Erin's Reflection

This We Believe embodies much of what teachers should be striving for, specifically in the realm of middle school education. Giving the reader fourteen different points to work with in order to create more effective middle schools, the authors provide much more than just points of reference. These points are what should be common sense to teachers, and provide some food for thought on how to incorporate this system into the current middle school structure. I found that these suggestions, while crucial all on their own, can be formed into different groups, supporting each other and forming a web of importance and thought:

Professionalism within the Education Field
Teachers are, of course, some of the first people students come in contact with on the first day of school and on a daily basis. This We Believe suggests that teachers should be specially trained in the ways of middle school education, and I have to agree with their recommendation. The middle school age group provides a special sense of who the students are and who they want to be. While high school deals with adolescent changes too, middle schools are in the middle of hormonal warfare, and a teacher should be specially prepared to deal with educating students going through these changes. Many graduate schools offer programs where students can become highly qualified to teach middle levels, but many teachers may not have the time or money to take on graduate school. I think more undergraduate institutions should pick up the program and work on developing it, our school included. If we want to be seen as a unique, powerful institution, we need to step up to the plate and make a difference for our future middle school students.
The book also recommends that schools need “courageous, collaborative leadership” and “school-initiated family and community partnerships.” Having leaders in the middle school setting means more than just having the principal work with teams every once in awhile. Teachers need to take responsibility for the learning in their classrooms, and the principal needs to be a key component in a collaborative community. Just because teams are separate in the students they teach does not mean that communication between them should not happen. Quite the contrary, leadership from each group should be represented to make one large team for the school. Students will see teachers as a team, not people who just happen to work together. Partnerships are also important because they can be used in creating real life assessments. One teacher in my middle school got in touch with maple syrup experts and had them talk to our class while we learned how to tap trees. It shows students that everyone can be a part of what is going on at school, and makes their learning important.
Finally, professionalism comes from being part of a system that includes more than just the teachers; everyone must work for the same cause. A teacher who lets situations slide in his or her classroom that have been outlined as inappropriate is working in the wrong direction. When told that homophobic words are not allowed, students are confused when they are allowed to say them in one classroom and not another. I believe that teachers need to work together in getting all rules, projects, and causes to mesh from classroom to classroom, and around the school. School-wide efforts would seem to be some of the most effective, so why not try those? For students who do not have stability at home, this provides some of what they are missing in their attempts for success.

Guidance towards Learning and Support
In a time of chaos in the students’ bodies and out in their interpersonal relationships, it is essential to establish a place where students can have support systems of individuals who care about them. By creating a safe and inviting environment, students are more likely to want to attend school and be closer with their teachers. I remember having teachers who did not seem to want to connect to students, and the students could tell. Their classes were not much fun, and teacher-student communication was uncomfortable. I think that it is very important to make students feel like they can try out new ways of thinking and learning, and that their efforts will not make that any less of a person. Being together as students and teachers also means that we need to be seen as a team in the learning experience. Teachers do not just teach; they learn as much from their students as their students are learning from them. If we let them know that it is okay to make mistakes, both sides can come together to make the classroom and school friendlier and more open. This does not mean, however, that teachers and students can work without guidelines and organization. Rules that carryover should be put in place so that students know what is expected of them. I also think that teachers should ask students what they expect out of their learning experience, giving teachers some guidelines to work with before opening up the year.
As a future middle school teacher, I want the chance to be able to know my students well. A teacher-student advisory program would work in this case, and though there are lots of ways to incorporate one into the learning community, the main point is that students feel comfortable with at least one adult in the school. If students do not have anyone to talk to, how will they learn to voice their own opinions or needs for later on in life? Students need to be justified in their education, and need to be seen as people who have as much to say about the school as the educators. Guidance also needs to be prepared for the students, and should be a team effort between the teachers, the guidance professionals, and the parents or guardians. As a team, students will be able to see that everyone cares about them, not just a select few who “do it because it is their job.”

Teaching to More than Just the Norm
With all of the talk of curriculum and standards in today’s schools, it is a wonder than schools still have enough choice to be able to change the curriculum to what the students need. This is exactly what the authors suggest, and it makes complete sense. While still meeting the standards, curriculum should be geared toward the students and their needs. Teaching them something that has nothing to do with their emotional or intellectual needs, like how to write a dissertation, would not do any good for the students or the teacher. Not all students learn the same way, either, so teachers should not teach to their own strengths. Yes, it may be easier, but it does not help students who do not have the same strengths. By trying different ways of teaching, students experience different ways of learning and work on becoming metacognitive. Teachers need to grow in their styles just as much as students do. Assessments should be real-world based and should be clear enough that students do not ask “Why are we even doing this?” Students can get excited for real world jobs or tasks by bringing them into the classroom.
Teachers should also work together to create units of study that carry skills from one subject to another. For example, students could be taking a trip through the Middle East and explore the region through each of their subjects. Expectations, like rules, should be carried over from one class to another, and should be high. Each student can achieve greatness, and should know that his or her teacher believes that. That may be my own philosophy, but it seems ridiculous to become a teacher if you do not believe in each student. By believing in them, they learn to believe in themselves. Teachers also need to believe in each other, and parents should believe in their students’ teachers. Together, education is stronger than piece by piece communication. If we can all expect the best from each other, we will achieve much more.

In the authors' last suggestions, they try to empower those who have read this book and to spread the word about what could be done with our current middle schools. Though it came across as more of a publicity plea than a suggestion, I like the idea of getting everyone involved. If we are all on the same page, it will be a smoother transition for everyone. We are in this for education and the students. We need to remember that.