Chapter 1

     In chapter one I realized there was a lot of things that have to deal with middle school and adolescents. First there are different types of school and each have different styles of teaching, so as a teacher I need to be aware of the mission statements and what each school is expecting from me as a teacher. Each school is different, so new teachers should ask questions to colleagues or other staff members. Even if a teacher has been there for over 10 years it is always best to ask others questions if there is uncertainty. Different schools have different schedules for example block scheduling or hidden curriculum. It is very important to understand what each is in order to adjust teaching classes.

     Something that really stuck out to me in this chapter was how important it is to get the students involved. Not only within the classroom and the school, but also out in the community. Giving students leadership roles and having them take on responsibilities can have an affect on students learning. I think teachers need to really create good environments for middle school students because middle school is not an easy time in ones life. Students are not only going through physical changes, but mentally are growing as well. Questions arise and other thoughts or ideas come into a students mind. As teachers we need to understand everything that the student is going through in order to help them succeed. This can be by giving them responsibilities, like group leadership roles and treating them as if they were older, but also giving them time to be kids because they are still growing and a teacher cannot put on too much pressure. There is enough pressure going on outside of the classroom.
Teachers, like myself one day have to take a step back sometimes and remember what it was like to be in middle school again and to think of all the changes these students are going through.