Surviving Middle School

        Written By: Isabelle Saunders  

Middle school: the epitome of adjustment. New emotions, new responsibilities, new drama, new acne. You are learning who you are while juggling school work in volumes you’re not used to. For the majority of students, it is fair to say that middle school is a challenge. And challenges are often good. But something like middle school doesn’t have to be unpleasant for your child if you know how to navigate it. This is a blog for both parents and educators of new middle schoolers.

Your child is not quite on the border between childhood and adulthood. They are still a child, and this is something that should be stated up front. Though responsibility is good and beneficial in reasonable amounts, keep this in mind when placing pressure on your child.  

On the other hand, middle school is a time of almost unrivaled brain growth. Your child wants a taste of independence. They want to hang out with their friends (which is highly beneficial to development!), and to get a feel for what it’s like having their own life. Parents, allow a little slack on the leash. The growth is gradual, so it’s hard to know when to give your child new freedoms, but reaching middle school is a good and clear milestone. It is advised to let students pick their own partners in class, and to encourage constructive communication among peers.

You have full control over how you treat your middle schooler. 

It’s all about balance. 

Be solution-based. Though you should trust your child, you should also remember that as a middle schooler, their perception may not always be the closest to reality. It’s not malicious, it’s just a matter of brain development. Don’t let them wallow in teen angst- let them confide in you, but don't let them sit around feeling sorry for themselves without trying to take necessary action.

Encourage accountability. In elementary school, your child’s teacher might have had weekly emails or sent home a pre-packed folder of homework. Things aren’t so centralized in middle school- there are more teachers, more assignments, and more variables. As much as you may like to, you will not be able to be on top of all your child’s homework. So you have to make sure they are. Instead of hovering over them and preventing independence, communicate that they need to be responsible and stay conscious of their work. If they don’t have one already, it would be beneficial to get them a planner to keep track of school deadlines and social events. Middle school is largely undocumented after the fact: it doesn’t go on any transcipts. Mistakes are okay as long as you learn from them. 

You as a teacher have the opportunity for a learning experience. If you only have control over the proceedings of your class, that’s fine. Even one class makes a positive difference. 

You may feel pressure to become unreasonably strict on your students. You may perceive this as helping them adjust to a stricter environment and life. But you have to acknowledge that at this age, children are individual people with their own academic and social needs. It’s not one size fits all, and it’s far more effective to treat them like people. Of course you should exercise authority when you need to, but consider this:

Would you, a child with newly raging hormones and social matters, be more willing to learn from: 

1. A rigid adult obsessed with asserting authority who punishes students beyond reason

2. An understanding adult who acknowledges that you are your own person and tries to meet you where you are 

Allow movement. Students should not have to sit still for hours on end if they don’t want to. Especially for ADHD students, it can prove counterintuitive when they end up being distracted by not being able to move.
Make room for choices. As aforementioned, middle school kids are looking for a little independence. While the benevolent dictatorship route may cut down on complications, it also makes kids used to having decisions made for them, which will not help their adjustment later on in life. 

Middle school is a land of compromises and balance. The thing to remember as both a parent and an educator is that an understanding mindset is crucial. They’re kids, but they’re getting ready to get ready to not be that way. 

Check out these sources for more information: 

https://www.2peasandadog.com/2019/05/teaching-middle-school-students.html

https://www.veritasacademy.com/headmasters-blog/how-to-help-your-child-navigate-middle-school-thrive-in-high-school

https://www.moms.com/navigate-middle-school-years/

Understanding An ADHD Student

Written By: Isabelle Saunders

School is a primarily concentration-based institution: if you don’t pay attention, you’re likely to get lost quickly. Though many students are able to retain information taught to them in the standard class-lecture form, children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) will often have a much more challenging time with this. They have difficulty paying attention and sitting still, which are integral aspects of the typical classroom. Educators, if your ADHD students are wrestling with an inability to focus or track in class, it’s important that you do everything you can to make sure they’re not left behind. If you yourself don’t have ADHD, however, it may be a bit hard to know where to start. 

What helps an ADHD student may vary depending on the child, so it’s important to get in touch with them and/or their parents about what best works for them. However, these are some universally helpful ways to work with the symptoms of ADHD.

Understanding

The first step to teaching your ADHD student is understanding how their brain works. Know that their possible lack of concentration in class or tendency to forget assignments is not a simple disinclination- it’s not from lack of trying. Their mind is just wired a bit differently, and they’re still able and eager to retain information, but maybe in a way at odds with your method of teaching. 

Approaches 

Movement: A symptom of ADHD is the need to be moving. If you allow them time to shake out the pins and needles, they’re likely to be better able to focus their attention on the subject at hand. Recess, of course, is the most obvious way to accommodate this, but after a certain age, recess is no longer included in most school schedules. In addition to or instead of recess, consider allotting time (say, a 5-minute break) for your students to move around and stretch. Try planning kinesthetic lessons that channel movement into learning and memory. Another idea is to let your ADHD students stand during lessons, if they so desire. If your class’ desks are arranged in rows, it’s easy to let them stand in the back. 

While fidget toys, such as fidget cubes, have been labeled by many teachers as merely distracting to the user, they actually help with ADHD. Little movements, such as knee-bouncing or pencil-tapping, are a way to channel the extra energy into one motion. By permitting objects such as fidget cubes, you are giving your students a way to keep their hands moving in a way that’s quiet and not distracting to anyone. 

Organization: ADHD students may have trouble keeping track of many assignments at once, so organization is vital. Most classes have a binder where all notes and assignments are kept, so check in with your student to make sure their binder is kept neat and it’s easy to find their work. They’ll need dividers to separate old homework, notes, quizzes, etc. Apart from the binders, try suggesting a separate folder for to-be-completed homework. This is a good space for more immediate objectives, and they won’t have as many binders from different subjects to remember to take home. It’s also a good idea for them to keep an academic planner where they can write down assignments and due dates as soon as you say them.

We all learn differently, and those with ADHD are no exception. Remember to give your ADHD students positive reinforcement when they’re doing well: sitting through lessons takes a lot of effort and energy on their part, and hearing that you notice the work they’re putting in will be a huge encouragement. Be patient, and know that you’re not trying to combat the symptoms of ADHD; you’re working off of them. They don’t take away a student’s ability to learn- they merely make them learn in different ways. 

To learn more, check out the links below:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/school-success.html

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/teaching-students-with-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder.htm