Students enter fifth grade with such different math abilities, making it challenging to teach them. There is always a slight struggle each day when I am trying to teach something to students who have not yet developed the basic skills. I often have to take a step back, break students into small groups, and attack those basic skills. This is challenging because it gives teachers that feeling that we cannot be everywhere at once. I wish I had four of me in the classroom on some days! However, when those students who struggle start to ‘get it,’ it is the best feeling a teacher could ever have! Of course, there are also students whose abilities are well above the fifth grade level and it is hard to keep challenging them. I actually have some of my students doing eighth and ninth grade algebra. They are like sponges and absorb any information I bring to them. They work so hard!