“After the activity, the frustrated student raised her hand and said, ‘I didn’t care that we had to think. All I wanted to do was to ‘Google it’ to find the answer.’ This may typify our students’ feelings toward taking advantage of the speedy technology so readily available. What happened to the value of having students think about a problem for a time?” (Philip, 4)

This passage made me think so much about my own experiences with homework, studying and learning over the years. When I was a child, I definitely had more patience to read a book or solve problems for assignments. By the time I was in high school in 2011, I lost a lot of that patience. If I had to write an English literary essay, I would find quotes or themes about the book from the Internet. If I had trouble with my French homework, I would try Google Translate. I would sometimes search for the answers to my Science homework on Google. Over time, my use of the Internet for school work became a quick fix for everything, rather than a last resort aid. Now, wrapping up my last year of undergrad, I find myself so trapped in this habit. I often feel concerned, thinking about what it will be like to teach to a room of kids glued to their phones or try to convince them to use their brains, rather than the Internet, when I already have this same issue myself.

“Middle school students are certain that no one has ever thought the thoughts they are thinking or felt the feelings they are feeling.” (Brown & Knowles, 2007, p. 35)

The many reasons for why not to be a middle school teacher is supported by scientific research which also confirmed what I already know about the “special stage” of adolescence. What I took away from this information was to stay conscious of what this period of time means to students and what it meant to me. I believe it’s true that students don’t talk about the mental or physical changes we go through because we don’t understand it or we don’t even know it’s happening. These changes can affect how a young teenager is as a student and how they process information.

I know I’ve viewed students being able to open up to me as a success, because it is, as an educator, but now I wonder if students would even bring up health questions. I never thought it would be a possibility, I thought maybe friend, relationship, or family drama would be something I’d be confided in, and I wouldn’t oppose to give advice on those issues but guiding through or answering health topics is a whole different story. I understand that the article suggests that teachers are like guidance counselors, I can say that’s pretty accurate, but expecting or adding on to our workload being prepared to answer health questions is something that if I had to do I’d want to be heavily versed on what to say and trained on how to approach those sensitive questions. Again, it sounds like another workload to me, but for now, if I were ever approached with such questions I’d say: “I’ll get back to you on that.”