Monday, September 20, 2010
Middle School Mentality
They might look like teenagers. Sometimes they can even get mistaken for adults, but they continue to remind me day after day that they are definitely still kids. This afternoon during announcements, right before dismissal, my eighth graders were milling around the room waiting to leave school for the afternoon. They want to get out and play their soccer games, or go to their friends house, or hang out at the library down town. I looked around the room as they were all anxiously awaiting the words, "At this time all students are dismissed." Three boys, who look like they might be college searching soon, or who might even pass for college students, were happily playing with my finger puppets of Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, and Charles Dickens. They were making them talk to each other, and fight each other; they were simply enjoying the puppets just like a young student would. Even after five years I am constantly reminded that looks in middle school can be deceiving. I am reminded that these kids are just that... kids.
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3 comments:
Thats so nice. Its easy to forget that our students are just kids. Sometimes I worry that the school day does not allow them enough time to be kids.
I just got back from a 2 day overnight excursion with my students at Camp Jordan. One of the things we put into the program were short spurts of free time. We discovered that the kids seemed happier and more willing to get back to work when they had time to just be kids and play. It makes me think that giving the kids some down time at this age is still important just like it was when they were at the elementary school. Kids do need time to be kids.
Absolutely...and a great anecdote, Caitlin. They are still kids...and that should be the mantra of any middle school teacher (principal and parents, too). They are not test-taking machines; they are not robots who come to school so we can "fill" their brains. They are living and breathing young people somewhere between childhood and adolescence. And your story reminded me once again why I chose to teach this age group. Thanks!
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