Sometimes middle school teachers are jealous of high school teachers. There I said it.
Interacting with 11th and 12th graders after a day of engaging with 8th graders can be jarring. High school kids make eye contact. They seem genuinely excited to be talking to you. They are articulate and exude an air of reliability.
We MS teachers talk to our upper school counterparts in awe as they tell us about the efficiency with which HS Global Concern groups get things done. We marvel at the sophistication and depth with which the older students unpack a text or express themselves through art.
We ask ourselves- what must it be like to teach kids who don’t harbor so much disdain? What must it be like to work with kids who have made it to the other side of teenage cynicism? Don’t get me wrong. I know our kids are not all sloth-like-monsters. I am also not naive enough to believe that HS kids are angels.
All I am saying is that being a MS teacher in April of G8 can feel like a thankless job. Are these kids learning anything? Do they respect us? Are the hours we spend with them having any effect at all?
The answer is yes.
I was reminded yesterday that while middle school teachers might not always see the results of our work, we must remember that we are part, some would say the most important part, of the journey a child makes from K-12. The payoff might sometimes be delayed. For years!
Yesterday, a former student that I taught in grade 8 came to my classroom during class to give me a card and a small gift. I remembered her in MS, the same way I see many of our kids: Serious. Stoic. Unexpressive. When I joked. She usually didn’t laugh. She worked hard and was a natural writer, but it was hard to know what impact I was having on her at the time.
While MS teachers wish we could see the fruits of labor while we are teaching, while we wish that we could receive gratitude from the kids that we currently teach, while we wish we could have tangible evidence of the impact we have on the kids in front of us- sometimes we have to wait four years before the students feel the need to share their gratitude.
But let me tell you this, it is worth it.
Having said that, it does feel nice not to have to wait four years. Can I ask that you speak to your child in the coming weeks to see which of their teachers has had a significant impact on them in MS? Or do some reflection yourself, who have you seen really inspire and motivate your child? It would be great to let them know.
A small note. A short email form you or your child will go a long way. MS teachers appreciate the notes from students they taught years ago, but the notes from the students they teach now are priceless.