This We Believe

Pages 1-26

These pages of This We Believe, lay out the basic keys to educating students at the middle level. This book expands on topics that were introduced in Turning Points 2000, such as the importance of taking into account the development that young adolescents experience. As mentioned in Turning Points 2000, early adolescence is when humans experience the most rapid development since infancy. However, This We Believe mentions all of the different areas in which they develop (physical, intellectual, moral, psychological, social-emotional) and how it is important to keep all of these needs in mind when educating at the middle level. I like that the book seems to somewhat base its ideas around these areas of development, because if a child does not successfully develop in these areas it can negatively affect them for the rest of their lives. Another point that I found to be very true in my experiences is the importance of middle school students being able to explore. The book discusses the importance of programs such as art, music, theater, and athletics. The book states that, for example, just because a student might not ever become a professional actor does not mean they should not try acting in a play. It states that if students are not taught to explore interests at this age, they may end up being “needlessly restricted” in the future. As I was fairly reclusive and scared to try new things in middle school, I now wish that I did explore my interests and find something to be passionate about at that age. As a teacher, I hope that I will be able to encourage my students to explore their options and interests, especially at this age.

Pages 27-33

These pages discuss the importance of the principal in creating a healthy middle school environment. It says that principals should be very knowledgeable and passionate about the age group of 10-15. He/she should also be very involved with the students and an active member of the school community. Reflecting upon my own middle school experience, I think this is one area where my school did very poorly. Our principal did not do well at building relationships with students and was really only ever seen looming the halls in the mornings and afternoons. While the vice principal was slightly more involved with the students, he was also usually only ever seen standing around in the hallway or for disciplinary reasons. In high school, the principal was better at building relationships with students, so I have seen how powerful this can be. I think having a principal who knows you and is friendly and caring would be very beneficial for a middle school student.         

Something explained in these pages that my middle school did well was creating teams. The teams in my school were typically made up of two teachers: one who taught English and social studies, the other science and math. Occasionally there were three teachers to a team, and occasionally some students had to go to a different team for math classes to be in the level that was right for them. In my school, the teams were named after colleges. For example, in eighth grade I was in the Yale team. I enjoyed having these teams because it allowed me to get to know my classmates and be more comfortable with them. I feel like I would enjoy teaching in this way because it would allow for a lot of collaboration and communication between teachers.

Pages 33-42

These pages discuss many ways to improve the atmosphere of a middle school. One suggestion is that the middle school is “attractive, inviting, clean, and structurally sound.” I found it interesting that this was mentioned. I would not consider my middle school to meet those standards. It is an old, outdated building that is broken up into two buildings and has some classes in portables. I think that the poor infrastructure of the school does affect the learning environment and makes it harder to learn. While this is true, I found it interesting that the book mentions this as it is mostly out of the control of teachers. Most schools just do not have the funding to be as nice as they should be. However, I think if all middle schools were able to be attractive and inviting, it would be clear from the start that the middle school has a caring environment.

I also found the section about including guidance counselors in advisory programs to be an interesting approach. In my middle school, seeing the guidance counselor was not something anybody would do unless they were forced to. There was a stigma surrounding going to see the guidance counselor that really repelled students from doing so. I think that if guidance counselors were regularly incorporated into student life, this stigma would not be as prevalent, as the counselors would be part of everyday life for students. If students had the opportunity to get to know counselors, they would have yet another adult they could go to and feel comfortable with in times of need. Counselors can also provide extra support where teachers may need help, such as transitioning students in and out of middle school.

Pages 43-62

These pages cover a wide array of topics, from the research behind the ideas presented in This We Believe to specific ways to address different kinds of development. In the section about the research, the authors write that curriculum should be “as diverse, varied, and lively as the students themselves.” I really liked this quote and thought it was a great way to explain the concepts of differentiation and multiple learning styles while emphasizing that the students should be the most important part of the classroom and learning should be tailored to meet their needs and styles. This section goes on to present some research about how educators have done this. One example that I found interesting was the study from Gutstein, E about “teaching and learning mathematics for social justice.” I would never be able to think of a way to connect math to social justice, but these educators were able to find a link that made math relevant and interesting to the students.

In the section about developmental needs of students at this age, I was very glad that the book mentioned that middle school students are “prone to risky dieting practices in order to lose or gain weight.” As I have family members who struggle with eating disorders, I think it is really important to start education and prevention of eating disorders at the middle school level because this is when students start to develop a significant dip in self-esteem. I think that, while it is important to teach about healthy eating, it is also important to teach students to learn to love and accept themselves as they are and to take care of their mental health, as well as their bodies.

Meet Me in the Middle Chapters 1 and 2

In the first two chapters of Meet Me in the Middle, Rick Wormeli writes about how to build student-teacher relationships and how to create a healthy classroom environment as a middle school teacher. Although I have learned about these topics in previous education classes, this book explains them specifically in regards to middle school and early adolescence. In chapter 1, Wormeli writes about how important attitude is in teaching middle school students because it is hard for this age group to separate the attitude from the teacher themselves—to them “the teacher is the attitude.” Wormeli goes on to explain the different between teachers with a low ego, those who put their students before themselves, than teachers with a high ego, those who put themselves before their students. I found this concept to be very interesting and to be something that I personally would like to improve upon now that I have had classroom experience in Practicum. While I do not consider myself to have a high ego, I do think I could improve upon considering my student’s needs before my own, as during my in field experience in my Practicum I often let my own insecurities and fears of embarrassing myself stop me from helping students as much as I could have. Wormeli writes about something else I would like to improve upon in chapter 2: creating a warm, welcoming environment with the way I interact with students. Wormeli writes about the importance of a balance between being an authority figure and being friendly and casual with students. I believe that having this balance is crucial in creating healthy relationships with students and is something I would really like to master.

Turning Points 2000 Chapters 1 and 2

The first two chapters of this text are outline the original Turning Points system that this book is based on. The original system had 8 basic principles to improving middle schools. These principles are outlined on page 2 and include standards such as dividing large middle schools into smaller communities, reorganizing schools to ensure success for all students, promoting good health, and involving families and the community in schooling. While schools that utilized the original Turning Points system showed notable improvements in test scores, there are still many improvements to be made, as well as many middle schools (notably in poor, urban areas) that are slipping through the cracks. In order to continue change and growth in the area of middle education, the original Turning Points system was adapted and expanded to bring learning to the 21st century. These new principles are explored in Turning Points 2000 by Anthony W. Jackson and Gayle A. Davis. It is important that we pay special attention to middle level education, rather than grouping it with either elementary or secondary levels. This is due to the age group of middle school students: early adolescence. Early adolescence is a time of great change and growth for students—academically, socially, mentally, and physically. Due to puberty, early adolescence is “when growth and development is more rapid than during any other development stage except that of infancy” (7). Middle school is a time of great change and also of great risk, as students are being introduced to sexual relationships, drugs, and alcohol. As students learn to tackle these new challenges, as well as social and academic pressures, early adolescence is said to be a time that is crucial in determining how that student behaves in high school and beyond.