remember that one because yeah, I really liked Paradise Problems. That was five stars for me. It was so cute.

Sara Marye

Yeah, that was one of my favorite books from last year.

Okay, let’s jump in and talk about switching grade levels. I know teachers are wrapping up the end of the school year, and oftentimes this time of year comes with news—whether it is that you are switching schools on purpose, or maybe you’re being voluntold that you are teaching a new grade level. But as you wrap up this year, you are mentally preparing for a new experience next year. And I know that can be both exciting, overwhelming, and unnerving—there’s a lot of feelings that go with it. So let’s talk about it. Tell me, what is your experience with changing grade levels, and do you have any sort of advice or nuggets that we can share with our listeners?

 

Emily

Okay, so I started off as a second-grade teacher, and then I got what they called RIF’ed, which means last one hired, so first one out. And it did not bother me at all because I was actually returning to the school where I student taught. So I was really excited to be RIF’ed, so to speak. I taught second grade again after that, and then I was asked to move to third grade.

Now, maybe somebody can relate to this, but it was a really exciting thing for me to be asked to teach third grade because just the way our school was set up, there was a K–2 building and then a 3–5 building. And the 3–5 building just kind of felt like the cool kids club or something. So I was so excited to be moving up to third grade. And also, since it was a testing grade, I just—I really saw it as an honor.

So I was just so, so super happy to make that change. Now, is that the experience that everybody has when they are being voluntold to change grade levels? Probably not. So I just had a really good attitude about it, which was just so helpful in that time. What about you, Sara? What’s your experience with changing?

Sara Marye

Experience with changing—because there are only two instances, maybe three, now that I think about it, where I did the same position for more than a year.

My first two years, I taught second grade, then I switched schools, states, and grade levels, and taught first grade. Moved back, switched schools, states, and grade levels—back to second grade.

Then I switched to an instructional coaching position. Switched to another state in an instructional coaching position. Came back into the classroom in second grade. And then, of course, the biggest disruption—in the middle of the year, I was voluntold to go from second grade to fourth grade in, like, October.

And then I was in fourth grade for a couple of years. So that was sort of like my happy place because I was able to build some traction and get some really good experience. And then I switched again in the middle of the school year—not the following year, but another year—and that’s when I left the classroom and became an assistant principal. So I have done all of the transitions, right? I’ve switched grade levels in the same school. I have switched positions—so leaving the classroom and going into a coaching position—switched schools… yeah, just all of the switches. I’ve done.

Emily

We’re going to need a comprehensive timeline of the Sara Marye teaching journey because it sounds very complicated.

Sara Marye

It was a lot. Part of it was just moving—following my husband’s job, having to find new positions. But also, I have always been somewhat of—I don’t know—I like change. And I like the idea of making an impact in education. And so anytime I had an opportunity to try a new grade level or go into a coaching position or an administration position, I wanted to take advantage of that because I knew it was going to make me a better teacher, or a better leader—a better educator in general—just to have that wide, diverse experience. So I was never afraid to make the switch. Granted, I feel like I was never afraid to make the switch when it was like decision time, but then after the fact—after I’d agreed to do whatever it is or accepted the new position—then it was like, oh shoot, what did I just do? I’m starting all over again from scratch and I have no idea how this grade operates, how this school operates, how this position operates. Oh yeah—it was a little bit like, once you make the decision to switch…it’s like now we actually have to follow through with it.

Emily

So two of your switches really stood out. One—what was it like going from an instructional coach, not in the classroom, back to the classroom?

Sara Marye

That was the best move I ever made. Yeah, so I was an instructional coach for three years, and then we were moving from Chicago to Houston. And for whatever reason, I just was like, I want to go back into the classroom. Because as I was out of the classroom for three years supporting teachers, I learned so much. I was in so many classrooms and I saw so many of the practices that I was doing that didn’t work in the teachers that I was supporting, but I was able to see from an outside perspective why they didn’t work. And I also saw a lot of the things that I had been doing and saw that they were working really, really well. And so I was like, if I go back in the classroom, I am going to be a way better teacher. And I just thought it would be really fun. And I was like, that was sort of—like I said—that was right before I started teaching fourth grade. And those were the best… now granted, of course, if you listened to our last episode, you know that I struggled with writing, but whatever. There were still some things that I did really well.

But I think had I not been out of the classroom and returned, I never would have been able to apply those things. Yeah, that was the easiest transition—going from an instructional coaching position to a classroom position.

Emily

So the other transition that I’m wondering about is when you had to change grade levels mid-year. Were you not freaking out?

Sara Marye

Oh, I was—absolutely. This was one of those things where my principal called me into his office on a Thursday afternoon, and he explained the situation. I was a second grade teacher, and we had a fourth grade teacher who was resigning immediately. Like it was effective—she was not coming back to campus. And fourth grade is a testing grade. And he’s like, “I need a strong teacher in there.” He’s like, “Will you move?” And I was like, “How much time do I have to think about this?” He’s like, “You can have until tomorrow.” So I had like 24 hours to think about it. He was like, “If you’re not going to do it, I need to find someone else.” And I did it because I was always one of those teachers that was a team player. And I’m glad that I did it, but that was probably the hardest switch to make because I had to say goodbye to my existing students. I felt really bad about that. But jumping into a position in the middle of the year—I didn’t know where my students were at. I didn’t know what had already been taught. I didn’t know what was coming up.

And so this will transition me into my very first piece of advice, right? If you are switching grade levels, schools, or positions—regardless of the time of year—don’t feel like you need to come in and immediately make any changes, right? Regardless of the position, go in, ask questions, observe. Give yourself that opportunity to learn the new building, the new system, the new process.

And I know so many teachers are type-A overachievers, perfectionists, and we want to go in with a plan. We want to go in feeling really prepared. But I think anytime you’re starting a new experience, you have to learn the lay of the land, right? You have to learn how things operate.

And so I think going in without a plan can actually serve you really well because your plan is to observe. Your plan is to ask questions. And so yeah, if you’re making a switch, try to quiet that control freak in you that wants to know everything and just be like, “Okay, my goal is just to ask questions and figure out how this works,” because then you can make the best decisions for how you want to operate in that new position.

Emily

Yeah, I love that reminder to just give yourself grace. You’re not going to be outstanding—immediately—with a new thing. But that’s what’s so exciting too, right? Like, it’s this huge opportunity to have this growth.

So that kind of leads me into my first piece of advice, and it’s just to think about your mindset. Instead of thinking, “I have to go teach third grade,” think about, “I get to go teach third grade.”

And that shift might feel so small, but it’s just so powerful. When you reframe the challenge as an opportunity for growth, it just feels like it has so much more possibility and it has so much more joy.

And another thing that you had mentioned—when your principal came to you and said, “I need a strong teacher in fourth grade”—that’s something else I wanted to mention too. Know that you are being asked to change grade levels or change positions because someone sees your strength.

Someone else can see it, which means that I really hope that you personally can see your strength too, and you can know that you have that opportunity to make that impact.

Sara Marye

Yeah, I think anytime you’re making a transition—again, whether it is something that you want to do or somebody is nudging you to do—it’s because either you have the strength, or somebody else sees that in you. But I’m glad you mentioned the mindset, because that is another one of my sort of pieces of suggestions or advice.

I think anytime you’re in a new scenario, it is so tempting to focus on what we don’t know about it, right? And I’m a bit of a worrier, an anxious person. And so it’s like anytime I’ve started at a new school, it’s like: I don’t know how the bus thing is going to work, I don’t know how lunch is going to work, I don’t know what the parents are going to be like. You know, we focus on all of the things that we don’t know.

But I would encourage teachers—if you’re getting ready to start a new position—take some time and think about what are all of the things that you do know that will still apply to this position.

It’s like, effective classroom management strategies work in pretty much every grade level. Building relationships with students is the same kind of wherever you’re at. And even if you’re leaving the classroom and working in more of a coaching position, building relationships with teachers is still just as important.

So it’s like, focus on what are all of the strengths that you have and all of the things that you know how to do. And when you’re in this season of transition, really lean on all of those things that you know how to do well.

Emily

Yes, still so important.

Sara Marye

And don’t worry as much about the things that you don’t know, because lunch will figure itself out, the busing schedule will figure itself out. When I think back on it, it’s like all of the things that I worried about in these new buildings were things that, by the end of the first day, were answered for me. And it just was not worth the mental energy that I invested in worrying about this transition.

Emily

Yeah, I mean, every school year, I always would think to myself, like, let me just get to Halloween. Because by Halloween, surely I’ll know what I’m doing. So if you figure some of those things out after the first day, then you are way ahead of the game.

Sara Marye

That strategy right there is also really a good reminder, too—right? Like, give yourself a physical deadline where it’s like, okay, by this date, the unknown is not going to be an unknown forever. The stressors aren’t going to be an unknown forever. And so remind yourself that after—whether it is September 1st, October 1st, or the end of the first semester—the unknowns are going to be behind you, and then you get to move into the comfort territory.

Emily

Yeah, like our routines will be established, our relationships will be established. Yeah, I like that reminder too, just to kind of give yourself that peace of mind and the grace. Like, I don’t have to know what I’m doing until maybe a specific date.

Sara Marye

What are some of the other things that you have found helpful when you’re switching grade levels?

Emily

So this is one of my favorite teaching tips in general, but I always like to say that teaching is a team sport. And I was so lucky to have such great teams wherever I went. So my biggest piece of advice is to lean on collaboration.

And I think I’ve mentioned this on the podcast before—I genuinely hope that you have those types of colleagues in your building where you can lean on that collaboration. But just know that you do not have to figure everything out alone.

And one of the best ways for you to make the transition into a new grade level is to connect with the people who are already teaching that grade level. So if you have teammates that are teaching the same grade—or even, you know, different friends—they don’t necessarily have to teach at your school.

I’ll also suggest things like Facebook groups. A fourth grade Facebook group if you’re teaching fourth grade, or Instagram…

Sara Marye

The Stellar Teacher group…I mean, we love supporting teachers…

Emily

For sure, for sure. Yeah. But even looking to social media for inspiration—that can just kind of give you that confidence that you need. But ultimately, teaching is a team sport. You do not have to do this alone. And there are people who are going to be there to support you.

 

Sara Marye

And I think, yeah, again, that is such an important reminder because when we are in the classroom day to day, it does feel lonely, right? We don’t have other adults we’re talking with. We are on our own. And so when you are moving—especially if you are moving to a new building—and you don’t know anybody there, it can definitely feel lonely. But it doesn’t have to be. Rely on the team sport. And I think too, like that’s also a really good opportunity. This took me a few years to realize, because I always knew that I was a good teacher. And so I was like, I know what I’m doing. I don’t need your help. But it took years to realize that, it’s like, when you come in and you rely on the people who have been there for a while, it is an opportunity for you to really validate their experience, their expertise, and allow them to step up into a leadership position or pour into you, right? It’s like, you’re basically acknowledging that, okay, you’ve done this before. I need your assistance. And I know not everybody wants to necessarily be a leader, but people love being told that they are doing a good job, that they have knowledge and information that you could benefit from. And so when you put yourself in that position where it’s like, okay, I need your help to be successful, you’re giving somebody else an opportunity to help you out. And that, I think, always feels good.

Emily

And you might even learn some things not to do.

Sara Marye

Yeah, it’s always learning. You can ask for that knowledge and information, and just because you hear what they’ve always done doesn’t mean that you have to keep doing it. But just by asking, you’re going to learn.

Emily

Yeah, yeah. Okay, I know that you kind of said it as a joke, but let me just actually put it out there. The Stellar Teacher team is actually there for you. If you are changing grade levels at this point, and if you’re a member of the Stellar Literacy Collective, we have third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade—everything you need to run a successful literacy block.

And not only that, but our Stellar Teacher team loves talking with our members, loves answering questions, loves collaborating. So you said it as a little bit of a joke, Sara, but we are here for you. The Stellar Teacher team is here for you.

Sara Marye

Well, I am glad that you said that in a serious way because it is true, right? We exist to serve teachers like you, and especially if you are in the middle of a transition and you’re moving grade levels and you have never taught something before, right? It’s like, make it easy on yourself and reach out to a community like us.

And let us help you through that transition. You know, that is something that I was not very good at—thinking, okay, I’m doing something new, so let me reinvent the wheel, right? Like, let me make all of my new plans. Let me do all of the research. Let me figure everything out, as opposed to, let me hit the easy button and find the experts who have done this.

And so yeah, that’s another piece of advice: if you are switching grade levels, rather than trying to figure everything out on your own, find people who have already done it and really lean into them. And of course, we’d be happy to be your cheerleaders this next year if you are moving to a school or a grade level. Or even if as we get ready for the summer, if you are switching schools and you don’t get to meet your new team until August, connect with us over the summer and we can at least give you ideas for what to expect in that grade level, ideas for lessons—things that you can be learning and building your content knowledge on until you get there. And we can at least cheer you on throughout the summer.

Emily

Yeah, one of the great things too about teaching literacy in general is that whether you’ve taught literacy in the lower grades or in the upper grades, there’s a lot of overlap too. We talked about this earlier, but you’re not starting from square one. You have all this background knowledge. And the truth is, even in the upper grades—if you are moving to the upper grades, for example—you are going to have students who have those same sort of instructional needs. Take a deep breath, a sigh of relief that you are not starting from square one. You know how to be an effective literacy teacher.

Emily

So, Sara, if you were asked to go teach tomorrow, what grade level would be your ideal grade level?

Sara Marye

Fourth grade, hands down. Yeah. If I had to go back, there is—and I feel like maybe every teacher has this grade that is just like, for some reason, it’s unexplainable. It’s like their sweet spot. I just felt so at home at that grade level. Like once I got in there—and it only took a couple of weeks—I was honestly a little bit nervous about teaching the big kids. But once I started teaching fourth grade, I was like, yeah, that was my happy place. So if I had to go back, that’s where I would go. What about you?

Emily

Well, I taught third grade. I spent most of my time in third grade, and I loved it. But I have to admit, it is mostly, for me, about who I teach with and my administrator. Because I once worked for an administrator who I just, like, loved and respected. He put so much effort into his relationships with the teachers. And one time I had a dream that he came to me and said, “Emily, I need you to go teach ninth-grade writing.”

I’m not making this up. And I was like, absolutely.

Sara Marye

You’d do anything for the administrators that you love, yeah.

Emily

I know, I know. So at least now, after reading The Writing Revolution, I would have some foundational knowledge for teaching ninth-grade writing.

Sara Marye

Well, we need you here on the Stellar Teacher team. So hopefully he doesn’t actually come to ask you to make that switch anytime soon.

Emily

Hopefully not. I would have to say no at this time.

Sara Marye

Well, if you are switching grade levels or positions or schools this next year, we would love to hear about it so we can cheer you on. Send us a message on Instagram. Let us know you listened to this podcast and let us know what grade you are switching to or what position you’re switching to. And of course, we’ll cheer you on and support you and answer any questions we possibly can.

All right, thanks for tuning in. We hope to see you back here next month for another episode of our Dear Stellar Teacher segment. Emily, I’ll see you then.

Emily

See you then.