Chapter one's primary focus was to introduce the set-up of a typical middle school and expand upon some situations a teacher might face with other teachers, administrators, and different students. One point that caught my attention is all of the chapter one material was that middle schools and junior high schools are different. I never realized this before, but they are very different in their approach. I would tend to agree with the middle school approach with the emphasis on the students.
A second point that stood out in the book chapter was that the many factors that influence a middle-school student's self-esteem and ability to learn most effectively. There are so many pressures in today's world, and these students are trying to develop and figure out who they are in that very challenging environment. On top of all of that, the students are being pushed to do more now than ever. Playing year round sports, honors classes, increasing social pressures, decreasing family time and structure, are things society expects students are facing at younger ages than ever before. As teachers, we must understand the ever-increasing pressures students face in order to help them grow and learn in this transitional phase of their lives. Communication between parents, students, and, teachers is very important to accomplish this task.
Finally, I would like to comment on the several theories of development mentioned. I have seen many of these in other classes, and I think they come in very handy when planning lessons and understanding students. It helps me remember that not everyone thinks at the same level yet, especially at an age when students are developing at different times, and that helps me to be more understanding of different students. I like this chapter because it covered a lot of material, but it was all-important to the foundation of understanding middle school in terms of both the students and the school.
The middle school student is very complex. Within the various grade levels children change physically, emotionally, socially, sexually (yes I did say that), and there are various levels of maturization. I teach 6-8 at a local middle school and throughout my day I see a wide range of adolescent development. Some are very immature and nieve to the world, while others are very mature and way too wise to the world. Especially as it pertains to sex, drugs, and alcohol. The important thing, at least in my experience, is to get to know your students individually. Take time to figure out their interests as well as their academic abilities. Fostering a relationship of mutual respect is key to classroom management. Understanding your students allows you an insight into their way of thinking and learning. We are all about data in my district, which is great. However, knowing the child is, in my opinion, even more valuable.
ReplyDelete