Middle School Solutions
Bill Ferriter offers some experienced-backed advice on one of the greatest pedagogical challenges known to mankind—i.e., keeping middle school students interested in class. His trick is to play on the typical idiosyncrasies of that age range to his instructional advantage. For example:
Middle schoolers are hard wired to wrestle with issues related to justice and injustice because they're beginning to think beyond themselves for the first time---losing the egocentricty of the elementary years. Middle schoolers are hard wired to wrestle with issues related to justice and injustice because they're beginning to think beyond themselves for the first time---losing the egocentricty of the elementary years.
So I find ways to incorporate studies of justice and injustice into everything that I do. We study world-wide poverty, animal cruelty, genocide, and the treatment of women throughout history. Every time that I'm teaching a lesson, I try to find ways to focus on the idea of what's fair because fairness resonates with kids.
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Comments
Great post, great idea. You are correct about the need to wrestle with injustice, or concepts of inequity. I love this age and teach it with passion every day. Here are a few other angles that work well with creating the culture of success, and a classroom with a close feel, for me: humor, working with the idea of identity, future, making mistakes, being allowed to make mistakes, mistakes are good.
Posted by: Travis A. Wittwer | October 14, 2008 12:12 PM
Great post, great idea. You are correct about the need to wrestle with injustice, or concepts of inequity. I love this age and teach it with passion every day. Here are a few other angles that work well with creating the culture of success, and a classroom with a close feel, for me: humor, working with the idea of identity, future, making mistakes, being allowed to make mistakes, mistakes are good.
Posted by: Travis A. Wittwer | October 14, 2008 12:13 PM
middle school could be a throwback to preschool and kindergarten where hands on activities take precedence over lecturing in a classroom. teaching through song and drama and sports is also very helpful.
Posted by: karen green | October 16, 2008 10:58 AM
travis is right. middle schoolers get humor. They best one lately was when an 8thgrader asked in my Lit class,"Why do we have to read this Twain guy?" i was flabbergasted twain? i mean really
Posted by: c a wallace | October 16, 2008 8:07 PM
That is a good idea. I'm going to school to become a high school teacher and one thing that I worry about is how will I keep my students engaged in the classroom. I thought about doing this through interactive assignment or something of that sort. I'm not quite sure yet, but I have a little time to think. Your idea is great and I will be sure to keep it in mind as well as Travis' comment.
Posted by: Samantha06 | October 16, 2008 11:59 PM