One of the levels I’ve taught is middle school English–6th, 7th, & 8th grades. When graduating in secondary English, fellow graduates were less than interested in teaching middle school. Let’s be honest; they’ve gotten a bad rap:). They’re spirited, sarcastic, good-natured, and moody. Don’t get me wrong; sometimes they require reigning in, but overall, they’re a fun bunch with creative, thought-provoking ideas. The truth is they’re looking for acceptance and friendship, pretty much most of the time.
I loved teaching them–mostly, because they were old enough to understand and absorb what you were trying to teach them, but not preoccupied with the business of being in high school. They could come after school for help (no pressing activities), and you could “reach them” if you were determined to give them the time.
If you have or will soon have one of these rays of sunshine, I thought I’d share some insights.
There are many opinions regarding what students should be learning in middle school. While there are multiple avenues to achieve these results, here is what they should be learning–in English, at least:
- Diagramming sentences: These are the years that they learn the part each word plays in a sentence, which leads to an understanding of run-ons, fragments, comma splices, etc.
- Level appropriate vocabulary: Students learn about using a thesaurus to bring writing to a suitable standard, while adding additional grade level vocabulary.
- Writing a three part thesis: This is the basis for essay writing.
- Writing an essay: Students start with an introductory paragraph (and the three part thesis) then add three supporting and a concluding paragraph. Essay types include expository, descriptive, compare/contrast, and so on.
- Analyzing Literature: Reading, interpreting, and expounding on literature builds an understanding and appreciation of reading and writing. Students gain confidence in their own ideas at the same time.
- Writing research papers: Learning about researching a topic, compiling information to inform others, and understanding their own ideas versus other’s ideas (plagiarism) matures throughout middle school.
Quote of the Day
“Whenever one person stands up and says ‘ Wait a minute. This is wrong,’ it helps other people to do the same.” Gloria Steinem
Designs on Life 