I remember someone saying before I started teaching that middle school kids are not as hyper at school as they are at church. This is not the case. They are EVERY BIT as hyper at school. It's been an interesting year so far, for sure. I have enjoyed my kids, as hard as they are to teach, and I have learned a lot from them. For example:
- Always act like you know what you are talking about. If they question you on something, tell them "Research shows that...". They never ask to see the research, and my own personal observations count as research, right?
- You are not as cool as you think you are. I had forgotten about the intricacies of the middle school social structure. It's exhausting! The adult who strays into the world of middle school social politics must always remember the rule of Catch 22 - no matter how cool you might think you are, or actually are to people who are out of college, the simple fact that you are an adult makes you irrevocably uncool, and a simple acknowledgment by you of a certain band or brand will instantly make said band or brand uncool in the eyes of your students. This also goes for any use of middle school slang, although they think it is hilarious for an adult to try, given that it is obvious that the adult is not being serious. To be greeted in public by an adult is a major social faux paux, and I promised them in the first week of school that if I ever see them at the Rave, I will turn my back on them and walk away without a word, for which I was profusely thanked.
- The clothes that are cool one week rarely are the next, and the shoes you wear reveal detailed and insightful personal information, as far as your private allegiances to certain groups, the amount of money your parents make, and how much you care about the opinions of your peers and how hard you will work to act like you don't.
I have more amazing observations to be shared at a later time, but there is a Law and Order marathon I am missing.
