“What will my classroom look like? What grade will I teach? What will my first class be like?” These questions swirl through the minds of early-career educators embarking on their job search. I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was five, but the specifics of my future classroom and students shifted often over the years. I loved my teachers and school experience growing up, and I wanted to recreate that magic for my own students. As I progressed through high school and college, my “ideal” teaching vision took shape. I initially pictured myself teaching in my home district—working where I’d grown up seemed perfect! I even substitute-taught there during my last two years at Kutztown University. But one thing my district couldn’t offer was the chance to stay with the teachers I’d bonded with as a student. In high school, I thrived when I had the same teachers multiple times, feeling more engaged and successful in their classes compared to one-semester stints.
This experience drew me to secondary education at first. I even planned an independent study at my high school to boost my college applications. When I couldn’t secure a high school mentor teacher, I thought it was a setback—turns out, it was a gift. Instead, I worked with a fourth-grade teacher I admired from my elementary school, and I fell in love with middle-level education. That spring semester of my senior year, I observed and later assisted as a paraprofessional in her classroom, forming deep connections with the students. It cemented my decision to teach. Years later, subbing in the district, I reconnected with those fourth-graders—now in seventh and eighth grade—reinforcing how much I valued looping-like continuity.
The idea of looping stuck with me as I earned my middle-level education degree. My freshman year brought the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting me from hands-on student work to distance learning for over a year. By my professional semester—pre-student teaching prep courses—I was thrilled to return to in-person classrooms. Over six months, across professional semester and student teaching, I worked with 315 students in three schools, spanning two grade levels, urban, suburban, and rural settings, and all four core subjects—math, science, English language arts (ELA), and social studies—plus Algebra 2 for advanced learners. The variety was invaluable, but it was time to find my place.
Reflecting on what I valued in a teaching job, my urban placement stood out. I cherished the student connections, curriculum, and mentor teachers, though large class sizes and hiring uncertainty were drawbacks. My rural placement offered a tight-knit community and a middle school STEM program with looping potential, which I loved. Pay and commute mattered, but looping became non-negotiable. I was thrilled to land a job before graduation at my current K-8 school, teaching sixth-grade social studies and ELA. Here, two teachers per grade level loop with students: grades one through three, four and five, and six through eight. Kindergarten stays consistent, and middle school pairs a math/science teacher with an ELA/social studies teacher, with students rotating between us. Enrollment closes after sixth grade, so barring rare unenrollment, my students stay with me through eighth grade. After teaching so many kids across disciplines, I relished the idea of maxing out at 52 students over three years, focusing on my favorite subjects.
That summer, I planned my curriculum and prepped my classroom, contacting homeroom parents before the first day arrived. I started with 23 sixth-graders; 21 continued into seventh grade, joined by two new students. Like most new teachers, I faced challenges. My students lagged in foundational skills, and their past trauma from teacher turnover fueled tricky behaviors. Building trust took time, but knowing I’d have them again made it rewarding. They embraced community-building, aware we were in it for the long haul, which let me weave social-emotional learning into lessons and hold meaningful conversations—individually and as a class.
Year two brought noticeable shifts. Classroom routines clicked faster, letting me dive into academics sooner. Knowing my students’ strengths and quirks, I tailored lessons for engagement and paced content better. Relationships with parents, built over year one, smoothed communication. Clear expectations for behavior and academics, understood by students and families, fostered collaboration for student success.
Looping’s magic lies in watching my students grow—academically, socially, and emotionally. Nearing the end of seventh grade, they’re blossoming into authentic, confident selves, more vibrant than last year. I celebrate their victories, support them through setbacks, and guide them through middle school’s ups and downs. I treasure these relationships and feel so grateful to keep my first class beyond year one.
Morgan Bentley is a middle school teacher in Pennsylvania and a member of AMLE’s Early Career Educators Committee. You can contact her at morganabentley03@gmail.com.