“That is what I find to be the most exciting piece of working with adolescents – that process of helping them to understand themselves in relationship to others. That is very difficult for them because their brain is not completely developed yet.” One thing that happens is that the kids have not developed the ability to read non-verbal cues very well, Mr. Johnson says, so social interactions can get difficult and uncomfortable. Tasked with climbing up a wall, sixth grader Gillian Fajack was able to depend on her classmates beneath her to give her a boost and classmates above her to lend a helping hand. Bottom, from left, Michael Hajjar, Julia Rosa Helm, JD Daly and Beckett Schiaparelli. Top, from left, a Woodland Altars naturalist, Jack Bergeron and Grace Kaegi.
“So when I have conferences with parents, I always put a box of tissues on my desk because so many parents come here not to talk to me about their child’s religion grade. They want to talk to me about how their child is acting towards them, and that’s part of the push me - pull you philosophy … middle school kids are starting to differentiate from their parents, and that can be very painful.” It’s not that they’re rejecting their parents, she says. They just want to find out what else is out there. What do other people think? What kind of people do I really like? Where do I fit in?
For example, some of the misunderstandings that occur in middle school could be the result of misinterpreting a classmate’s verbal and non-verbal cues. Students this age can misinterpret a teacher’s serious facial expression as anger, or think their teacher is disappointed in them. Among all this confusion, Mr. Johnson says, it’s important to have good Middle School teachers who understand where the kids are at and provide them a safe harbor. “Middle School children need to know we understand them, we love them and we care for them,” Mr. Johnson says. “At the same time, we have to be able to handle the mood swings, the shift in focus, the challenging peer relationships, the drama that seems to go on at times. You have to be able to look at that and say, ‘This is normal. This is a normal part of the maturation process, and I’m here to walk with these kids.”’ “Mining the Middle School Mind,” NAESP, David Vawter http://tinyurl.com/beb7yf2
IT MM E SU LIN ON
“A Place to Belong” http://tinyurl.com/b5hpxfk
“They like to try on different things,” Mrs. Herr says. “It’s like playing dress-up in a way. They’re going to try on different personalities and see what fits.” The positives Some critics characterize middle school years as a waste. But Summit Middle School educators beg to differ. These years are filled with opportunity. “I believe that there’s really no other point in a child’s development where their social conscience can be as developed as it is in Middle School,” Mr. Johnson says. Dressed in costume for the Monster Mash are, clockwise from left, sixth graders Gracie Anderson, Elena Roudebush, Grace Gilligan, Martha Seltman, Sammi Summit Magazine Crew, Bella Saba, Victoria Walton, Grace Kaegi and Caroline Kubicki.