From Kindergarten to 5th Grade: What I Learned from Changing Grade Levels

Have you ever been asked to switch grade levels and felt completely terrified? I’ve been there! After spending a decade teaching kindergarten and first grade, I suddenly found myself packing up my early elementary classroom and preparing to teach fifth grade. What started as one of my biggest professional fears turned into one of my most rewarding teaching experiences.

While many parts of the country face teacher shortages, California teachers still get pink-slipped every year. Budget cuts, declining enrollment, aging communities—you know how it goes. One year, our four kindergarten classes were condensed down to two. With cuts happening in the lower grades, I was asked to move up and teach 5th grade.

I was TERRIFIED to move to upper grades. I never planned to teach beyond 2nd grade! I had ten years’ worth of kindergarten and first-grade teaching supplies, knowledge, and experience.  I was a primary grades for lifer. I packed away my K/1 classroom, spent the summer researching, learning, and, honestly, freaking out that these big kids would eat me alive.

But guess what?I ended up loving teaching 5th grade.

On the very first day, I quickly realized that 5th graders are really just big first graders who can do a lot more! They still need structure, routine, positive relationships, clear expectations, and explicit teaching. I immediately felt both relief and excitement for the year ahead.

After teaching kindergarten and first grade for ten years, here’s what I absolutely loved about teaching 5th grade:

1. Independence

When you’re used to doing everything during those first few weeks of school for your kinders, it’s a shocking (and amazing) surprise to realize that 5th graders can put their own things in their backpacks, tie their own shoes (!), and know how to use and put away supplies.

There’s far less material management and prep—and no bathroom issues! In general, there’s no need to model “how to school.”

2. The Content

Fifth-grade social studies is so fun! I love history, and getting to bring early U.S. history, European exploration, and the 13 colonies to life was incredibly engaging. Walk Through the Revolution was a highlight of the year.

Nerd alert: I loved diving deep into the causes and events of the American Revolution.

3. Novel Studies

It felt like having a book club with your friends—except you’re at work, and they’re your students. While I’ll always love teaching phonics and foundational reading skills, it was such a joy to enjoy reading in the classroom, discover new books together, and have meaningful discussions. Listening to students’ perspectives and hearing their text-to-text and text-to-life connections was one of my favorite parts of the day.

4. Projects and Teamwork

In the lower grades, you spend a lot of time teaching your students how to work in groups. In the upper grades, you get to watch that work pay off as students plan, research, prepare, and execute projects together. They’re hands-on and engaged while you guide and support—rather than manage every detail.

5. Professional Growth and Learning

Teaching a new grade level encourages self-reflection, creativity, and a renewed passion for teaching. After this experience, I realized I could love and be successful teaching any grade.

If I can learn 5th-grade math and how to teach it, I can do anything!

This grade change challenged me to expand my curriculum knowledge, refine my classroom management skills, and gain valuable insight into how students progress into upper-grade expectations.

Moral of the Story

Whether your move to a new grade level is self-chosen or chosen for you, it can feel daunting, scary, and like a lot of extra work. But remember—it’s also an incredible opportunity to broaden your professional skills, experience something new, and reignite your love of teaching.