Pros
I went from teaching a tiny class of wealthy children abroad, to a class of 32 Title I children. Talk about a difficult transition. Week 1 was one of the hardest of my life. Big improvements in week 2 already. You've got to put in consistent work for these kids. They are needy and they need an advocate. This is a great first job in my opinion because personally I feel like after this I'll be able to handle pretty much anything. I have been incredibly well supported at South Mountain. Entire admin team has been above and beyond. Principle is driven and motivated to get things in shape. They are working hard to get systems in place for managing extreme behaviors. They always have my back and help me through difficult parent situations. I started after the school year already began so it was tough. No time for training or classroom setup. I invited myself into the school to shadow for 2 days unpaid and that helped a lot. There's a lot of little things to keep track of, and you need to rock your classroom management. It is stressful. but it gets easier. You have to ask for help, it won't be spoon fed. But answers and help have always been readily available. They use walkies so that you can get assistance in a pinch. Early dismissal on Wednesdays. As far as the work load is concerned, I would say it compares to any other teaching position in the US. This profession is well known for poor work-life balance. All of the curriculum is super scripted which helps a lot to cut down planning time (but I have NOT been micromanaged - I have autonomy to teach my way in my room, the scripts are just a guide/starting point).
Cons
Long school year and long days. It is difficult for K-2, many children do not have stamina for these long days. HUGE class sizes, which I know is fairly normal in AZ and not really to be blamed on AMS specifically. I think a lot of the problems with behaviors and stamina could be much more efficiently handled with a cap of 29.