Middle. Middle. Middle. Say it. It's a weird word. And, it represents something to us, a neither-here-nor-there-ness, an "othering" of sorts. These students are neither children nor teenagers,not still babies but not yet independent. So, we label them with our societal construct of "middle." Hmm.
Maybe Stealer's Wheel said it best: "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you."
Anyway, as we approach the eve of your middle school field experience, I wonder where your thoughts and anxieties are. What is on your mind relative to this experience? What are your fears? What are you excited about? Please post a thoughtful, anticipatory message--with your teacher hat on--that lets us know where your head is relative to your foray into middle school classrooms. I can't wait to tune in to read what you write.
9 comments:
Middle. I said it out loud as I read this. Middle Middle Middle. What does it mean to be in the middle? I found myself thinking about this in class this morning, how students are in the middle at this point in their lives. Something I tend to think about is that these students, as Dr. Cook said, are not children or teenagers. From my experience, which is not a ton, but it has definitely given me a sense of the way middle school works, I have seen two different sides of the spectrum. The students are still kids in a sense, we can do fun activities, they want to like us as people and as teachers, and most have a value for school and learning. They have fun and still worry about things in life that we would consider "the small stuff." There are some middle school students who seem to be untainted by many things in the world and this can be refreshing. On the other hand, I have been shocked by some of the things I have heard students in middle school say. The way they talk about boyfriends, cheating, and lying. They caught me entirely off guard asking me questions like... "Do you get drunk? Do you smoke? Do you go clubbing? Do you have a boyfriend?" WHATTTT? Where did all that come from? One minute I am helping with poetry, the next I am being interrogated by two seventh grade girls.
It just demonstrates a meaning of "in the middle" for me. The students are a place where they want to be kids and adults at the same time and still seem to be in a place where they are neither. It makes it easy to understand why some students feel that they are trying to find themselves. In one of my middle school classes I learned about the brain of an adolescent this age and research (according to this video we watched) said that middle school adolescence is the most important developmental period in a persons life next to infancy. That really made me think, a middle school teacher has the chance to be really influential... It's a lot to think about. I am excited to go into the middle school, though there are obviously challenges, it was cool to see that most of the students were just high on life, for lack of a better phrase. They are excited about football, xbox, and having a cool young teacher in their room, it's fun to embrace the experience and learn from it.
By the way Joe Purdy!!! I didn't see that song posted to this blog. Awesome Awesome... Joe Purdy - Wash Away is a GREAT song! It's actually something I heard on LOST, but it is a great song!
So, to conclude my lovely rant/blog... I just want to say... In my social identity paper I wrote a line that says...
"I truly believe that it is important to tell someone if they have impacted you, if they inspire you..." I meant you guys.
I'm not "bs-ing" here... you all have really impacted me in a lot of ways. You are inspiring. You are all so creative and great to me. I can't even explanation doesn't even do it justice, but I am a better person from hanging out with you guys from 9-12 on Mondays and Wednesdays. It's good and refreshing to know there are people in the world like you all, and not just the kind of people I experienced high school with. See you in 6 weeks... or in SPED 433! ahhhhh!
I am aware that I have made some typos/grammar errors... It's 1 am forgive me :)
Aimee,
First, we don't care about typos on the blog. K?
Second, you are such a kind, thoughtful soul for giving a huge shout-out to your 410 peeps. I concur. The energy, excitement, intellect, and collaboration (and laughter) that I have witnessed over these past 6 weeks has been renewing for me and gives me new hope for the future of schooling and teaching. Thank you, Aimee, for recognizing the power of good colleagues and compatriots. You folks rock it. Go forth and have FUN!
When I think of the word "middle" i think of the lyrics from the song that goes-stuck in the middle with you...lalalla....anyways, in a way middle school students are stuck in the middle. They are in place where they want to role of an adult with the consequences of a child. I know that when I was middle school aged I thought that I was old enough to do everything that high school kids were doing and couldnt understand why I wasn't allowed to do them. The phrase "your time will come" came out of the mouth of my mother just as many times as "no". I can't wait to get into the middle school classroom! Middle school kids are so much fun! Every december during Christmas break I take 40 or so middle schoolers up to Vermont for a weekend long ski trip. Most people think I am crazy because they don't understand the kids and think that they are just trouble makers. In reality, they are just on a journey of finding out who they are and so they are testing the waters, seeing what they can get away with, and trying out styles to see what one fits them best. We all did this at one point or another and it is sad that a lot of adults can't remember what they were like at 12, 13 and 14. Ive learned through hanging out with middle schoolers and sometimes having them on retreats that knowing what is popular with them at the time is a big deal. Do you know the members of the Jonas Brothers? Did you know that Hannah Montana is 2 people but 1 person? Do you know what a Webkinz is? As silly as it seems if you can use your knowledge of these things (of lack thereof) in the classroom and ask the kids about them or somehow incorporate them into a lesson you will have them hooked right away. Im excited about getting to make an imprint on their lives no matter how small it may be. :-)
Whoa. I'm writing this coming off of the Adolescent 101 seminar we had to attend. Just whoa. There's something about the course title, and I wish I'd thought of this to say in my evaluation, that just rubs me the wrong way. Are we really supposed to have a working grasp of how adolescents work from a two hour seminar? I get that it's meant to prepare us for some of the things they're dealing with, and to remind us, as the professor put it, that most of these kids aren't just punks even if they're acting out... I just feel like the 101 oversimplifies an entire group of people, and we can't afford to be doing that.
I think my biggest anxiety about this whole thing is finding some kid, or group of kids, that remind me of how painfully awkward I was at that age and not having something comforting to say to them. Yeah, I'm in college, I survived middle AND high school, I'm doing something with my life, and I don't care if people make fun of me anymore. That doesn't really help them in the here and now.
On the whole though, I'm really excited. We get to work with kids! Whee! I mean, it's absolutely wonderful to sort of preview lessons with a supportive peer-group like our 410... Slipping up is okay! We can laugh with each other and not at each other when those awkward moments come up. It's SAFE. But even as awesome as it is, there's nothing that's going to truly prepare us for real kids. There's also nothing that's going to compare to working with them. And sometimes, they give us really useful input that you'd probably never hear from a peer.
I think I've shared this story before, but it becomes really important here. Last semester, in my SED 407 class, Lauren Cote and I were teaching one of our lessons in Jill Usenia's class at North Providence High School. The students were working on some written component, and I was wandering around between the clusters of desks, asking if anyone needed help, how the work was coming, etc. One of the girls looked up at me as I stood up to move on and said, "You're too professional." I was really taken aback. I think my answer was something like, "Wow. I'll have to try to tone it down a bit." It wasn't something I'd ever thought about, or noticed about myself. In this particular case, I think it had to do with being insecure about the lesson, but in general, it's just amazing the insight kids have sometimes. Since then, I have been painfully aware of my body language and endeavoring constantly not to come off that way again.
I'm really going to miss having class the next few weeks, but I do totally look forward to reading about everyone's experiences on the blog. Have fun, everyone!! I'd say good luck, but no one needs that =P It's all about channeling the awesome.
I too am writing this after attending the adolescent health workshop and I agree with Ashley: whoa. While I don’t think I learned anything new during this workshop, it was a little overwhelming to think of all of the physical, social and mental changes going on with the average middle schooler on an everyday basis. AND we want them to learn. It’s amazing anyone makes it out of middle school alive. I know I didn’t think I was going to. I hated 8th grade. It was such an awful time for me for no reason in particular. I think that’s the hardest part of middle school. Sometimes things just suck and you don’t really know why.
I think it’s funny how many different things the word “middle” make us think of. As for me I was reminded of the Jimmy Eat World song “The Middle” which I think should be an anthem for middle school students:
“It just takes some time
Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride
Everything, everything will be just fine
Everything, everything will be all right” (http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/jimmy_eat_world_lyrics_2910/bleed_american_lyrics_8568/the_middle_lyrics_99106.html).
I know there’s nothing you can really say to a kid who’s going through tough times that
will make anything better, but I think it’s important that they know there are teacher who care about them, who are there for them if they need it. Maybe that’s why 8th grade sucked so much; I didn’t feel any connection whatsoever to any of my teachers at such a tumultuous time in my life.
I’m glad to be going into a 6th grade classroom. I remember how scary it was to go from my small, heterogeneous elementary school to the ginormous, diverse middle school. I’m really excited/really nervous to begin teaching. My only experience in a classroom was tutoring a third grader in the Reading Buddies program through VIPS, so I’m really looking forward to teaching students closer to the age level I plan to teach. I do feel a little behind you guys because I didn’t have the same 407 experience (unfortunately I took it in the summer session) but I hope that my nerves will calm down during this first week observing. I’m glad I don’t have to go alone.
I love our class. I’m going to miss everyone (who’s not in my senior seminar) hearing about your lives and you ideas on a biweekly basis has been so amazing. You’re a wonderful group of people. I have and will continue to learn so much from you all. Thanks guys. :)
Things do change once you get to middle school that's for sure. Looking back on it, those years of my life were the years where everything was planned out for me, I had minimal responsibility, and I focused more on the social aspects of life more than anything else (sounds like a three year vacation). Having thought about that I understand that for the most part, the students that we will be encountering are going through the same things at this time, and I feel I am ready to work with and learn from these students. Middle school kids are the only students I have not had the opportunity to work with yet, so going into this I feel a little bit nervous, but a lot-a bit excited to experience yet another aspect of teaching.
I want to remember what goes down in a middle school. I want to remember the kinds of things I was taught. I want to see the things kids are worried about and what makes them pumped about life. Mostly, I want to see what makes these kids individuals and not just kids in the "middle". I am ready to go. WE are ready to go. I hope everyone has a good time and I am looking forward to hearing from everyone!
Hooray, I made it back to this website with just three hours left before this post was due. I am at a get together right now and I remembered that I had to do this. I always feel so accomplished when I make it to this post to blog. I have come to understand computers a bit more in the past couple of years, but I stil don't like them. But, for our purposes of communicating and keeping together as a group, I recognize the importance of this site. Okay...end scene.
Middle school...fears, anxieties, thoughts...Here is my one thought...let's do this thing. This is what it is all about. This is my fourth year at RIC and while I have enjoyed my classes and the brief experiences that I have had in schools thus far, I am ready to teach! And to teach real students! I can only take talking about theory and practice so much before I want to use that knowledge and see what works and what doesn't. As much as I think I know what kind of a teacher I will be, it won't be until I am faced with twenty something young adults that I know what I am made of.
I do not want to spend my life as a middle school teacher, but I can assure you that I want to spend the next four weeks as one.
My goal will be to make these students realize that they are the most important part of the class...that I can not teach without them and that the lesson would not be a lesson if they were not there.
Personal connection, fun, writing...all of these things are important and I will incorporate them into my time with these students, but what I truly want is to develop a classroom environment full of respect, community and intelligent, thoughful people.
To my classmates I say teach like ninjas and to Dr. Cook I say thank you for your passion, your wisdom, and your ability to consistently make your classroom a place where I feel safe and where I feel compelled to do my best.
Middle? You are no longer in the safety zone of Elementary school nor are you given the freedoms of the High school students. You are placed in this middle ground not really described by any other means other than it's differences as it is compared to others.
I think that this stage was even more difficult when it was called "Junior High". Not quite large enough to be a regular school but not fitting in the younger classes either. Ostracized....
The concept behind the Middle School model hopefully will create a new sense of identity for these in between years as well as a sense of stability and pride both for the attending students as well as the teachers.
Teachers were never trained to help and guide these students and therefor created a stigma of Middle School being different or as I have heard "not as fun to teach".
I began the MIddle School Endorsement to widen my experience and give myself more marketability once I have my certificate. What I have gotten out of it is completely different. I know would rather teach in a middle school so that I can be the guider in the go between we call middle. These kids and the times of their lives we are a part of are important and I can't wait until I can get into the classroom and start guiding.
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