If you haven’t spent much time in middle school it could be difficult to understand the ridiculous behaviors of middle school students. If you haven’t taught school, it could be nearly impossible to understand them.
Sixth graders enter each fall as young elementary school kids. They are confused about their schedule, block days, using Canvas, and how to open a combination locker. Usually, by February they figure it out.
Then comes March. At this point of the year, they start to embrace their middle school selves. That could be attributed to the hormones that are kicking into high gear in their bodies. According to the Cleveland Clinic, these hormonal changes often cause moody behavior, and emotional outbursts. I’ve been teaching 6th graders for twenty-two years, and I’ve seen all kinds of moody behavior and emotional outbursts.
Just this morning one of my TA students came in late (as usual). When I looked up to take her pass I noticed she was crying. She was upset because she was assigned detention for being late. She didn’t know that coming in late was a problem, which may explain why she’s been late 36 times this year.
During English class today I was reading a poem when I became distracted by some sort of noise coming from the back of the room. It didn’t take long to realize that it was coming from one of the usual suspects. I asked him to leave the room so the rest of us could get on with the business of English class.
The student and I discussed what happened at lunch. He told me he was reading the poem and humming along.
“Don’t you think that was a little inappropriate?” I asked.
“No, I was reading the poem.”
“But was anyone else reading it out loud? Was anyone else humming?”
“No, but…” he started.
I stopped him, “Your behavior was completely inappropriate. You were asked to listen, not participate in the reading.”
He stood his ground, “ I didn’t do anything wrong! I was just reading the poem.”
“And humming,” I added.
Again, he started, “but…”
I picked up the paper from English that he never completed.
“Follow me, you’ll be in this room during lunch. I will come and excuse you when lunch is over.”
Sometimes, there’s no point in wasting time going back and forth.
That is one of many things I’ve learned in my 23 years in middle school.
Ah, middle school in March! A colleague and I were just talking yesterday about the way that 6th graders stop being little kids at this time of year, and 7th graders start posturing and being kind of - middle school-y, while the 8th graders are just getting a little bit scared about high school and a little bit nostalgic about "when they were little." It happens every year. March-June are very interesting months to be a middle school teacher.
ReplyDeleteThirty-six tardies--that young lady finally crossed a line, I see.
ReplyDelete