Part1: This We Believe

pp 1-26

In the beginning section of this book the importance of middle school education was discussed. Tying into the points that are mentioned in Turning Points, It is important that as teachers we provide the most supportive learning environment for our students. This can be done is by building and maintaining a close relationship between educators and parents. The content and curriculum is also important. The book broke it down into four major parts. The curriculum should be challenging for each and every student on all different levels. The curriculum should be exploratory which will help challenge the students and teach them that learning is all about exploring. The curriculum should be integrative and reach out to all types of learners and intelligences. This will help keep the learning fun and focused. Finally the curriculum should be relevant. This will help students see that there is a purpose to their schooling and that what they are learning can be connected to real-life scenarios and applications. One of the most important and hardest things to learn is to how to continue to be a life-long learner. This is something that I think is vital to becoming and educator and something that I would be proud to teach my students.

Chapter 1 TP 2000

Summary:

The first chapter in Turning Point 2000 introduces and explains the Turning Points middle school model. There are several reasons to use the model in today’s middle schools, in the chapter they are grouped into eight major points or ideas. The model suggests that by creating smaller communities, having core common knowledge, being organized to ensure success, ensuring power and responsibility to teachers and principals, staffing the facility with knowledgeable, expert teachers, promoting good health, changing structure, and synthesizing lessons and current research with faculty will create a more supportive and successful learning environment for middle school students. This first chapter also talks about the changes that young adolescents will be going through in their middle school years, emotionally, physically and mentally. The book also mentioned that with these changes there comes new problems to be dealt with and that some students may not be ready to face these changes. All of the things mentioned or discussed in detail are important to remember as middle school teachers, and are the main reasons to have and use the middle school designed curriculum.

Analysis:

While reading peers responses there seemed to be a couple major themes, concerns and/or touching stories. As a collective group we all seemed to acknowledge the changes that young adolescents go through during middle school years. A major area of concern or interest would be some of the new problems that students might face as the mature and change. Another concern was regarding how we measure learning in the school system, specifically in middle schools. With all the changes and stresses that middle school students are going through, the method of measuring an individual’s mastery of the material should not be their concern. It seemed that many agreed that the social aspect of school is almost just as important as the curriculum that is being studied. Many people could relate to some of the stories and examples given in the book. Because of this relation, it is more easily understandable why and how the middle school model works and helps students.

Middle School Science

Meet Me in the Middle: Chapter 17

Chapter 17: This chapter talks mostly about how middle school students are changing from young adolescents to young adults. They are becoming more humorous, more sarcastic, and mature. It is important as a teacher to provide students with certain outlets that will help them grow and change. One example is a quote or expression board. This seems to work really well for some. The quote board is a place that students can express themselves through quotes, sayings, etc. as long as they are appropriate. Students seemed to do really well with this and kept it mature. I think that it is important to give all students some sort of outlet like the quote board in the classrooms. This idea may work for some but there are tons of other ideas that would serve the same purpose and have the same effect.

Meet Me in the Middle: Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The best way, and perhaps the easiest way to teach students is to captivate their attention and interest in a subject. The hard part is keeping them motivated to maintain this interest. This chapter talked a lot about the different ways to motivate your students. Some different activities are suggested that would incorporate varying learning styles and intelligences. They seem similar to some of the activities that are used in high school and some elementary schools, many of them are familiar from practicum. It is suggested to introduce students to the multiple intelligences here so that they become more familiar with themselves and their own way of learning. One of the suggestions that stood out to me was to exaggerate important concepts to help students remember them better.

Meet Me in the Middle: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: In this first chapter of the book, the two main topics are looking at ourselves as middle school teachers and listening to the students. Both of these are important to do while teaching at any level. Stepping back and looking at yourself is stressed as a middle school teacher so that you don’t lose passion or the enthusiasm. Keeping a positive attitude is key, even when times get rough. This attitude will help you to reach out to your students and help them succeed. Listening to students will also help you reach them when they are struggling. Just take a step back and listen to what they have to say. Being able to do this and to do it effectively you must know yourself. Both of these are connected together and will help you be a better teacher and mentor to young adolescents.

Turning Point: Chapter 2

Chapter 2: In order for this new middle school education system to work, the educators are a key for success. Educators should have or try to live up to certain characteristics that help maintain this new system. It is important as an educator to teach a grounded curriculum, one that maintains students’ interests and compliments to students learning style. Curriculum assessment and instruction should be connected. This new middle school education also tries to reincorporate the engagement of students and their families. School systems succeed with the support of families and without that support the school and community would degrade. It is a two way street.

Turning Point: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: This chapter introduces the idea and integration of middle school studies. Research shows that the specific middle school teaching methods have improved students performances in just about all areas of study. Also it has been reported that the relationships between colleagues, peers and students and teacher have improved. Students are experiencing a greater sense of happiness, peacefulness, and well being. There have been other problems that have come up in schools that have inadequate academic preparation. The trend seems to follow racial and ethical minorities as well as students with lower SES standings. The hope and outcome of this fairly new modified middle school education system is that all students have the same outcome.