Meet Me in the Middle - Chapter 17

Abstract:

Adolescents in the middle grades are often perceived as the worst grades to teach. They are viewed as drama ridden, hormonal, out-of-control, children with almost no brain development. In this chapter Wormeli attempts, fairly successfully, to dispel these myths about the age group he works with. While he concedes that there are adolescents who make poor choices and thus give their demographic a bad reputation he also attributes a lot of this to “growing up.”

Reflection:

I think that students in middle schools need strong guidance. They are incredibly willing to learn and try new things; however, in the wrong setting these moldable youths can become sadly misdirected. Students at this age are so eager to prove that they are mature and adult that they need the right outlets to prove this in. Outlets such as babysitting gigs, that Wormeli and his wife provide are great sources, unlike smoking, drinking, or sexual experimentation at much too young of an age.