Middle School

I've never really wanted to teach middle school. I've never decided I wouldn't teach it, but I've just never really had an inkling towards it. Why? Because the attention span mixed with the maturity level is not something I think I'd work with very well. Not to say that I couldn't work with it, I'm sure I'd make a great middle school teacher, I just wouldn't pick it over high school (without really good reasons).

I had an awesome experience today to go to a middle school and watch a former BYU student - Jay Anderson - teach technology related stuff to middle school students. I was quite impressed with his command for attention, while seeming like the friendly teacher everyone wants to get to know. I felt he had an organized classroom. I noticed though that the amount of time aloted to him to teach seemed too much for the attention span of the middle school kids. My observation was that while demonstrating to the students how to cut sections from cardboard for a project they were to duplicate, he only had the attention of all the kids for the first five minutes. After that the kids in the back of the onlookers began goofing off, especially those behind the teacher. I don't think 1 1/2 hour blocks are appropriate for such an age, but maybe I'm wrong. I'd like to say that this experience changed my outlook on teaching middle school, but I don't think it did much. I recognized that it's not as bad as I like to think it is, but I still don't think it's for me.

Funny I say that though because I know high schoolers are not much older, but I do feel that the percentage of immature students drops significantly, as well as the amount of immaturity. Especially after the students finish their freshman year.

I did think Jay Anderson did a great job though.