By Don

September 7, 2005 02:39 PM | Link to this

This is the real problem. “I had to practically sit on my middle-schooler to get him to do his homework.� Take away his privileges, his allowance and beat that a* just this side of DFACS. Remind them if they are irresponsible this will be a complete and total dictatorship. Then see if he is motivated. Since when do parents have to ask their children permission to parent?

By Don

September 7, 2005 02:48 PM | Link to this

Schools nor true educators have the time to babysit. Thats the advantage private schools have on the public system. They don’t tolerate non-compliance. If Little Johnny doesnt want to do what’s told suspend or retain him. This is the only options the school has. This is the real problem. “I had to practically sit on my middle-schooler to get him to do his homework.â€? Take away his privileges, his allowance and beat that a* just this side of DFACS. Remind them if they are irresponsible and immature this will be a complete and total dictatorship. Then see if they are motivated but you must start at an early age and be consistent. Since when do parents have to ask their children permission to parent?

By HStchr

September 7, 2005 03:22 PM | Link to this

Middle school age children are at a weird stage developmentally, but that isn’t an excuse. The middle school concept does not prepare average kids for what is expected of them in high school. Ninth grade teachers have to deal with kids who have been socially promoted through middle school and expect high school to be the same. The problem began when we did away with junior highs, which were academically stronger. I don’t know who came up with the middle school concept, but it isn’t working. In my years as a teacher, I have seen kids less and less capable of survival entering high school with all sorts of misconceptions brought about by middle school. I truly hope we’ll see the need for, and go back to, junior high again.

By Poetry

September 8, 2005 12:45 PM | Link to this

HStchr,

What is the difference between Junior High and Middle School?

I’m not really familiar with either of the concepts, because my schools were broken into two sections elementary (K-6th) and Highschool (7th-12th). We were called junior high students, but we were all in the same building and had the same teachers.

To answer the questions about what to do with Middle School students, I would think more classroom participation and provide study halls for homework. If homework has not been completed during Study Hall, it should be completed at home. If not completed, a grade of “Failure” would be appropriate. I also believe that these kids need more outside interaction, such as career field trips. This is the age when they will best be able to determine what types of Careers they would like to obtain.

By Catherine

September 8, 2005 01:37 PM | Link to this

When my sister was young and didn’t want to go to school or do her homework, my mother took her out and showed her a dilapidated shack. She told her that the people who live there couldn’t get a decent job because they didn’t do a good job in school. She was a good student from then on. I think that someone needs to explain economics to these children. Ask them if they want to own a house one day. Tell them how much a house will cost ten years from now. Show them how much money they will need to earn to afford this house. Show them how much money taxes take away. Show them how much money someone makes who doesn’t graduate from high school vs. someone who graduates from college. Don’t just tell them they are putting their future in jeopardy…show them how.

By the way Don, those parent who are strict with their children often find them failing out of college. They can’t handle the newfound freedom and go wild. You can’t force a child to behave forever.

By HStchr

September 8, 2005 01:44 PM | Link to this

Poetry, There are quite a few differences, mainly in age group. Middle school is 6-8, and junior high is 7-9. Junior high is basically like high school, where the kids have to pass all classes to be promoted. In middle school, kids can be placed in each grade level without successfully passing all classes. Middle school was designed to deal with the emerging emotional needs of early puberty. Good concept for its time, but somehow it fails to stress academic growth. In this age where test performance and progress are so important, middle school doesn’t seem to be adjusting. In my experience, which is only based on what I’ve observed over the years, kids are coming to high school largely unprepared for the rigor of six classes that have to be mastered in order to move on to the next level. School systems have created “freshman academy” to team teachers and try to help deal with the adjustment to high school. When entering high school in the tenth grade, kids are mature enough to handle what is required of them. Ninth graders just aren’t ready for it. If you look online, you can find some information about how middle school works. I’m not entirely convinced that the middle school model is what’s wrong, or if it’s just the difference in focus from high school that seems to cause the problems. I’m hoping states will begin researching the issue and rework the middle school to make the academic work more important and help kids learn more personal responsibilty. They don’t come to high school with much of that these days.

By HStchr

September 8, 2005 01:50 PM | Link to this

Catherine—you are so right about showing kids how their future will be affected. Unfortunately, with government programs to pay rent and utilities, I’ve have kids tell me they were going to drop out and get a “government house”. In some cases, the houses are nicer than most middle class workers can afford, and the lazy can, in fact, get a decent house these days. Not all, but many can and do, and don’t appreciate the opportunities they are given. It’s unfortunate that more parents don’t take an active role and at least try to convince their kids about the importance of doing what’s required of them.

By Poetry

September 8, 2005 02:37 PM | Link to this

Middle school students are usually embarrassed to admit they live in government houses. Finding an appropriate career/job is the goal of most people, even people living in government houses or having their utilities subsidized by the government. Pointing out the differences in “CLASS� is not the way to go about it and not everyone has to go to college to become successful. The goal should be to help children find a career that makes them happy, while at the same time provides an adequate means for taking care of their families.

The breakdown at the middle school level appears to be more of an internal systems problem where the elementary, middle school and high schools are not working together to form a transitional education from one level to the next.

The middle school students should be trained when entering 6th grade to prepare for 7 classes and passing all classes. I’m not sure which school systems allow students to pass into another grade without successful passing all of their classes plus the state required test. If this is the case and it appears to be, then that school system is the problem – “not middle school�. The middle school and high school administrators need to be working together as partners to make sure the middle school students are being prepared for the next level.

For example, if a high school English teacher requires 6 book reports and a journal to be promoted to the next grade. Then the middle school students should be required to write at least 3 book reports and keep a journal for at least two months. In addition, the middle school students should be told in advance, that they would be required to write 6 book reports and keep a journal for the entire school year in high school.

I have a 5th grader who will be starting middle school next year. We have visited the middle school website for the school she will be attending and it has information available for their educational requirements. I have not been provided any information from the elementary school system about their transition into middle school, but maybe I’m a head of them. If I have not been given information by the end of March 2006, I plan to contact the middle school counselors myself.

By HSteacher2

September 8, 2005 03:02 PM | Link to this

The Middle School Philosophy in a nutshell is that every child can succeed and it’s up to us to help them “find their way” to an area where they have success.

Unfortunately, too many students, teachers, administrators and most DEFINITELY parents, have allowed this “every child can succeed” attitude to morph into an “it’s okay to suck at EVERYTHING” attitude. We’re more concerned with their self esteem than we are with teaching them to actually achieve anything.

“How do you feel about failing that test Johnny? Did you do the best you can? Well, that’s okay, we’ll give it another try, some people just aren’t good at simple one numeral addition”.

And some people live on the street the rest of their lives eating out of trash cans too !!

Their rationale is “I just haven’t found out what I’m going to be good at yet”… Well how about we teach them to try being good at turning in their homework, behaving in class, not talking back to your teacher, studying for tests, keeping their hands to themselves etc…. That would be a NICE preparation for whatever it is they “decide” they’re going to be good at one day.

And as for “exploring” to find out what they want for a career, most of these kids (my own included) can’t decide what side of their head to part their hair on this morning, so how do we REALLY expect them to begin making decisions about careers. We have spent the last 20 years trying to move decisions that used to be contemplated as juniors and seniors in HS down to the MS level. IT DOESN”T WORK… they are not ready for those thought processes yet and nothing we do to try and “help them” or “force them” is going to change that.

Climbing down off my soapbox….

By HStchr

September 8, 2005 03:03 PM | Link to this

Poetry- you are ahead of the game. More parents are trying to get that information, but many don’t and assume that the school system will somehow make the transition for the kids. Most school systems I’ve know have had guidelines for successful transition, but elementary, middle, and high schools are different in approach and focus. What I’m seeing is that ninth graders, I think because of age and maturity level, don’t have the personal responsibility they need to succeed in high school. Maybe if more parents were as involved as you are this problem wouldn’t exist. Keep it up—we need more parents like you!!

By HStchr

September 8, 2005 03:09 PM | Link to this

Poetry—you might also want to read Dr. Ruby Payne’s book A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Many who live in poverty have no desire to leave it, and many in fact feel they deserve the government subsidies. Generational poverty is one thing we battle in schools every day. Children from families living in poverty for more than one generation develop a minimalist mentality, and most only want to do what they have to do to get by. It’s a concept most of us can’t grasp having grown up in a world that taught us to be ambitious and want to learn. Many kids in poverty simply don’t have that message at home, and don’t want it at school. It’s a sad reality, but reality nonetheless.

By Poetry

September 8, 2005 04:07 PM | Link to this

I’m going to disagree with you about kids having the ambitions to get out of poverty. I believe they want it to happen faster than reality. Many of them want to be the next Britney Spears, Madonna, Oprah, P Diddy, Beounce, Donald Trump, etc..

The value system is screwed up across the board. They don’t want to become a teacher, policeman and fireman or doctor any more, because that takes too much hard work. It’s easier to make money selling drugs or becoming an overnight success on shows such as American Idol.

Kids in poverty want to skip middle class altogether and become extremely wealthy. They do not see middle class as a goal worth achieving, because being middle class means you can pay the bills and retire after 40 or 50 years on the job.

I know this because I am in constant contact with kids who live in poverty.