What Middle Schoolers Want Us To Know
Today we’re taking a trip back to middle school. For just a moment, close your eyes and picture yourself back in 6th or 7th grade. Did you cringe, or was it just me?
Watch any movie about tweens and you’ll immediately be transported back to awkward school dances, weird body changes, and mortifying landline phone calls to your crush. But middle school wasn’t all bad, right?
Working as a teacher in middle school has reminded me how challenging this time can be for kids. Middle schoolers are notorious for their edgy and standoffish attitudes towards teachers, but underneath that tough exterior is a little kid who’s growing up fast and trying to navigate their new world. What has been most successful for me is very simple: I listen.
Right before my student teaching began, I was working as a building substitute at my local middle school. I asked a group of 7th graders if they were interested in giving me some advice on what they wanted from a teacher, and I listened to every word. Here’s what they said:
“Smile.”
Have you heard of the whole “don’t smile before December” mantra? Throw it out. Kindness, friendliness, and positive energy goes a long way with kids. But smiling doesn’t mean you can’t…
“Be nice to us but firm.”
Several students expressed the desire to be led (not controlled). I mean, you are the teacher - and structure, consistency, and expectations have proven to be imperative for kids. Classroom leadership can be a healthy mix of kindness and stability.
“Be engaging, not boring.”
You probably expected this one. But seriously, kids want (and deserve) to be engaged in their learning. It might be easier to print a mundane worksheet of drills, but our students are always going to learn from hands-on, memorable lessons and activities. Which brings us to our next suggestion…
“Don’t give us busy work.” “Put in effort.”
I loved these two responses. Our students can see when we spend time and energy creating material for them, versus when we simply teach straight from the book with little passion. While we can’t make every day thrilling or surprising, we can be role models by giving our best effort.
“Explain a lot.” “Don’t move on until we understand.”
I can almost guarantee that we’ve all had that frustrating experience of a teacher who went way too fast and left us behind. I once had a graduate school teacher who refused to explain any concepts, simply telling us to look them up in the book (um, yeah… not helpful). Explore different paces and methods of teaching, and always be there for kids no matter their level.
“Be relatable.” “Be yourself.”
The late, great Rita Pierson said in her renowned TED Talk, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” And in my experience, that couldn’t be more true. Middle schoolers can see right through fake smiles or empty promises. They want to like us, relate to us, and feel like they are learning from good people. We can’t keep preaching, ‘be yourself,’ unless we are also showing up as our authentic selves.
“Treat us like people.”
Does this one need an explanation? Kids are people, too. Treat them like it.
Next time you have a few minutes of downtime with your students, no matter their age, ask them: “What do you want in a teacher?” Listen intently to their responses. Write them down. Live by them.