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Sherwood Middle School Research Paper

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Middle school is a time for students to blossom, a time for them to discover their interests and talents. To embrace this, many middle schools have elective classes, which give students a chance to brighten what is often a dull daily schedule of core classes. Or, these classes should give students that chance. Sherwood Middle School (SMS) currently lacks a variety of electives, which makes it difficult for some students to find excitement and fun in the midst of their mundane routines. These talented students often have to wait until after school before they can unleash their true joy and creativity. Setting an example for schools that don’t, many junior high schools offer two or more language electives, including Spanish, French, and Chinese. …show more content…

A student in their third year at Sherwood Middle School feels there should be an art class, and less fitness classes (Orlik). The school offers several gym and fitness electives such as team sports, basketball, and fitness for life. While these appeal to many and are great activities for students to be involved in, there are not many options aside from these electives. More students would be pleased if the opportunities that are provided for gym were provided for other subjects, too. For example, many students are passionate about science, as their teachers hope for them to be. However, while potential science electives have been introduced, they have yet to be added to the list of classes. When there could be at least three science electives, there is only one. Several students have trouble selecting the required six choices of elective classes because only one or two really intrigues them. From Family and Consumer Sciences to First Aid and Health, and from Publications to Engineering and Design, one could look at the list and decide that there is a wide variety. But, when compared to a list of high school electives, the few intermediate school electives likely won’t help students prepare for numerous courses that could be taken in future years. It is possible that one class that is taken in junior high could help a young adult determine a future occupation. Educators believe that electives build confidence and give voices to students who aren’t usually heard. These educators also feel that electives encourage groups of different students to work together and to find things in common (Rambo). A vaster variety of elective courses would provide middle school students with both preparation for high school and pleasure. The problem is not that there are too few choices, but that the choices are not so appealing to

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