Lessons from Middle Schoolers
Well, kids. School is out! Yesterday was my first "official" day of summer, and I kept myself quite busy. Today? Not so much. But I wanted to take some time to debrief this past school year, and I thought I would share some things. Today I'm sharing the things that my students taught me:
I learned that during each menstrual cycle, women develop another ovary!
I learned that the ocean floor "shits"! (she meant to say "shifts"...I guess she was writing quickly?)
I learned that you can classify dogs and cats by "unquestionable loyalty" and "questionable loyalty"!
I learned that if you stand on Jupiter, your face will "be on the floor"!
I learned that "neutrons" are the unit of measurement for force!
I learned that there are flesh eating spiders on the moon, and that is why we can't live there!
I learned that "Super Bowel" week does exist!
I learned that "Smart tuna fish sandwich with kitty litter!" and other such things are considered to be awesome compliments to one another on daily work!
I learned that playing "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction will erase all wrongs in the eyes of 8th grade girls! You will be their best friend all day!
I learned that "Chex mix" is the default answer for when you don't actually know the answer!
I learned that kidneys make babies!
The list could go on. My kids kept me laughing all year long. I think when it came to grading papers, I got the best papers TO grade. (And the best kids - they are so funny!)
But on a more serious note, I also learned (or relearned) these things:
Middle schoolers are stuck in an odd place. Not quite kids, but not quite adults. It kinda sucks.
Because of this, they need lots of love. Not the kind you show to kindergarten kids, but...something.
The difference between 7th and 8th graders is so much greater than one initially realizes.
Students actually like having a personal relationship with you.
Students are baffled when they learn things about the "outside of school you".
The things I say have an impact on my kids. The impact is either positive or negative, not neutral.
Even middle schoolers watch you like hawks. And then they do and say what you do and say.
I am more like my students than I would ever admit to them. (Don't be like me, kids!)
Most of the time, the impact you make on your students goes unmentioned. But then there are a few students who (at the end of the school year) take the time to let you know how much you impacted them, how you helped them and changed them, and how your class was something to look forward to every day. And those are the moments when you bawl like a baby and want to give them bear hugs.
Teaching is a hard job. It is emotionally, mentally, and physically draining. It consumes all your time and then some. It's more than just explaining educational concepts to young minds. It is doing your best to shape them into people who will succeed and excel in life. It requires so much effort.
And it is well worth the effort. It is time well spent. I love my kids. They are the reason I show up every day, and they push me to be better than I thought I could be. We really are in it together, and they know that. That means the world to me.
I learned that during each menstrual cycle, women develop another ovary!
I learned that the ocean floor "shits"! (she meant to say "shifts"...I guess she was writing quickly?)
I learned that you can classify dogs and cats by "unquestionable loyalty" and "questionable loyalty"!
I learned that if you stand on Jupiter, your face will "be on the floor"!
I learned that "neutrons" are the unit of measurement for force!
I learned that there are flesh eating spiders on the moon, and that is why we can't live there!
I learned that "Super Bowel" week does exist!
I learned that "Smart tuna fish sandwich with kitty litter!" and other such things are considered to be awesome compliments to one another on daily work!
I learned that playing "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction will erase all wrongs in the eyes of 8th grade girls! You will be their best friend all day!
I learned that "Chex mix" is the default answer for when you don't actually know the answer!
I learned that kidneys make babies!
The list could go on. My kids kept me laughing all year long. I think when it came to grading papers, I got the best papers TO grade. (And the best kids - they are so funny!)
But on a more serious note, I also learned (or relearned) these things:
Middle schoolers are stuck in an odd place. Not quite kids, but not quite adults. It kinda sucks.
Because of this, they need lots of love. Not the kind you show to kindergarten kids, but...something.
The difference between 7th and 8th graders is so much greater than one initially realizes.
Students actually like having a personal relationship with you.
Students are baffled when they learn things about the "outside of school you".
The things I say have an impact on my kids. The impact is either positive or negative, not neutral.
Even middle schoolers watch you like hawks. And then they do and say what you do and say.
I am more like my students than I would ever admit to them. (Don't be like me, kids!)
Most of the time, the impact you make on your students goes unmentioned. But then there are a few students who (at the end of the school year) take the time to let you know how much you impacted them, how you helped them and changed them, and how your class was something to look forward to every day. And those are the moments when you bawl like a baby and want to give them bear hugs.
Teaching is a hard job. It is emotionally, mentally, and physically draining. It consumes all your time and then some. It's more than just explaining educational concepts to young minds. It is doing your best to shape them into people who will succeed and excel in life. It requires so much effort.
And it is well worth the effort. It is time well spent. I love my kids. They are the reason I show up every day, and they push me to be better than I thought I could be. We really are in it together, and they know that. That means the world to me.
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