The Middle School Profession Essay

Each day school children learn valuable skills and lessons from their teachers as well as through interactions with their peers. Although school, undoubtedly,

To provide a broad, balanced and integrated curriculum with a view to developing the individual child’s full potential.

“…apart from the prime and given responsibility of teaching selected content and skills, middle school teachers must be about the business of helping students believe in themselves, form their character, discover their interests, nurture their potential, gain a sound perspective on their physical development and related health issues, and develop those universally and critically important humanitarian and social skills—all while daring them to be their best selves, to breath deeply, and to live well at the moment.”

The next most important aspect is providing developmentally appropriate curriculum. Students need safe and age appropriate toys and things to explore. They also need to be able to appropriately learn from the materials that are provided in the classroom. All materials must be appropriate for all students.

In chapter 5, Reforming America’s Schools, I learned many things that affect me as an educator. An important fact that interests me was that there are four goals that schools should follow. The first one is academic, including a broad array of knowledge and intellectual skills. The second one is vocational, aimed at readiness for the world of work and economic responsibilities. The third one is social and civic, including skills and behavior for participating in a complex democratic society. The fourth one is personal, including the development of individual talent and self-expression. This will affect me as an educator so that I can follow and do my best to complete these goals. Now I am aware of what should be done in a classroom.

The National Middle School Association (NMSA) is now known as the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). It has been a “voice for those committed to the educational and developmental needs of young adolescents” since 1973. This organization is the only national education association specifically committed to those in the middle level grades. There are over 30,000 members including principals, teachers, central office personnel, professors, college students, parents, community leaders, and educational consultants. The AMLE is recognized across the United States, Canada, and 46 other countries. In addition, AMLE has a network of “58 affiliate organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia that strengthen outreach to the regional, state, provincial, and local levels.” The Association for Middle Level Education’s mission is dedicated to improving the educational experiences of all students ages 10 to 15 by providing vision, knowledge, and resources to educators and leaders. (National Association of State Boards of Education, n.d., paragraph 1).

The curriculum must be based on the knowledge of each child's development and learning abilities. Developmentally appropriate practice focuses on expanding learning experiences, expectations

The purpose of Response to Intervention is early detection and identification of learning concerns of students and the development of an individualized plan that addresses the appropriate prescription for resolving the students’ academic or behavioral issue. In our twenty-first century learning communities, students are required to participate and are engaged in educational activities that may challenge their ability to grasp the concept in manners conducive to their learning styles. Schools are challenged to examine their methods of instruction to meet the needs of all children making them successful in all areas of academic content. “A quality school is a place where students learn to think and apply knowledge to new situations, where students are involved in and excited about their learning, where students make individual gains in process and knowledge, where adults know they care about individual students,

Becoming a middle school teacher changed how I felt about what kind of teacher I want to be. When I graduated from college in 2009, I was sure that I wanted to be a 4th or 5th grade teacher. I had student taught in 5th grade, and I really enjoyed it. I immediately began applying for elementary teaching positions. Thankfully, a position opened up in the district I lived in, student taught in, and where my children attended school. I was so excited because a position was open in 5th grade! I could work with the teacher I student taught with, in the grade I student taught in.

For me, middle school was probably the most excruciating years of my life. I thought it was only me and everyone else had it easy and completely understood everything that was happening to their bodies and minds. In fact, I still have dreams about my middle school years like forgetting my locker combination or hiding in the bathroom stall because the most popular girls were gossiping about a friend of yours. The settings in these dreams are always my middle school; I find it amazing that thirty years after I attended school that I can remember vivid details about the layout, hallways, lockers, and teachers. The reason for this I believe is that for ALL students the middle school years are the most influential to shaping and becoming who a person is and who they wish to become. Middle schools are essential for the success of students because of the unique developmental stages of these students. For teachers, comprehension of young adolescent development is key to understanding the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and moral needs and interests of these students (Powell, 2015, p. 55) and also teachers need to develop a curriculum that is focused on developing students competence in all subject matter and using their knowledge and available resources to design, implement, and evaluate challenging, responsive curriculums that result in meaningful learning outcomes (Powell, 2015, p. 145). All students should feel that they are accepted for who he or she is as an

Throughout the last 60 years or so, the High Scope curriculum has been proven to be successful through research studies and everyday successes for the children who become a part of the program. This curriculum incorporates developmentally appropriate activities, curriculum content, approaches, and environment to support a child focused atmosphere and active learning. Because of the daily routine, active participation, and learning centers; the child gains a sense of self direction and independence as they become comfortable with the routine and get the chance to make their own choices and find out their interests. Using key development indicators the teachers are able to make assessments about the child and figure out where they are

Everything teachers plan and do should focus on the individual child. They tailor, adjust, and adapt the curriculum to fit each child in the program, rather than expecting children to fit the program (Elkind, 1987). It is imperative in a developmentally appropriate perspective that the curriculum and teaching methods be age appropriate, individually appropriate, and culturally appropriate (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). This means considering and understanding similarities within an age group, and also recognizing each child’s individual differences. In a developmentally appropriate classroom, children are allowed to progress at their own rate, and both the curriculum and teaching strategies are relevant for all the children in the classroom. Thus, a great deal of flexibility is required, but this does not mean a total lack of structure and academics; rather, it means that the structure and academics of the program are based on individual and group needs and current understanding of child development (Raines, 1997).

I daydream as our troop leader discusses the day’s events. Why am I here? The poignant smell of cheese puffs and unwashed scout uniforms ousted any thought of continuing my career as a cub scout. But there I sat: tiny, cross-legged, and curious. I tune back in to our leader’s speech at the exact moment he began to explain the races; “two cars at a time, first to hit the block at the end wins.” Excitement filled my body. Orefield’s pinewood derby was underway. I could barely contain myself. With my little yellow car in hand, visions of victory entered my mind. I imagined the seven ounce vehicle speeding down the track leaving a trail of flames behind. Not even the enormous line of competitor cubs eased my excitement. Ten minutes pass.

The political and historical relevance of primary and secondary education is arguably deeply rooted in the efforts of those seeking to create an avenue for students to further develop their knowledge base. Both historical and political influences have shaped the foundation for which current educators seek to build student outcomes. While the focus on student outcomes is not new to educational policies, it has helped to shape my newly formed philosophy of education. My philosophy of education is heavily concerned with the progression of student outcomes. I believe that each child is a unique individual with the potential for exponential success in their ability to grow and mature intellectually, emotionally, socially as well as physically. Often times educational policies are more so concerned with only the academic success a student can achieve by way of the classroom (Burton, Horowitz, Abeles, 1999); however, my philosophy is a concerned with the

Throughout middle school, adolescents are going through one of the most developmental processes they will go through in their lives. As a future teacher, I must recognize the needs of developing adolescents and create a healthy environment for our student’s academic growth, as well as personal development.