I’m starting my writing early for a change! 🙂
I love teaching middle school students.
I love their quirky, awkward style.
I love the fact they think of themselves as ridiculously cool, only to find themselves looking with disdain at the SAME THINGS as high school students.
I love the fact they look at us with disdain, only find out (surprise, surprise) that high school is harder. Then it’s “oh we want to come back.” Whatever. You had your shot here! 🙂
I love their language, a combination of text, tweet, Snap, and English all mushed together. It’s always a challenge to get them to write in a “proper” way.
I love their stories, which was the inspiration for this blog. Dead silent, we try to read or blog the first 10 minutes of class. This boy, distractible as the day is long, comes over: “Mr. J, wanna hear something funny?”
Now, funny to me isn’t the same as funny to a middle schooler who’s not always appropriate anyway! I make sure he won’t get in trouble, and I let him continue.
“My dad’s really bald, and we got him this oil that he uses on his head. One day, I asked him, ‘Hey Dad, can you bend over, I’ve got something caught in my teeth and need to see what is it?!’ ”
#ohmygoodness
Like I said, it’s dead silent and he just had to tell me this right now.
And that’s why I love teaching middle school, because there’s never a dull moment.
March 29, 2017 at 2:20 pm
So funny! I also work with middle school students and I agree that they are a very interesting age group!
March 29, 2017 at 8:09 pm
Interesting is the right word for sure! 🙂
March 29, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Funny! I think teaching middle school requires a special type of educator. One, like you, who can appreciate all their oddities of development. Glad you enjoy your job!
March 29, 2017 at 2:23 pm
Oh my goodness, oddities is such a good word!! 🙂 Thank you for stopping by today!
March 29, 2017 at 2:52 pm
i loved teaching 6th grade – i did not love some of my 6th grade boys – they were super annoying. but some were sooo wonderful! we had a great time last year with my 6th graders – always drama, drama, drama
March 29, 2017 at 8:08 pm
Drama is the middle name of EVERY middle school student! 🙂
March 29, 2017 at 3:31 pm
my favorite age group teaching riding and swimming too
March 29, 2017 at 7:18 pm
LOL I taught 7th grade for years….I remember these times so well. The funny thing is, high school really isn’t much different. they just tell you different things
March 29, 2017 at 8:07 pm
Oh I can imagine! 🙂
March 29, 2017 at 8:50 pm
You have the gift of patience and I severely lack it with my current group of 5th grade boys. But some of them are pretty great. However the majority of them are smart alecks.
March 29, 2017 at 9:53 pm
Amen to that! 🙂
March 30, 2017 at 7:32 am
That’s funny and your description of middle schoolers is dead on, obviously since you spend everyday with them. 🙂
March 30, 2017 at 10:16 am
LOL! I do love them, even with all their quirky little things that are so infuriating! 🙂
July 27, 2017 at 10:32 am
It’s true…you never know what is going to come out of their mouths!