Reflection to “For Teachers, Middle School is Test of Wills”

by Lauren White

Recently our professor emailed the class an article posted in The New York Times about the lack of credentials and numbers of well prepared middle school teachers, as well as the loss of middle school teachers. I must admit that before this semester, I was one of those students who planned on only working in a middle school if that was the only job that opened up after graduating. Even after observing different science and math classes in grade 7, I remained standoffish, convinced middle school was not for me.
This semester I am in a program at my school were student-teachers are teaching two days out of the week. Of course the most exciting aspect of the program in the beginning is what school are you in and what grade will you be teaching? When I found out at first I was going to be in a sixth grade class I was a little disappointed, then I found out it was a science class with blocked scheduling, including 6 classes total with 2 gifted classes. I was a little more challenged and somewhat excited. I had always worked with students between the grades of kindergarten and third, and now I was going to be teaching this new era of students and a specific topic I major in.

“Middle school is like Scotch,” she reflected in the teachers’ lounge one afternoon. “At first you try to get it down. Then you get used to it. Then it’s all you order.”

It has been almost two months since I have been with these sixth graders, and I must admit I have had a change of heart. Like the above quote from the article, middle school is all I seem to want to do now. The students are working on a level were they are starting to take risks and think beyond the expected. Students are also finding themselves and becoming independent, responsible for their own books, work, and projects, allowing the lessons to be more students directed. The students know what they need to accomplish in order to pass, and they take responsible for their actions, whether they are right or wrong. For example, some students forgot material to participate in an in class project, so they understood they would lose points, but brought in their own project the next day. A sense of self is developing, and the students are not afraid to express autonomy, but they also know they have teachers, family, and friends to fall back on.
After I graduate I will be certified to teach math and science from grades k-8, and I am looking forward to landing a middle school science class. I have been inspired by these students to take the risk and go where so many new teachers dare not go. I know many people teach in middle school because they can, but I want to teach in middle school because I should and I belong there. I feel I have learned how to relate with middle school students, as well as elementary and I am curious to see what I can accomplish with it.