Today, as I sat back and looked at my 8th grade honors students, students that I was lucky enough to have now- two years in a row, I realized how much things change for students.
I met these students right out of 6th grade. They were small, unconfident, scared. They were innocent and curious. They were starved to learn while wanting to please their teachers.
Through the time I have known them a lot has changed.
They have almost too much confidence.
They are worldly of a world I may not understand.
Their innocence has been lost to a degree.
They are the center of their own attention.
They want to please their peers.
Why?
They are trying on being an adult. They are finding out who they are in this world. They are creating their own identities.
They are not purposefully moving on as in a decision has been made. They are following their nature and growing, maturing, and becoming who they were meant to become.
We have to accept this to teach middle school. This is true, I am sure, in all grade levels...but, in my humble opinion, middle school shines a beacon on these types of changes.
I am glad that I get to teach middle school.
Be Mindful.
Peace.
Mark Levine
#Mindfulliteracy
@LevineWrites
I think you're right that middle school is a place of great changes and changing. I love the line about their growing confidence.
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