MVP: “Teachers have a responsibility to guide students through adolescent years. If it sounds as if we expect teachers to be more like counselors instead of merely teachers, then you are beginning to comprehend the role of effective middle level practitioners.”
“I don’t know how you do it! They’re so hormonal!”
“It takes a special kind of person to teach middle school.”
These are conversations I’ve had plenty of times with my 7th grade science teaching mother. The article from What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know made me self aware in how I, an educator myself, often perpetuated the stigma of how troublesome middle schoolers can be. I found the article to be valuable in allowing teachers to reflect on the reasons behind middle school behavior and our role as educations in this setting.
I think it is common in many cases to find teachers of middle school students to be seen as victims who have to put up with these students, however this article made me very aware of how much students are victims of puberty and continuous changes both mentally and physically. Rather than the same tone of fear I am guilty of taking with adolescents, the writers showed compassion by dissecting the many things students in this age group are experiencing. By being more considerate of the changes such as growth spurts, physical developments, and cognitive developments, educators are in a better position to put themselves in the shoes of their middle school students and react in ways that are proactive and accommodating to their needs. After reading this article, I hope to be much more like the teacher who responded to his students constant trips to the bathroom as an obvious sign of self examination and act proactively in solutions rather than in consequences.
Great post, I’ve had the same feelings in the past towards middle school students too! I breathed a sign of relief even when I didn’t have to do a Middle School student teaching placement. However, we have to remember, like you said, middle schoolers are people too and are going through a lot of changes that make it hard for us as teachers to relate to them. We must be considerate and put ourselves in their shoes. I can remember how difficult middle school was as compared to elementary and high school for me and I’m sure our middle school students feel similarly.