Support and Advocacy

Over the past week, I've had the chance to shadow two seventh grade boys.  I think it's important for me to reflect on these two experiences as a future middle school teacher.  My first shadow student attended a Chicago Public School and was quiet, but obviously wanted to be part of the group.  Being a woman, I'm not as aware with the pressure young boys feel to be part of a group, but it was easy for me to see that he felt somewhat on the outside trying to get in.  The other characteristic that struck me was his desire to please his teachers.  These two struggles came to a head when he was caught in his Math class sharing his homework with a friend.  The Math teacher went crazy, but I'll save my opinions of her teaching (which I disagree with on every level) for another time.  This poor kid; he's trying to fit in with friends, and please his teacher.  We all make mistakes, and he's facing such an uphill battle at this school; poverty, gangs, violence, and most kids not caring at all about school.  And yet he is at school, doing his work, and doing well!  Students like him should be told at every class, every day how much their work and effort is appreciated.  Instead, the only real interaction I saw was him get yelled at by his Math teacher.  What is he learning? His hard work isn't noticed, just his mistakes.  At some point he will just stop trying, because what is the point? 

What I observed at my second shadow visit was almost the complete opposite.  A suburban middle school with many resources and excellent teachers, the whole atmosphere of this school is vastly different from the Chicago public school.  Yet if I take these two boys and sit them next to each other outside of school, they have many of the same characteristics; they both want to please their teachers and do well, and they both want to fit in with friends.  Yet the boy at this school was told often that he was doing well, that his answers were on track.  He had extracurricular activities that raised his self-esteem and gave him a sense of self.  There were no issues with cheating among any of his classmates because every student was expected to work hard and be accountable for their learning.  And finally, he was aware that I was shadowing him, and was proud to be chosen as a shadow student and tell me about his school and classes.  The boy from the Chicago Public school was most likely never aware that I was shadowing him; can you imagine if he was told ahead of time, and the honor and pride he could have felt, as the suburban boy did?

So, what is the take away from this experience? It's easy to write these differences off as a lack of resources, and walk away; the CPS school will never be the suburban school, and we can't expect the same from those kids.  This is so wrong! These two boys were both hard workers, and both cared about school and succeeding.  The difference is that the student at CPS didn't have anywhere near the level of support or advocacy as the suburban student.  Obviously funding and resources would help, but we as teachers also need to be responsible for our students.  We need to notice and acknowledge what our students are going through and appreciate when they work hard.  We need to hold all of our students to a high standard of learning, and support and advocate for them so they can reach that standard.  Because they can reach it.  They believe it, and we need to believe in them.

Views and Obstacles in the Middle School Science Classroom

     Learning can be thought of scientifically or emotionally.  Scientifically, when learning occurs, nerves in the brain form new connections and individuals are able to recall and process more information.  Emotionally, learning can still be thought of as making connections. One connects prior knowledge and ideas to new information, allowing them to internalize concepts and topics more easily.  Making information meaningful to one's own life allows a greater chance for that new knowledge to "stick" and allow application to even further ideas.  

     Teaching is facilitating that connection for each other.  I do not believe that teaching only occurs in a one way direction, from teacher to student.  I think teachers have perhaps even more opportunity for learning from their students' prior knowledge and opinions.  Students know the best way for them to learn new information, and as a teacher our job is to learn what that best way is for every student to ensure that they succeed.  We fail when we don't allow our students to share what they know about successful teaching and learning.  

     Kids go to school because they have to.  If you ask most kids, they would rather play with their friends or sleep than attend school most days.  They don't see the point in learning lots of useless (to them) facts and memorizing vocabulary words that are meaningless to their daily lives.  Effective teachers should wake up every morning with this thought on their minds: "How can I ensure that my students want to come to school tomorrow?" What activities can we do to keep students interested while building knowledge, so that they talk about school at the dinner table?  

     The best ways to assess learning for our students is to listen to them.  What are they saying about the class activity?  What new connections are they making?  If teachers have developed the appropriate assessment, students will feel satisfied that they have had the opportunity to display what knowledge and connections they have made during learning.  Teachers have to make learning and assessment meaningful.  Asking kids to recite definitions and answer difficult multiple choice questions isn't allowing them to display what they've learned- it's a test.  A test filled with tricks we design with the guise of "critical thinking," but in reality students see it as "how is my teacher trying to get me to choose the wrong answer and how can I overcome that."  Our goal shouldn't be to trick students.  We need to take the extra effort and time to develop assessments that are fair and thoughtful so students feel confident when they leave a unit.  

     Media stereotypes impact middle school curriculum in absolutely every way.  Kids in middle school are bombarded with stereotypes regarding how they should dress, act, think, eat, play, and even learn.  It is most crucial during this time because they are also going through a major developmental change physically and emotionally, and are so easily moldable to any influence they deem important.  They form their identity from what they see at home as much as what they watch on TV.  Reading magazines and seeing advertisements can influence how they should treat their teachers, parents, and peers.  As a teacher, I can help these young adolescents develop positive relationships with their own ideas and opinions by helping them understand the motives behind the media.  Why the media displays adolescents as "know-it-alls" or "trouble."  Teachers have to help kids understand that the conflicting messages they receive from the media don't have to define them.  They can be their own unique self and be ok.  It's not an easy task for us, but it's vital to our kids success and self-esteem.

The top 10 obstacles facing young adolescent students can be broken up into 3 categories: individual, interpersonal, and societal.  

On the individual level, young adolescent students are:

1. trying to determine who they are- are they a leader, a follower, a silent consenter, an outspoken dissenter?

2. trying to figure out what their role is in their family- are they a good son/daughter, a good sibling? how do they protect their family, or are they embarrassed by their family's actions?

3. trying to figure out what convictions they hold- what is important to them? Politics, keeping the earth clean, helping others?

On the interpersonal level, young adolescents are:

4. trying to figure out how to be a good friend- how and when it's important to keep a secret, when is it important to support someone and when is it important to stand up to them?

5. trying to figure out how to be a good student- what does the teacher want from me? How can I succeed in school and still be myself?

6. trying to figure out how to be a good role model- what is the right way to act? How can I safely take risks to find out how to be my unique self while still making my parents or teacher proud?

On the societal level, young adolescents are:

7. trying to figure out what future they will have- how will they contribute to society? What impact will they leave on the world?

8. trying to figure out what they need to succeed- what college do I need to go to, or do I even want to go to college? What grades do I have to get to obtain the career I want?

9. trying to figure out how to be a positive member of society- how can I help others while taking care of myself?  Who needs me?  

10. trying to figure out what spiritual and religious views they hold- what is my reason for being alive? Is there life after death? What should I believe?

The top 10 things that I think young adolescent students need to know is

1. You are an individual with unique thoughts, opinions, and ideas.

2. It's ok, and really important that you have these unique thoughts and opinions.

3. You have the capability to succeed in school and life.

4. It's important to figure out how the best way to learn for yourself.

5. It is ok if you don't know something, and it's good to ask questions and keep searching for answers.

6. It's good to try new things and ok to change your mind.

7. You should tell your teachers when learning isn't meaningful or important to you.

8. You can learn a lot from your parents, siblings, and peers, not just from your teachers.

9. You need to be open to other's ideas and opinions.

10. Give yourself a break! Don't take yourself too seriously, enjoy and appreciate that you're going through tons of changes and everything is going to be ok. 

The top 10 things I think middle level educators need to know is

1. Young adolescents are facing unique challenges that you may not have when you were that age.

2. Young adolescents need to be appreciated for the contributions they make.

3. Young adolescents need to be held to a high level for learning- they will reach those high standards you set.

4. Young adolescents are capable of making meaningful connections to new ideas. 

5. Young adolescents need to be supported when they are trying out new roles. 

6. It is your job to reach every student in your class, and listen to them when they have new ideas or concerns. 

7 It is your job to make school exciting and interesting for your students.

8. It is your job to ensure your students trust you.

9. It is your job to evaluate how you are teaching and respond and change as necessary.

10. It is your job to make learning accessible for everyone. 

How I will...

     Ensure that children in my classroom will be able to ponder, read, think, and create is to create an environment that is full of wonder and possibility.  Students in my classroom will be valued and their contributions will be appreciated because they bring so many diverse backgrounds and experiences with them.  Not setting limits on their imaginations will help them develop new ways to solve problems and ignite their creativity.  My role in the classroom will be to plan fun and interesting units and lessons so my students can show what they know and learn skills organically while doing meaningful work.  Allowing multiple kinds of projects and readings for students to choose from based on their interests and skills will help ensure that their voice is heard and their opinions matter.