Student Voices from Middle Grades: Five ways teachers can help us do our best by__ Cervone, Cushman and Rogers

(Middleweb.com)

Student Voices from Middle Grades: Five ways teachers can help us do our best

By: Barbara Cervone, Kathleen Cushman and Laura Rogers

Going through k-12 I found that my most critical and  need to be recognized part of my life was during middle school. I struggled dealing with being in the same school as my older cousin so I was often held to either divert from or follow that path that she was creating, also moving to a new state and making new friends. These students voiced their opinions about ways that teachers can help them reach their full potential and strive through these critical years

1.      Help us grow into confident learners

a.       Be active listeners and engagers

b.      Give constructive criticism and praise

                                                              i.      DO NOT just point out the wrong/bad

c.       Be approachable and reachable

d.      Be a motivator

2.      Give us space to figure out who we are

a.       Give an environment to explore who they are instead of forcing a “perfect image”

b.      Integrate and DO NOT separate students by “intellect”

                                                              i.      “gifted” v “non-gifted”

c.       AVOID stereotypes and prejudice

d.      DO NOT overlook students

e.       Be encouraging to dreams and individuality

3.      Understand the ways grades affect us

a.       DO NOT encourage bad grades by saying “you tried so that is good”

                                                              i.      Offer help and suggestions

1.      Tutoring

2.      Studying tactics

b.      Critique students in private

c.       Realize that every student has different living situations therefore certain grades have different and sometimes extreme consequences.

4.      Involve us in conversations about what’s fair

a.       DO NOT partially engage students               

                                                              i.      Open discussions

                                                            ii.      Allow time for multiple constructive opinions

b.      AVOID favorites/favortism

                                                              i.      Students DO care

c.       DO NOT punish the entire body for a groups behavior

d.      Allow a two-way conversation and decision on rules

5.      Encourage us to spread our wings

a.       DO NOT stop students when they have merely started, but allow them to take their ideas all the way, and be supportive.

When reading this article on-line I found it very interesting and it was something that was very close to home being that many of the points that the youth made were the very same things I looked for from my teachers. I feel like this should be utilized within schools across the country and world. These tools are great to use and often times help.