Don't Be Afraid of the Middle Schoolers: A Teacher's Perspective

They are young enough that most of them still enjoy incentives and small fun activities yet old enough that you can have real conversations with them.

Before I became an administrator, I taught middle school. I taught seventh and eighth grade social studies. I spent my entire career in middle schools. I found my niche’ there. The students who are in the 6th through 8th grades really mesh well with my personality. They are young enough that most of them still enjoy incentives and small fun activities yet old enough that you can have real conversations with them. The middle school level has been called the “range of the strange”, and that mostly speaks to the fact that students in this age group are going through a huge range of emotions due to puberty. You have some middle school girls who still play with dolls while others are wearing makeup, very focused on fashion and are exploring love interests amongst their peers.

It is this dichotomy is what really drew me in and made me what to be a part of the middle school experience.

It is this dichotomy is what really drew me in and made me what to be a part of the middle school experience. I would venture to say that I was fairly successful with the students that I interacted with. As a teacher I was tough but loving and carried these qualities into my role as an assistant principal and principal. The way that I measure my success is the number of students who would come back to visit me, who would reach out to me after leaving middle school or who I would run into as adults. They always would be so happy to see, tell me how I impacted them and told me what they were doing in life. Seeing them was always welcomes as this would give my work more meaning.

So how did I manage to achieve a level of success with middle school students?

By being supportive.

Students in middle school are dealing with a variety of emotions, body changes, peer pressures, etc. We are talking about students who are ages 11 through 14 years old, this is a confusing time for all children as they are trying to figure out who they want to be, who they are and who they fit in with. They really rely on the adults in their lives to be supportive to help them as they figure things out.

By being firm.

As a teacher, it is really key to walk the fine line of being a firm teacher but caring at the same time. Even as a new teacher it came very easy to me to figure out this balance. I was able to ensure that students were learning what they needed to in class by having structure, keeping students engaged in the lesson and setting firm deadlines. However, after class or after school I often had students come to my classroom to talk or visit. I quickly noticed that most of them just wanted someone to talk to and wanted a safe and comfortable space in which they could relax. They were very clear, during class time it was business but after school I enjoyed laughing and talking with them.

By being consistent.

My attendance at work was always important to me. As a teacher I rarely took days off and when I did my students would quickly question me upon my return as to where I was. They often were just being nosy, but it was clear that it was important to them that I was there each day. I took this level of work ethic into my positions as assistant principal and principal. The kids knew that they could count on me to be there and that led to a level of trust that some other teachers or staff members couldn’t build due to the kids never knowing when they would decide to show up.

On the outside looking in, middle school students appear to be an intimidating bunch.

On the outside looking in, middle school students appear to be an intimidating bunch. I assure you that this is just appearances. When you work with middle school students on a one-on-one basis, I would venture to say that they are the most caring group of students that you will ever meet. Of course, you have some that have a hard barrier up to protect themselves, but that barrier can easily come down once students understand that you truly care for them and that you will be there consistently for them. In today’s age our children have many trials that they need to push through and learn from in the process, what they need more than anything are adults that they can count on and those who will be supportive, firm and consistent.