✏ Teacher chit chat: From preschool to elementary school

Hello loves! This is a bit of a different chit chat I guess, it's kind of a heart-to-heart but in a teacher version.
As some of you already know, I recently started working again, and I couldn't be happier.
My whole working life has been in preschool, I was very used to work with kids from 3 to 5 years old and now that I'm working in elementary school, I admit it has been a bigger change than I thought it'd be.

I'll start with the kids.
I'm currently working with first and second grade (kids from 6 to 8 years old). And even tho they're still little kids, there's a massive change.
Considering they are older kids, you get to do a lot more because they can already read, follow instructions a lot easier, write more and analyze things. That makes me really happy cuz I feel like I can achieve a lot more but there's also a lot for me to learn.

First graders are still like my preschoolers, they love to sing, play and they are very affective. They still need a lot of accompaniment during activities and they question everything. But second graders are a lot different, even tho they are affective, they are a lot more independent and most of them are starting to feel like "grown ups" now. They don't find songs very entertaining, they ask you more serious questions and they want more and more challenging activities. It is interesting and fun at the same time cuz as a teacher is a new experience but also a big challenge.
I think I managed to make the kids like me pretty fast, they are both very active and smart groups but veeeery different even if there's not a big difference between their ages.

Work wise I fell like I'm having more paperwork than before (and I HAAAAATE paperwork). I had no idea how to make a proper weekly planning for each group cuz, even tho I used to plan my classes, I never had formats to fill in. My coworkers have been very helpful explaining me how to
do it and it's not as hard now. I also have been working on a teacher course I was asked to do, we all have to do it and...it's painful, haha.
So yeah, even tho I'm not working those many hours, I do have work to do but I kinda enjoy being busy again.

Something I also like about this school is that it is a bigger school, and since they're starting, I'm starting this journey with them and I'm sure it'll grow a lot more in the future. Also, I feel like us English teachers are considered a lot more to do important activities and celebrations which makes me happy.

I know I was veeeery lucky to be able to get a job in a school at this point of the school year. I came back home just in time to be considered for the job. And even luckier to get it right away.
A month went by since I started this new adventure as an elementary school teacher and I've been enjoying every part of it (maybe the waking up early part not that much...). Can't wait to see what the rest of the school year will be like!!