Meet Me in the Middle: Chapters 1,2, 17

Chapter 1:

In this chapter the topic of discussion was how to be a middle school teacher that inspires their students. One suggestion Wormeli had was to always maintain a positive attitude, even when you’re having a difficult day. If you show up with a smile on your face your students will respond. Wormeli also discussed how it was important to make your students comfortable with you. It’s important for middle school teachers, or any teacher, to make sure to listen to their students because they can bring up very important subjects. The example the author used with his student who felt humiliated demonstrated how important it is to maintain a line of communication with your students.

I thought that this chapter raised a lot of important issues, which make you more conscientious as a teacher. I think Wormeli raised a good point when he said that you should listen to your students; it’s very easy for me to get into the mind frame of “I’m right and you’re wrong” and I never give the other person a chance to explain. What I disagreed with him on was his belief that you should allow your students to touch you. He went so far as saying that students will lay their heads on their shoulders; in today’s education system that could cause you to get fired. I believe it is important to maintain a sense of connection with your students, but I don’t think that they should treat you like a friend/parent. I think that to maintain a good relationship with students, you have to maintain a balance between the teacher relationship and being friendly.

Chapter 2:

This chapter discussed the various ways that middle school teachers can make learning fun for students. Wormeli raised the idea that students will not actually learn unless they are actively involved in their work. Wormeli presented various ideas that middle school teachers can use to get their students involved in their schoolwork. He suggests that teachers present the material to students in an enthusiastic way, such as a game and students will retain the material better because they are actively involved. Wormeli also suggests making sure that you are meeting the different learning styles of your students because not all students learn or work in the same way. Another suggestion Wormeli had was to make sure that you are clear about what goals you have, because when teachers aren’t clear students will lose whatever motivation they had to complete the assignment. Overall, Wormeli was discussing how important it is for teachers to make sure that the material they present is done in a user friendly or adolescent friendly way.

I agreed with what Wormeli said about presenting material in a way that makes it interesting for students. I can remember the times in middle school that I would be bored out of my mind, because the material was presented in such a way that I lost interest quickly. I think it is so important to remember that when you are teaching middle school your students will be between the ages of 11-14. You cannot expect the average student of this age to sit through an hour long lecture and retain the material. When you’re young you need to be taught in a variety of ways that maintain your attention. The little notes from the students just demonstrate and further validate what Wormeli was saying: it is important to remember who you’re teaching. Once you remember that you’re dealing with young adolescents it’s much easier to regain your sense of fun and make them an active participant in their own education.

Chapter 17:

In this chapter Wormeli was telling teachers of young adolescents to not give up on their students. He was reminding us how important it is to look at the positive instead of only looking at the negative. He pointed out how the one percent of adolescents receives press for their bad actions, but the other ninety-nine percent don’t receive any for the many good deeds they do. Wormeli was pointing out how teachers of young adolescents need to appreciate the quirks that this group demonstrates. In this chapter he said how he felt more comfortable leaving his children with students in middle school because at this age they are very conscientious of their actions. They are very worried about how they are perceived, whereas when students get into high school they lose the connections they have with their teachers.

I agree with what Wormeli said, I do think that the small groups of students that misbehave in middle school get attention, whereas the students that work hard and are successful are never heard from. I think that I’m going to work hard to make sure that instead of being impatient with my students, I will instead appreciate their quirks and make each class entertaining. The more I read about young adolescents the more I know that middle school is meant for me. I think young adolescents are more eager to learn and at this age group they are very easily encouraged. Students at their point in life are just learning who they are and it is very enjoyable to watch as they discover themselves.