Is Middle School Really Necessary?

    In the article, Is Middle School Bad For Kids?, it shares how many middle schools are starting to be combined with the elementary schools making the elementary schools kindergarten through eighth grade. Officials believe that in doing this it will help students stay focused on academics more as they grow older. Also, with students staying in the same school for a longer period of time they will be more comfortable and know the teachers and other students on a more personal basis instead of jumping into high school not know anyone or any of the teacher. They would have the one-on-one relationship with the teachers for a longer time and keep out of trouble in the kindergarten through eighth grade schools. Officials believe that this is what is best for the students and many school districts have already begun to remove middle schools.

     When reading this article, I believed that the authors did very well with supporting their positions. Before I had even read the article I had looked at the title and was surprised because I immediately thought that there was no way that middle school could be bad for kids. After reading the article I had realized that the authors had very unique facts that I had never thought of, such as when a student would move from an elementary to middle school would be when they were going through puberty and they would more than likely be overwhelmed and nervous with all the changes going on with themselves and the new school. Also, the authors had changed my mind completely about getting rid of middle schools because there statistics about how many incidents had to be reported to the police in middle school compared to elementary schools, the differences in proficiency levels in reading, math, and science, and how parents do not like moving their children around to different schools. With the authors having facts and statistics made many of the key points stand out to me and the article has changed my mind personally because now I feel that we could do without separate middles school buildings to increase the academic standings of all students in grades kindergarten through eighth.

     I feel as if this article, Is Middle School Bad For Kids?, connected to education in many ways. It is important as teachers to make sure that you know your students on a personal level and have a strong relationship with them so they are able to trust you and confide in you for help. With having the kindergarten through eighth grade elementary schools it would make it easier for students and teachers to develop that relationship and bond. I attended a private elementary school that was grades kindergarten through sixth and I had a rough time with the transition to middle school because I had never changed classrooms for classes, I had never been in a class that had more than fifteen students, and I was not used to all of the teachers in the building not knowing me. With having this experience I was able to relate to how beneficial and easier the step from elementary to middle school would have been if it was combined together. Something that I had not realized before reading this article was some of the problems that the middle school students face, such as, puberty, violence, bullying, relationships, and crimes that take place at that age level causing the students to act the ways they do. This article could be beneficial to many teachers of all ages because it will bring the daily struggles that students go through to their attention so they will be more aware of the situations and why their own students may be acting and responding to certain things.