Meet Me in the Middle - Chapter 2

Abstract:

This chapter is about motivating students to learn in your classroom. While we can’t all have a “multimedia playground” for a classroom there are many ways to get students involved in what you are teaching. Students engage when they are given the tools to do so. Stories or physical/tactile examples of what you are trying to teach; Wormeli uses the “a lot” as a way to physically engage student attention by using the room to show the space between “a” and “lot”. Wormeli continues to emphasis the important of showing your own passion for your subject as the best motivational tool in your classroom. He continues to stress the fragility of middle-schoolers self esteem and the importance of a safe environment. He also suggests that teachers ask parents for information about their child that could be useful to you.

Reflection:

I really liked the “poker chip” metaphor that Wormeli cited. I think that it is a near perfect example of what most students go through in the run of a day. I think that there are several ways that a student can gain or lose chips that teaches don’t even see during the day. We need to be sensitive to this aspect of student life while also giving them the tools to learn how to govern their own chips so it’s not such a gamble. I think that it is important to give middle schoolers the change to get up and move and engage. While they are getting older and growing and becoming more mature they also have a lot of “elementary” still in them. Creating lessons where this kind of activity is built in could be very useful because then specific recess time might not need to be taken out of the day.