Middle School Versus High School

Three months into teaching high school after eight years of teaching middle school, and I can't say I've looked back much except to say: teaching high school is amazing!  Middle school made me who I am, and I am grateful for all the experience I had teaching sweet sixth graders, trying-to-figure-it-all-out seventh graders, and already-grown eighth graders.  I have moments when I share with colleagues that "I come from middle school," as I count down for quiet, teach the students how to give thumbs up/thumbs to the side/thumbs down as a formative assessment, or instruct the class on clapping it up to celebrate an otherwise overlooked success.

And there are times when I say "I had a middle school moment," as I flashback to the sunflower seeds  (see post here) that I found on the plush carpet of the Lincoln Center theater where my sixth graders had just finished viewing a Shakespeare play, or when I think of the time when my scrawny, 11 year-old runner ran off into the crowd outside of the Museum of Natural History.  In those moments, I have to remind myself that the trauma of middle school is over and the beautiful parts-- the handmade decorations with stickers, markers and glitter; the apology letter in the form of an essay with a quoted piece of text evidence from the Bible that I got after a minor incident; and the Holiday gift exchanges and luncheons complete with table clothes and chip appetizers that we used to have in my self-contained days--  will forever be part of me.

Already there have been, and I am sure there will continue to be, many times when my middle-school-teacher skill set will serve me well.  I guess it's time for me to revise my four-word teaching story from "self-contained, six years" to something that does my experience justice more so than "I survived middle school."  Until then, I'm happy to be with students who are past that stage of intense hormones and figuring out all the newness that translates into unpredictable, stressful-for-adults behavior.   And I'm realizing daily that high schoolers are just as playful and wanting to learn as middle schoolers.  They also still tell it like it is, though they may be a little less mean harsh.  Nonetheless, I am grateful to continue having the opportunity to learn as I teach and to witness academic and emotional growth of many.

Love.
Miss M

Teaching High School: A Reflection

Two full weeks of high school under my teaching belt, and here's what I've noticed this far:

  

While I've joked that I can't escape middle school-- seriously, like when grown folk are having tantrums on the street or adolescents are turnt up rowdy on the subway-- teaching middle school will forever be the foundation from which I compare and understand my experiences. 

There are the 9th graders who remind me of my 6th graders with their sweetness, intelligent naiveness and overall bright-eyed newness; there are the eager-to-learn-and-question, playfully, 10th graders who are a larger version of the rambunctious 7th graders I have most definitely taught in my past; and then there are the awesome, slightly grown 11th graders who I have the pleasure of teaching and are reminiscent of a mature eighth grade group I had one year.

Also, there's also the fact that I recognize older versions of students  I've had along the way who made it through the often-struggle that is middle school into a good high school. And in some ways, I made it through too. I taught in places that seriously struggled to function in simple ways. Yet, there were always great educators-- some teachers, some administrators, some paraprofessionals-- who through their great work and support of me, helped me become who I am today:   An educator who was able to seamlessly transition from a school where behavior precedes teaching, to one where the kids are ready to learn (all kids want to learn) and teachers are given the autonomy to teach any way they please. 

I am truly grateful to have the ability to recognize that even in those who were strong in some aspects and weak in others, have something to teach me. That openness has allowed me to learn from many, many people and even more situations. 

On that note, middle school will always hold a special place in my heart, and as I've  always said, I'll say again: middle school is everything they say it is and more. Here's to new experiences and realizations as I continue on in my ninth year as an educator. 

Love. 

Miss M