New position: 5th-grade departmentalized math. All advice welcome, please!
Hello all! I just accepted a 5th grade departmentalized math position for a bilingual classroom (teaching in English. I am conversationally fluent, though not certified. I do have my ESL cert). I have taught 4th grade homeroom for 5 years in a Central American country, and before that I taught 3rd grade literacy. I have a few questions. Any additional advice you have beyond my questions would be greatly welcomed!
This is an intermediate campus (just 5-6), so not quite middle school but middle school. I know students need a lot of structure, and coming from my homeroom experience, structure and routine were what made the classroom flow and function, but I know there is a difference going from the self-contained structure/routine and going into a departmentalized structure/routine. I know that one of the first challenges I'm going to need to tackle will be setting up clear boundaries, routines and expectations.
What advice do you have for setting up clear routines for this age group and in a departmentalized position? I know that writing out contingency plans for different scenarios will help me when the time comes that I have behavior issues. What are the more common behavior scenarios to consider for this position/age group, and what are some of your best tips and tricks for dealing with them?
The next thing I'm thinking about is building relationships with my students. What advice do you have for building and maintaining relationships in a departmentalized position and for this age group?
Any additional advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!