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Standard 2: School Philosophy and School Organization.
What makes me a good fit for middle school is the fact that I do not work well with little children! However, I like the developmental phase that this group of students is generally at. For example, I like English and I have observed that students at this age enjoy acting out different characters. This allows for major kinesthetic activity in the classroom while still being able to maintain a bit of order. If teachers allow too much play in elementary school, things can spiral out of control quickly. For example, I like the idea of playing different characters in a novel and then having students discuss the feelings and emotions of the characters (Eggen & Kauchak 44). Little children cannot get this deep whereas, older kids are often too 'cool' to participate in these activities. They may be more concerned with how stupid they look or what their friends will think. This goes on in middle school too, but statistically, peer pressure is worse in high school. .
Another section in chapter two of our text describes an English teacher using cooperative learning groups to discuss a novel they are studying (50). The students then share their perspectives with the whole class. This seems like an area that middle school students would feel more freedom, due to the fact that coming from elementary they are probably not used to such complex discussions. I would enjoy the opportunity to present these new possibilities and opportunities, beside the fact that I am big on discussion and everyone getting a chance to share. During language development, learners can access knowledge that others already possess. This is done through all the means discussed previously. This is coupled with cognitive development by using the strategies above so that learners can become more efficient at processing information from their environment.
