I taught 3rd grade for four years and am moving to middle school (was pink-slipped and saved) to teach social studies to 8th and 6th graders. I’m confident in the subject I’ll be teaching (was a history major) but need advice being a female in middle school/classroom management/relating to students of this age. Any advice? Thanks!
The first two posters have hit many good points!! They deserve gold stars!
I’m going to weigh in on this, too, even though I am not currently teaching. My last two teaching assignments were in grades 7 – 12 in disciplinary alternative schools, and prior to that, I’d taught junior high (7 – 9) for four years when I was a beginning teacher. Yeah, I’ve met middle/ junior high schoolers. They can be a lot of fun, but they can also make you just a little crazy. Be sure that your sense of humor is intact. Learn to keep a straight face no matter WHAT happens. It can be a wonderful tool.
Do re-familiarize yourself with your adolescent psychology and development. Hormones are raging in middle school…there’s a lot of interpersonal drama going on. It can be very wearing on you as you try to sort it out…and you will be asked to play "Dear Abby" at times. Do that very carefully…better to refer it to the counselor.
Be sure that you have clear and fair expectations and are scrupulously consistent about them. If you make a mistake, admit it, make it right, and go on. If you mistakenly call a student down in public, be sure to apologize both privately and publically. The kids will respect that. You’re not there to be a friend, but you don’t have to be the enemy, either. You need to establish a working relationship with them.
Remember that respect is a two-way street. At this age, it’s a big thing with them. You want to be respected, and so do they. It has to be reciprocal or it doesn’t work. You can demand all you want, but you won’t get it. You have to earn it. and that starts on day one. You have to show them that they will be respected in your room. Be clear about that in your classroom rules, procedures, etc. If you can, address them as Miss and Mr. most of the time. It’s amazing what that can do. For some, it will bother them, and they will ask you not to do it. Others think it’s really something. Since you expect them to address you as Mrs. or Miss or Ms., it’s only fair that you start off that way. You can always go to their first names or last names (for the boys only) later on.
Girls are probably the worst at this age because of their developmental phase. They can be sweet as anything one minute, and catty and vicious the next. They are competitive about the boys, and many of their dramas are because of them. (If ever there were a case for single-sex schools, middle/junior high school would be the perfect place to implement them across the board!) I would never, ever step into a fight between girls.
Boys tend to be a little goofy, but can also try to challenge you and your authority. A lot depends on how you present yourself. If you are no-nonsense, but fair and can show that you are interested and care about them, you will be okay. If they sense that you are afraid of them, you are sunk from day one.
The biggest thing is to care about the kids and be *real* with them. At this age, they are really attuned to any kind of favoritism, even the hint that you may not like them, or say one thing but do another. You have to remind them periodically that while you may not like the behavior, you still "love" them.
I think a lot depends on where your school is and what kind of students are there. I had a lot of at-risk kids who needed a lot of support–in every way conceivable. I learned a lot by just listening to their conversations as they came into the room or whenever there were a few minutes of "free time" when they talked to each other. Being in the hall is another source of information. Just listen and you will learn a lot about them. You don’t have to do anything with the information, but it can help you understand why so-and-so might be having a problem or why some students who were the best of friends this morning are at war this afternoon.
Be ready for any number of things. As a female teacher, you will probably have at least one or two young ladies who will need some assistance with "female matters". I learned to keep a small cosmetic bag in my desk drawer with a few items in it that could be surreptitiously handed to a student in need. I usually invented some sort of "mission" for that student to go on so that she could leave the room (deliver papers or a "package" to another teacher-with a note) without embarrassment. But that kind of thing is up to you and how comfortable you feel about it. I also kept hand sanitizer, funny band-aids, a tiny screwdriver for glasses repair, and a few other "oddments" in my desk that came in handy for those little instances that didn’t require a trip to the nurse or the office. You cannot give out any medication, but you can offer a peppermint to someone having a coughing fit.
The big thing is to look on this as an exciting adventure and a great opportunity. Yes, they will challenge you, they will make you want to scream, they will confound you, and they will drive you to utter distraction, but they will also amaze you, cause you great joy, and remind you of all the reasons you became a teacher.
Good luck with your new assignment. Have a great year and a lot of fun!
September 28th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Middle school children can be….how do I but this gently…horrendous!
Notice I said "can be" and not "always are" to those of you who are beginning to respond to me now! I taught Social Studies to 7th and 8th graders.
Be prepared for the following:
Daily scrutiny from the children about everything from how you dress to your qualifications to be their teacher (you’ll also get this from the parents)
Never appear to be unorganized!
Plan lessons from bell to bell…leave no time open
Make sure you identify the students who will need additional instruction early because students at this age will let themselves fall so far behind that it will be too late to help them come Spring Break
Make sure that you are constantly reminding students that graduation/ college is really not that far off for them and that their general improvement during middle school does count in the long run
Do not downplay standardized testing. I know we all hate it but the scores will affect the students.
Differentiate, differentiate, differentiate…different learning styles will appear more noticeably at this age you have to play to their liking.
Good luck and don’t give up!
References :
September 28th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
I’m a man who teaches Middle School (8th grade English), I hope that won’t discount my answer
Middle Schoolers can actually be a lot of fun. The 8th graders are old enough to begin to understand some more sophisticated material, but haven’t become surly yet.
However, it’s the gender issue I originally clicked on your question to help answer. One thing that comes up 3 or 4 times a year (out of about 200 8th graders in my school) is that when it comes to discipline there will be a few boys who will not listen to you simply because you are not a man. Boys this age are really wrestling with gender identity and some seem to want to take it out on the women around them . If there is a fairly major discipline issue with an 8th grade boy and it seems to be gender based on his part, don’t hesitate to ask a male colleague to step in for a bit.
This doesn’t happen all that often, but now and again my team has found we can diffuse a situation by having a male discipline a male student. The converse has also been true, but since you aren’t a man, I’ll skip the details.
I remember being surprised (although I shouldn’t've been) at this when I first noticed it.
Also, be able to laugh at yourself. If you take yourself too seriously 8th graders will smell it in the air and process to maul you are every opportunity (I swear, they are like sharks, they can smell blood in the water).
References :
Me and my 7 years of 8th grade
September 28th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
The first two posters have hit many good points!! They deserve gold stars!
I’m going to weigh in on this, too, even though I am not currently teaching. My last two teaching assignments were in grades 7 – 12 in disciplinary alternative schools, and prior to that, I’d taught junior high (7 – 9) for four years when I was a beginning teacher. Yeah, I’ve met middle/ junior high schoolers. They can be a lot of fun, but they can also make you just a little crazy. Be sure that your sense of humor is intact. Learn to keep a straight face no matter WHAT happens. It can be a wonderful tool.
Do re-familiarize yourself with your adolescent psychology and development. Hormones are raging in middle school…there’s a lot of interpersonal drama going on. It can be very wearing on you as you try to sort it out…and you will be asked to play "Dear Abby" at times. Do that very carefully…better to refer it to the counselor.
Be sure that you have clear and fair expectations and are scrupulously consistent about them. If you make a mistake, admit it, make it right, and go on. If you mistakenly call a student down in public, be sure to apologize both privately and publically. The kids will respect that. You’re not there to be a friend, but you don’t have to be the enemy, either. You need to establish a working relationship with them.
Remember that respect is a two-way street. At this age, it’s a big thing with them. You want to be respected, and so do they. It has to be reciprocal or it doesn’t work. You can demand all you want, but you won’t get it. You have to earn it. and that starts on day one. You have to show them that they will be respected in your room. Be clear about that in your classroom rules, procedures, etc. If you can, address them as Miss and Mr. most of the time. It’s amazing what that can do. For some, it will bother them, and they will ask you not to do it. Others think it’s really something. Since you expect them to address you as Mrs. or Miss or Ms., it’s only fair that you start off that way. You can always go to their first names or last names (for the boys only) later on.
Girls are probably the worst at this age because of their developmental phase. They can be sweet as anything one minute, and catty and vicious the next. They are competitive about the boys, and many of their dramas are because of them. (If ever there were a case for single-sex schools, middle/junior high school would be the perfect place to implement them across the board!) I would never, ever step into a fight between girls.
Boys tend to be a little goofy, but can also try to challenge you and your authority. A lot depends on how you present yourself. If you are no-nonsense, but fair and can show that you are interested and care about them, you will be okay. If they sense that you are afraid of them, you are sunk from day one.
The biggest thing is to care about the kids and be *real* with them. At this age, they are really attuned to any kind of favoritism, even the hint that you may not like them, or say one thing but do another. You have to remind them periodically that while you may not like the behavior, you still "love" them.
I think a lot depends on where your school is and what kind of students are there. I had a lot of at-risk kids who needed a lot of support–in every way conceivable. I learned a lot by just listening to their conversations as they came into the room or whenever there were a few minutes of "free time" when they talked to each other. Being in the hall is another source of information. Just listen and you will learn a lot about them. You don’t have to do anything with the information, but it can help you understand why so-and-so might be having a problem or why some students who were the best of friends this morning are at war this afternoon.
Be ready for any number of things. As a female teacher, you will probably have at least one or two young ladies who will need some assistance with "female matters". I learned to keep a small cosmetic bag in my desk drawer with a few items in it that could be surreptitiously handed to a student in need. I usually invented some sort of "mission" for that student to go on so that she could leave the room (deliver papers or a "package" to another teacher-with a note) without embarrassment. But that kind of thing is up to you and how comfortable you feel about it. I also kept hand sanitizer, funny band-aids, a tiny screwdriver for glasses repair, and a few other "oddments" in my desk that came in handy for those little instances that didn’t require a trip to the nurse or the office. You cannot give out any medication, but you can offer a peppermint to someone having a coughing fit.
The big thing is to look on this as an exciting adventure and a great opportunity. Yes, they will challenge you, they will make you want to scream, they will confound you, and they will drive you to utter distraction, but they will also amaze you, cause you great joy, and remind you of all the reasons you became a teacher.
Good luck with your new assignment. Have a great year and a lot of fun!
References :
High school/junior high school teacher for 20 years…alternative schools, too. Talked to LOTS of kids about lots of things…