Chapter 1: A Decade Later

Abstract

What is the middle school movement? Basically, it is the attempt of teachers, administrators and parents to create a better learning environment for middle school students. These people understand that the way we live is changing at a very fast rate and it is important for teachers and students to be at par with this change. They have come up with 8 essential principles that should be followed when dealing with middle schools. These basically describe the responsibilities of middle school teachers and how the curriculum should be organized. This chapter also discusses what the average middle school student is experiencing outside of school. They are experiencing a transition in their lives unlike any other: puberty. On top of that, the middle school environment is much different than that of elementary school. Other than that, this chapter is giving a brief overview of what the rest of the book is going to be about.

Reflection

How do these thoughts affect my future classroom? Let''s focus on one of the eight essential principles: "Large middle grades schools are divided into smaller communities for learning." I have seen this practice in the flesh on a couple different occasions. I experienced it myself as a middle school student. Each grade was divided into two teams. Students would only have classes with peers on the same time. On top of that, each team was assigned five core teachers. So we would always be interacting with the same people on a regular basis. This also makes it easier for the teachers to keep track of who their students are and have the time and energy to put into every single one of them. To break it down a step further, my practicum placement was an 8th grade English class. Again, each grade was broken into two teams. Also, each team was broken down into four sections. These sections had the same core schedules. Team placement was very carefully thought out by the team teachers and other administration. Taking it even one step further, the students would have the same teachers for 7th and 8th grade. This allows teachers to see an academic growth in each student.