In my opinion secondary is harder to be taught due to these issues:
1. students being in psychologically "critical period" òf teenage years ,have less sustainable moods and teachers must be armed totally with different socio-psycological skills to understand their complex issues and make mutual friendly relationship with them,as we know that it is a significant prerequisuite for a successful teacher.
2.nowadays due to digital and online numerous sources for learning ,also this opportunity for secondary students to compare and assess teachers ability on teaching capability relying on social network potential ,teacher will have more challenges to fulfil educational expectations of students ,while as primary students are novices in learning and less familiar with social networks,it is suppossed them to be more neutral to challenge their teachers.
I think these 2 important reasons are 2 fundamental basis for many reasons in which proves that secondary school teaching is much harder comparing to primary school teaching.
I agree with Konstantinos. In the UK there are definitely different challenges due to the nature of the curriculum itself - so in primary you need a teacher who is competent in all curriculum subjects whilst in secondary a teacher is a subject expert in one area. Add into the mix the differences in cognition and human growth and development, each of which adds a further level of complexity. If you adhere to the notion of subject pedagogies then another dimension is also added - on top of which is the basic fundamental of access to teaching aids, equipment and infrastructure (all subject to fiscal constraints).
3.As the chart "returns to investment in education by level" shows :due to importance of primary school education ,it is shown that this period is the most sustainable period than 2 other periods shown in the chart ,so primary teachers somehow have more confident in which makes the job much happier and easier for them.
4.in many of the research and surveys since 30 years ago preschool and primary school teachers have been among the "most happy jobs".
I thinks once I am a teacher there is nothing called harder or I should left the field.
Prepare your teaching kits by (methods, processes and techniques) that suit these levels.
Teachers are like magicians who should find solution for the obstacles face their students.
Primary level is as a farm and teachers are farmers should clear the land for planting kids.
Care much to teach them creatively and in a correct way, because you will open the path for your colleagues at secondary schools by handing them the flag to continue the teaching mission smoothly and in standard ways and the will harvest rich crops..
I was a school teacher in Jordan in the period 1975-1978 when there were no internet & social media. Generally speaking, the younger students were easier to teach than their elder counterparts. It was not a matter of the taught subjects but the challenge was in attitudes, conducts, diligence, and sensitivities.
I cannot claim that the school students of today are similar to the past students. After abolishing physical punishment, the students (especially the secondary ones) have become more daring (which is good) but some of them reached the point of rudeness (which is really terrible).
Add to it that the internet & the social media have escalated the problem since the secondary students get lot of superficial information by these means so they think that they know but they "actually" either they do not know or just know shallow bits & pieces.
Therefore, a teacher of the secondary school level shoulders a heavy burden currently and deserves ethical & material support.
Teaching at the primary setting (at least in the three states in the US where I have taught) is more of a challenge. You are considered a "generalist" and therefore are expected to teach science, math, social studies, health, English Language arts (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), social-emotional skills, and computer skills.
Teachers are increasingly faced with students with severe behavior issues, emotional disorders, on the autism spectrum, as well as students in the gifted range. The expectation is that all students will pass the multiple standardized tests in math, reading, writing, (and in grade 5-science). The infusion of the effects of digital devises used as "child care" at home, social media, and the lack of social norms is all apparent- and as the foundational grades it is often thought of as our job to "fix" these issues before students move to secondary classes.
That is an interesting question but keep in mind that their is a cultural context that can impact the response. In the United States for example primary and secondary education teachers have a lot of accountability to meet State and Federal Standards. They have tests that must be administered as part of our education law the ESSA. Up until recently, student performance on these benchmarks were used to measure a teachers success. While that has changed with the new education act this does mean that in the US primary and secondary education are often considered more difficult on a day to day basis. In higher education, professors have more academic freedom; however, teaching is just part of the job and there are additional responsibilities in terns of research and scholarship that come with a career in higher ed.
Annette Venegas as someone who teaches in higher education and who has prepared pre-service teachers, I would certainly say that primary school teachers wear many many hats and are faced with an almost overwhelming number of responsibilities from complying with state standards, meeting the needs of children with academic and behavioral issues, being a jack of all trades, completing other assigned duties, dealing with parents, and etc. The result of this is that in the US almost 30% of all new teachers will leave the profession within the first five years. We simply under-value, under-support, and under-compensate our primary and secondary teachers in the United States.
Teaching is hard to estimate period. Some say it depends on educators assumptions and internal theories, so this makes it even more subtle. But certain universal and genera traits exist, though, but I disagree with Nicole Buzzetto-Hollywood in 3 points: dealing with parents is not an "extra" is part of the job. Wearing many hats is also part of high school teachers. The high resignation rate of the US has to do with what is considered "success" there: that is to work for a brand multi-national, to be an entrepreneur which is not what is considered in some other countries, so
There are many differences in teaching strategies. In the primary stage, the strategies depend on the senses more, but in the secondary stage, the strategies are focused on mental processes.