Week 2 Transitioning

This week’s blog I chose to write about the online article.  I found the article very interesting because it made me think back when I was at that age in school.  I did not feel fully prepared to enter Junior High.  I did have to move between four classrooms in 6^th grade but they all were within ten yards from each other.  I remember being scared because I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to get my locker open and be late to class or even if I would remember to bring my PE uniform to class.  Granted those may be things that you may not be able to transition students in, but if I was more comfortable with the other things the small things like my locker and my uniform would not bother me.  I enjoyed reading about the tips for teachers to help with the transitioning because some of them made remember as a kid where these tips were never used.  When the article talks about being positive.  I remember one of my 6^th grade teachers telling me that I would be in a rude awakening when I get out to the junior high.  If you can’t handle the work here you won’t handle it next year.  The teachers won’t be as nice when it comes to homework assignments.  That had me kind of nervous, I thought the teachers would be these mean drill sergeants.  Most were very helpful when I had trouble with my work, but that was after I realized that it was ok to ask for help.  I feel if my 6^th grade teachers were more positive, I would have been going in with a positive attitude and would have asked for help sooner.  Luckily, not asking for help sooner did not cause me to fall behind academically.  Another tip that I do not remember have much experience as a student was the providing group structure.  I really can only remember one time in junior high that I was put into a group setting for any type of project.  I feel being in a group setting would have not only helped with the social aspect, but also help students help each other with transitioning.  Some students can handle change better than others. 

As a future myself I did like the tip of comparing and collaborating.  I mean I may have a student that does like what I am teaching and acts out in class.  At the same time, he may love science class and is one of the top students in the class.  If I do not talk to other teachers, I may think it is just him and not me or my material.  With the right information I can adjust my teachings to better engaged that one student as well keeping the rest of the class engaged.  I also feel along with talking to other teachers, I will have to talk to the student.  Collaborate with him or her on how to make the class more engaging for them and devise a plan and find ways to execute that plan.  The tip of being current should be a “no brainer”.  Just like in any industry if you do not stay up to date or even ahead of the outside world you will fall behind and you will start to fail yourself and your students.

This article gave a lot of great information and tips to help us as teachers transitioning students into the middle school grades.  I also think it can also be useful when it comes to transitioning into high school as a freshman.  There is still a learning curve from middle school to high school that I feel many of these tips can be helpful for teachers to help freshman accumulate to his or her new life adventure.