My Boarding School Blog
10 19th, 2010 Going through Middle School
Kids belonging to the adolescence stage are the most difficult students to handle. Their transition from being a kid to a grown up does not usually come smoothly. As any parent would know understanding what they are going through- physically and emotionally plus all the stresses of peer pressure and the desire of belongingness make them very vulnerable to the slightest criticism, comment or disapproval.
For teachers these are challenging times like when Mrs. Kaufman, a teacher of 17 years at Seth Low Intermediate School in Brooklyn, learns first hand how to mediate between fist fights and cajole students whose self esteem has been dumped low by bullying or humiliation from other students. It takes a lot of courage and strength to be strong to withstand ridicule, pranks and other humiliating acts by middle school students on a daily basis. Unfortunately some teachers cannot bear the challenge and give up easily.
A significant rise in teacher attrition is happening in middle schools in the city. The main causes are student’s impulsive behavior, unpredictable bouts of anger and violence and poor academic performance.
Researchers in Philadelphia learned that 34.2 percent of newly hire middle school teachers quit after their first year. Most teachers who quit are highly qualified teachers on an academic level. They match the job description for teaching the middle school curriculum but they often lack the training in class management and adolescent psychology.
In an attempt to give middle school teachers an edge to handle the most difficult of students the New York State offers certification that focuses primarily on how to teach young adolescents effectively as well as fun things to do in NYC. Knowing techniques on how to adapt to them psychologically will help teachers to integrate teaching styles fit for their needs.
New teachers who are part of the program, Teach for America, are the common new recruits for middle school teaching. While most of them leave after their 2 years contract, a handful will stay and will be toughen by the experience. Most of them share that showing a stern face and strict implementation of the rules are less likely to work in middle school students. Instead if you will reach out and level with them they will begin to open up to you. But it usually a long painstaking process to make this achievable your patience will be tested and your emotions push over to the brink. Part of becoming a teacher for middle school is the ability to withstand cruel jokes, offensive remarks and spontaneous fits of anger.
read comments (0)If your family has decided to migrate to the land of the free to pursue greener pastures most often than not one of the first things you will need to prepare for is where your children will go to school and how to integrate them in the US educational structure. If you have no background knowledge about how to do it here is a brief background on the things you ought to know.
In the US a child enters school at 6 years old. The child completes primary education or commonly called elementary education when they reached 5th grade. The child then goes to secondary school or sometimes called high school. Some states divide secondary school into two levels: junior high school and middle school or high school. It begins in the 6th grade to 8th grade for junior high school and 9th grade to 12th grade for high school.
Middle school or Junior high school consists of class schedules from different teachers in a day. The classes consist of 4 to 5 academic classes namely: Language, Science, Mathematics, History and Social Studies. In some states there is an additional elective or supplementary academic class or foreign language. In High School, students are given more freedom to choose their core academic classes.
You can choose from a public or private school to enroll your child. There are slight differences in the approach in discipline between the two. In a private school rules are clearly communicated to everyone and a contract binds a student to follow these rules and regulations violating these rules include consequences or disciplinary actions. While in a public school, the disciplinary process usually takes time and is generally a complicated process which the student can easily pass through without any disciplinary actions. The main advantage of the strict discipline implemented by private schools is that the students are taught how to act accordingly thus facilitating learning. Violence and peer pressure are avoided and the child can focus on learning and studying which is the main goal in sending your kids to school.
Enrollment rates in primary and secondary schools have remained steady from 1985 to 2008. The increase of 2 percent in 14 to 17 years olds is driven by increases in the number of children in the said age group. The number increased for 5 to 6 years old by 17 percent and for 17 to 13 years old by 21 percent while a 14 percent increase between ages 14 to 17 years old. (National Center for Education Statistics)
After finishing high school a student is given a high school diploma which is a pre requisite for admission to a college or university. Foreign students who have finished the equivalent of high school education in their country can enroll in a college of university with their high school diploma with the corresponding course curriculum. Undergraduate studies are available in colleges in university. Courses offered may last for 2 years for Associate degrees or 4 years for bachelor’s degree. All students need to have a major by their second year in a 4 year course. After completing an undergraduate study you have the option to continue further studies and obtain a Master’s degree to specialize in a specific field of study. You can also pursue a Doctorate degree or called Phd, which is usually taken 3 to 6 years depending on the field of study chosen, before graduating in Doctorate study one has to complete his thesis, an intensive research paper on a chosen topic.
