Turning Points 2000: Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

This chapter discussed how to organize a middle school that would create the best environment for young adolescents. A key component in a young adolescent’s life is relationships and it’s very important that this is incorporated into their education. When young adolescents have relationships in middle school they are more successful. In this chapter the authors suggest that it is better for middle schools to maintain a smaller size; their suggestion is schools should not exceed a population of 600 students. They recognize that it is not always possible to have a school of this size, so they recommend that when dealing with a larger student population to create “houses”. Doing this will allow students to have a more personalized education and would create the feeling of a smaller school. With the creation of “houses” students become more familiar with their teachers and build a relationship that benefits them; it is also suggested that teachers should have the same students for an extended period of time so this relationship can further develop. In “houses” teachers form teams that work together to create an effective environment in which students can succeed academically. Teaming is not easy for teachers to do, for it to be successful there is a need for support from the entire faculty, time for planning, and a clear chain of command.

I think that this chapter raises a lot of good points, but would like to see this implemented. While one of the middle schools had this system in place it was more of an in name only thing. There were “houses” and advisory programs, but they were not successful. Even so, I liked the suggestions and would love to work in a school that successfully implemented them. I think that it would make for a better educational experience if schools and the teacher to student ratio were smaller. I like the idea of working on a team because you have other people you can turn to for guidance; I know that there are times when teachers need another opinion and working with a group of fellow teachers would be great. I know that one of my worries as a future teacher has been how to teach when you have so many students; I like the concept of having a more manageable classroom because you get to know your students and are better equipped to help them.