Jr. High kids are great!
When children are young, their job is to be cute so their parents will feed them. An adult's job, on the other hand, is to feed cute children. This system has allowed our species to survive and thrive on the planet. Between being young and being an adult, people undergo massive changes not only physically, but mentally as well. Whereas a totally reliant child will focus on exploring through experimentation, play, or imitating adults, a responsible adult must think of planning in the short term ("What's for dinner?") and long term ("Where am I getting money for food and shelter next month?"). And, just as an 7th or 8th grader may or may not have hit their growth spurt, their mental metamorphosis may be anywhere along the spectrum from child to adult. As we go from child to adult, it puts us in an awkward phase where you physically and mentally don't know whether you're child, adult, both, or neither. That's the beauty of Jr. High- it's a place where everyone can be awkward and understand because everyone else is awkward as well. It's a place to practice, to grow, and to learn from both successes and mistakes.
For me, this opens up a fabulous opportunity to introduce my students to topic, issues, and views that most kids have never encountered before in a school setting. I try to open their perspective to see beyond the here and now to understand how the world is connected and how a new discovery or technology developed on the other side of the world could impact them here in little ol' Lehi. I also try to help them understand how their choices here in Lehi have a global impact both now and in the future. I love teaching 8th graders- to me, their open, questioning minds represent the best hope humans have for the future.
Children usually do best when they have one-on-one attention when learning. However, as much as I would like to individualize the curriculum for each of my 250+ students, the reality is that in our current school system I only get to work with kids for 82 minutes every other day at with a 1:38 teacher/student ratio. When I teach, I teach the best way I know how to reach as many students as possible the first time. This doesn't work for all students, which is why any student is welcome to come in before or after school or during flex to receive extra assistance in a smaller group. Students also end up with some work to do outside of class so we can spend more time in class actively engaged in learning. Keeping track of what is due when and where to go for help at what times requires a level of organization closer to the adult level. If your child has not yet reached it, please don't give up. It will kick in one day and the consistent effort you have put into helping them stay organized with their time and materials will pay off. Nothing is sadder to see a student give up on a subject because they believe they aren't good at it, when in reality their brain would have naturally developed in that area not too far down the road.
Lastly, many Jr. High students believe that the key to education is to memorize answers to a test. While memorizing may provide a jumping point from which to learn, memorization on its own is not learning. Learning comes as you understand how what you are looking at fits into the larger pattern of nature, feelings, human interactions, history, and the future. Our brains do this by making connections with what we already know to learn what we do not yet know. The more connections you make, the better educated you will be and the better questions you are able to ask. And life will get even more fun! :)
Thanks for coming to Lehi Jr. I hope you have a great year here with me. I'm looking forward to teaching you!
Mr. Shelley
P.S. Jr. High is the time Society gives you to be awkward and no one cares. So enjoy it! Be awkward- try something new, go out for a team, try out for the play, say hello to someone! Learn what works and doesn't by trying it out- because if you don't, you'll have to deal with being awkward down the road in High school or beyond when expectations are higher. No one has expectations for you to be anywhere close to acting like a socially acceptable adult in Jr. High, so live and learn by experience!