Response 1
Posted by jrhprofessor on August 11, 2011
You have been selected to sit on a committee to transition your school from a junior high school to a middle school.
Respond to the following concerns:
1. What resources would you suggest that the committee use to guide the development of the middle school?
2. What do you see as the greatest barrier to accomplishing the goal?
3. What do you believe will be the greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school?
Justify your responses.
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Kia Stevens said
1. What resources would you suggest that the committee to guide the development of the middle school?
I would suggest that the committee ensure that the rules are at an appropriate level for middle school students, allowing them to feel that they have a choice in their education. There should be class schedules that are easy for students to understand and the classes should be placed close to one another so that the students don’t have to travel far and it easier for the teachers to communicate and work together if their classrooms are close. The teachers that are being employed should be highly qualified and proficient in their content areas.
2. What do you see as the greatest barrier for accomplishing this goal?
I believe the greatest barrier in the middle school is the social aspect of it. Students are coming from elementary schools where they would be in one class all day with the same teacher transitioning to a schedule where they switch classes (spend more time in the hallway), a number of different teachers, and interact with much more students then they ever did before. Middle school students are very focused on building relationships with peers and their self image, a major distraction to their learning enviorment is social relationships. The other barrier when transitioning from a middle school to junior high school would just be that students as well as teachers will have to become familiar with the change. Students may not react positiively to the changes simply because it isn’t something that they aren’t use to.
3. What do you believe will be the greatest challenge for teachers transitioning to middle school from junior high school?
I think that the transition from junior high school to middle school will not be very hard for teachers. The greatest challenge that they would face would probably be that now instead of the teachers planning lessons independently and covering curriculum at their own pace, they now have to colloborate with the other teachers of the middle school. Middle school teachers often work in groups covering the same themes at the same time, tests aren’t given on the same day, and they communicate about their students educational abilities.
Kristen E said
1. A resource that I would suggest would be the Kathy Schrock website (http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/). This website would serve as a professional development guide and provide insight to new ideas for the classroom. It would be very useful in transition from a junior high school to a middle school because it promotes collaborative ideas for teachers. Something else that I would recommend would be the use of unit plans that are cross-curricular across all subject. Students will be able to better relate to each subject if they can make connections between them.
2. I think the greatest barrier to accomplish this goal would be acquiring complete cooperation from all teachers. The transition from junior high school to a middle school requires teachers to form interdisciplinary teams to work together to benefit the student body. From working in a junior high school for many years, teachers would be set in their own independent ways. I predict that it would be difficult to have teachers form groups and work together seamlessly.
3. Aside from working together as I previously stated, I believe the greatest challenge for teachers would be shifting focus from teacher-centered lessons to student-centered lessons. Teachers tend to become “stuck” in their ways; many use the same lesson plans year after year. This change will ask teachers to re-evaluate and change, if necessary, their plans to fit the new criteria of a middle school.
Anna Gorovaya said
You have been selected to sit on a committee to transition teachers from a junior high school to a middle school.
1. What resources would you suggest that the committee use to guide the development of the middle school?
There are a lot of resources available to the committee in order to guide the development of the middle school. Some of them would be from research on the school. Information on the area that the school is located in would be good to know. There are a lot of media sources such as articles and educational videos on the topic of transitioning between junior and middle schools. Research done by other schools on the transition could give some helpful hints and examples for my committee to use. The committee should look at successful examples of other districts and follow in their footsteps if applicable.
2. What do you see as the greatest barrier to accomplish the goal?
The greatest barrier in transitioning between a junior high school and a middle school would have to be looking at the different methodology of teaching the students. Since the ages would differ, so would the interests and the learning styles. The teachers would have to very well aware of the different problems in the school and the needs of the students in order to make their lesson plans accordingly. It would be good to have team time for the teachers in order for them to be able to coordinate tests and their units amongst each other.
3. What do you believe will be the greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school?
The greatest challenge for teachers transitioning from a junior high school to a middle school would be learning the different schedules. For example, most schools use block scheduling, this is different from junior high school, which are oriented to fit more of a high school schedule. Middle schools do not have as many free choice electives as junior high schools do. It would be a challenge for the teacher to learn to balance the academic needs of the students with their social and emotional needs. It might also be a challenge for the teachers to start working in teams because in junior high school every teacher just works independently.
Krishna Patel said
1. If I were on a committee that was transitioning from junior high school to a middle school setting, I would suggest several different resources to help guide the development of a successful middle school. The very first aspect that I would suggest is to require certified teachers for each subject area to ensure that students are getting the best possible education in each subject. Some other resources that I would suggest is to have a structured schedule of the day that would allow the day to flow smoothly. One very important suggestion I would make is to have a workshop for teachers to share, suggest & learn based on their experiences and observations. In addition, several websites have useful suggestions and concepts that the committee should go over in order to be certain that they are doing their very best with the transition process.
2. The greatest barrier would be the transition that students who are already in a junior high school setting & staff in the school would have to make and understand. These changes put a lot of pressure on everyone involved with the school system; and many may be unwilling to comply with the changes.
3. The greatest barrier for teachers would have to be collaborating workshops because some teachers may believe they are better with individual planning and discipline.
Kristen E said
1. A resource that I would suggest would be the Kathy Schrock website (http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/). This website would serve as a professional development guide and provide insight to new ideas for the classroom. Something else that I would recommend would be the use of unit plans that are cross-curricular across all subject. Students will be able to better relate to each subject if they can make connections between them.
2. I think the greatest barrier to accomplish this goal would be acquiring complete cooperation from all teachers. The transition from junior high school to a middle school requires teachers to form interdisciplinary teams to work together to benefit the student body. From working in a junior high school for many years, teachers would be set in their own independent ways. I predict that it would be difficult to have teachers form groups and work together seamlessly.
3. Aside from working together as I previously stated, I believe the greatest challenge for teachers would be shifting focus from teacher-centered lessons to student-centered lessons. Teachers tend to become “stuck” in their ways; many use the same lesson plans year after year. This change will ask teachers to re-evaluate and change, if necessary, their plans to fit the new criteria of a middle school.
Lauren Ferreira said
If I were on a committee that was transitioning from a junior high school to a middle school there would be a variety of resources I would suggest to the committee members that could possibly help guide the development of a middle school. Some of these resources could be articles and research that have been done on the transition from a junior high school to a middle school; articles of the transition of other schools could give the committee of an idea of how to handle the different situations that arise with the transition. Various materials and websites that teachers could use to learn how to use their time appropriately in a block scheduling setting as in a middle school. There are numerous websites on the internet that with a little research would be great resources to help the committee and teachers transition from a junior high school to a middle school.
While transitioning from a junior high school to a middle school it is likely for the committee to face multiple barriers that would conflict with accomplishing this goal. The greatest barrier that I think the committee would face when transitioning would be the implementation of all the new policies such as block scheduling and the importance of teachers helping the students to develop both cognitively and affectively. However, implementing the block scheduling of a middle school, which the students are not used to would also form a great barrier more for the students than for the staff. Most students in a Junior High School are used to switching between six to eight class periods a day. However, with a middle school setting classes are arranged with a block scheduling style where the students usually have four different classes a semester and each class is timed as two class periods. With these longer classes teachers are able to accomplish more with in the class period but the students need to learn how to stay focused for these longer classes. For some teachers the greatest challenge they would face with the transition would be learning to develop longer lesson plans so that they could use their time effectively with block scheduling and learning to take more of a pragmatic approach to teaching instead of a conventional or “traditional instructional approach”.
Gabriela Zanatta-Perdomo said
1. What resources would you suggest that the committee use to guide the development of the middle school?
The committee should look at other successful middle schools to follow their models. They should do research to make sure the students are meeting their needs both academically and emotionally, as any middle school should meet. They may need to train the teachers and other staff so they are familiar with the change and know their new expectations. There should also be a survey to evaluate what kind of elective courses would be good and what kinds of clubs the students would want.
2. What do you see as the greatest barrier to accomplishing the goal?
I believe that providing the elective courses and clubs that will keep the students in the right track will be the most difficult obstacle because it is an age in which students like to try different thing and they don’t usually stick to one thing for long periods of time.
3. What do you believe will be the greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school?
The teachers will have to get used to teaching two subjects like social studies and language arts rather and only one subject.
Akshita A. said
1. The implementation of a middle school from a junior high school helps the school system deal with integration in a successful manner, where academic, social, and emotional needs are all met under one institution. The middle school, which caters sixth to eighth grade, provides a natural transition from the self-containment of elementary school to the departmentalization of high school. For a successful development of a middle school, interpersonal relationships and teamwork of highly-qualified teachers is necessary. Certified teachers who have mastered their desired content area must be willing to collaborate as a team and be responsible for a group of students. The teachers should be organized into interdisciplinary teams, which include at least one member specializing in each of the core subjects and a foreign language teacher or special education specialist as needed. In such teams, each teacher should be aware of each other’s schedule, management styles, and most importantly the academic progress and needs of the students.
Students will need a firm academic foundation with teachers who know their craft and are sensitive to students’ emotions and needs. The staff committed to a middle school should be conscious of the emotional and social needs of the students, alongside their academic needs, as the students in middle school are experiencing puberty. The teachers will need staffed development (specialists and counselors) that strives to meet the needs of students during adolescence.
The classrooms of the students who are assigned under a particular team of teachers should be near each other. For example, a class of sixth grade students should have their classes on the same floor in the school. Such a layout will ease the students’ transfer from classroom to classroom, and will prevent any added stress that can affect their focus on studies.
It is important to cater to the students’ social needs alongside academic needs. The students’ need of peer acceptance and sense of belonging can be accomplished through the implementation of clubs, organizations, and electives. Activities outside the academics allow for student motivation to take part in positive groups and assure students that they also have a voice in their education. Clubs and electives encourage students to explore aspects of hobbies, pastimes, and interests to enhance their personality as well.
2. The greatest barrier from the transition from a junior high school to a middle school may be the set up of successful interdisciplinary teams, where the same set of teachers would be responsible for a group or groups within a grade of students. A successful middle school should be student-oriented, where the cognitive and affective needs of students can be met. It is really important to have teachers who are well-aware of the social and emotional needs of students, and, at the same time, are able to work together as a team to create an effective academic curriculum. The teachers would need common preparation time to monitor student progress as a whole, in all subjects, and, in essence, follow similar educational philosophies where the needs of the students are paramount. Creating a team of highly-qualified teachers who can put aside personal differences and think for the benefit of the students is a challenge, but if met, will lead to a successful middle school.
3. The greatest challenge for the teachers in the transition to a middle school would be to establish an effective balance of the academic needs and the social and emotional needs of the students. The students during these years will be experiencing puberty; this will be a time of emotion, physical changes, and cognitive development, as students will both question and enhance their individuality. After all, the time of adolescence has been known for behavioral issues. It will be a challenge for teachers to be able to effectively engage students in their learning while being sensitive to the child psyche, at the same time, as they are maturing
Marissa C. said
1. What resources would you suggest that the committee use to guide the development of the middle school?
Visiting the website for the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) would help the committee better understand the essence of a real middle school. The association provides ample resources for educators of the middle grades. Including their landmark position paper, This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents. The paper features 16 characteristics of a successful school for 10 to 15-year-olds. The first of which states, “Educators value young adolescents and are prepared to teach them”.
2. What do you see as the greatest barrier to accomplishing the goal?
The greatest barrier to accomplishing the goal would be teachers unwilling to comply with the changes. They must be able to keep in mind the importance of developing both the adolescents’ cognitive and affected domains. New instructional strategies will most likely be necessary in order to foster student oriented learning. Without the instructors adapting to the new middle school philosophy the goal will be virtually unreachable.
3. What do you believe will be the greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school?
I believe the greatest challenge for the teachers would be working together in interdisciplinary teams. They may have gotten used to an independent planning approach; thus making it difficult to share ideas and come together as a cohesive unit. However, upon adopting the “team” model I believe the teachers will agree it is the best approach to successfully meeting the needs of their students.
Yanilda Holguin said
1. Community demographic information.
Using the standards – NJ core Curriculum Content Standards
2. The greatest barrier to accomplishing the goals in Middle School is the budget. The state funding is very important in the school for
the children education.
3.the greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school is understanding the level of maturity.
Jennifer Foley said
1. The resources necessary for the development of a middle school are specialized teachers, lockers, and plenty of exploratory classes/clubs. First the students gain a perspective on having to move from teacher to teacher for specialized subjects. Learning how to adapt to teachers with different teaching styles. The lockers are used for students to have their own personal space, for deodorant, mirrors, or sweaters because of the stage of puberty they are entering. Since the students as the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade level move together with their homeroom usually on the same floor it is a simpler way of easing into this type of schedule. While also teaching the students time management on how to move about to get to their other classes. Lastly, the exploratory classes and clubs give the students a chance to observe and choose what types of interests they have over a wide range of topics.
2. The greatest barrier to accomplishing the goal is having enough specialized teacher’s for academics and exploratory classes, because this requires money. For any school for that matter you want the best of the best teachers, certified to teach any students. Although, some individuals have the credentials that does not mean they are equipped to be socially and emotionally these grade levels.
3. The greatest challenge for teachers just entering a middle school is the amount of themselves that really goes into teaching students at these levels. As mentioned, middle school students need a teacher for guidance on emotional, social, and academic support. When teachers work with elementary students they need to be almost a “mom or dad” role where they need to stay on top of each student. Then teachers from high school use the approach to make the students equipped for independence. So for a teacher transitioning into middle school from either side they have to realize the students need a combination of both type of teachers to be successful to getting through to their students.
Gina Di Vito said
Gina Di Vito
EMSE 3300*03
1. What resources would you suggest that the committee use to guide the development of the middle school?
I would say get teachers to teach only in subjects they are certified in because teachers that do not know much about the subjects they are teaching are not benefiting the children. Also, I would say resources like Anti-Bullying Programs, field trips, sporting teams, and after school clubs are a great guide to developing a middle school. It will help children bond and become part of a united team.
2. What do you see as the greatest barrier to accomplishing the goal?
I think the biggest barrier to accomplishing the goal is money. Running programs and activities for the students can be costly. Even though I believe it would really benefit the middle school to have these activities for the children, we have to be considerate of the school’s budget.
3. What do you believe will be the greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school?
I believe the greatest challenge for teachers who are transitioning to a middle school is that it is so different than both elementary, junior high school, and high school. Well first and for most, middle school years for children is their most hormonal years, which can throw off the dynamics in the classroom some days. Also, teachers in some schools will be likely to teach two different subjects. The teacher could be really strong in one subject, the one they are certified in, and not so strong in the other subject. This makes it hard for teachers to teach a subject they do not really know.
April Nigro said
1. There are many useful resources the committee could use to guide the middle school development. To begin, a great researched school reform model can be found at http://www.turningpts.org/. Another good place to get started is at http://cie.kean.edu/~njcms/newTeacherResources/Home.html which provides “Hotlinks for Middle Schools.” Especially useful is the tab for Teaming, which would be a key factor in the new school. The tab has links to articles and websites that are focused on professional collaboration and reinventing middle schools. Additionally, sites for teaching and learning are easily accessible through Kathy Shrock’s website, http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/. A site such as this may re-renergize teachers.
2. I don’t believe there is necessarily a single greatest barrier to accomplishing the transition to a middle school. Rather, I think the accumulation of all new aspects could potentially make it a struggle. To achieve success, there needs to be dedicated staff, functional interdisciplinary teams, set rules, and outlets for students.
3. I think the greatest challenge for the teachers will be adjusting to a new routine. No longer will they be generally keeping to themselves and focusing on their own planning. Instead, they will have to realize that team planning will take work and dedication. They should keep in mind, though, that it takes knowledge, skills, and disposition to be a good teacher. It may not be easy, but in time, it will be beneficial to all.
Anjali Desai said
1. What resources would you suggest that the committee use to guide the development of the middle school?
Answer: As we discussed in the class last week, one of the best resources that I can suggest the committee to use to guide the development of the middle school is Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators. This resource has a list of useful websites based on the curriculum and also includes materials for teaching and learning. Another resource can be core curriculum standards, which can be helpful for the teachers for lesson plans.
2. What do you see as the greatest barrier to accomplishing the goal?
Answer: I believe that the greatest barrier to accomplishing the goal is discouragement and lack of balance. Discouragement can affect tremendously on individual’s goal and it breaks an individual apart to achieve something. Lack of balance can also cause barrier to accomplishing the goal because no matter how big your goal is, it is necessary to set the priorities to make it easier. Balance life is essential because it makes life more joyful rather than painful.
3. What do you believe will be the greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school?
Answer: The greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school is team teaching or interdisciplinary teams. Team teaching requires faculty members who share similar group of students, to plan and to develop curriculum and instruction in different content areas to make a valuable lessons.
Nancie Aita said
!. What resources would I suggest our committee use to guide the development of the middle school? I would suggest utilizing the instruction of the guidance councilors. I would imagine the education level of a guidance councilor incorporates educational knowledge of adolescences and they would be the best advocates for knowing what children need in a transition between eliminating the Junior High School and converting these children within a middle school setting.
2. The greatest barrier I see might be where spending money is concerned. Perhaps advance classes might be incorporated for these older, more mature children but it is not in the Board of Education’s budget.
3. I believe the greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school is being aware that now they are dealing with students who once were feeling like they were the “top dogs” and now these students are mixed in with lower grade students. This transition may be harder for the students to handle and in turn, the students may be rebellious toward their peers and their teachers.
Angelica DeFilippis said
I believe the middle school should have interdisciplinary units, team teaching, and extra curricular activities. Interdisciplinary units include more than one discipline to examine a central theme. An example of an interdisciplinary unit is reading about history followed by writing an essay on a particular history topic. This interdisciplinary lesson example includes two disciplines, which are English and history. Interdisciplinary lessons help students make comparisons that bridge disciplines. Interdisciplinary units require team teaching so; teachers of different disciplines will work together to develop an interdisciplinary lesson plan. Team teaching can be beneficial for not only the students but also the teachers because it causes less isolation among teachers and teachers can learn from one another. Extra curricular activities give students something to do after school, helps them socially interact, and gives students the power of having options.
The greatest barrier to accomplishing these goals would be the school budget and the amount of time in a day. Team sports and other extra curricular activities such as, chess club or band, need money for supplies, uniforms, and the coaches salary, in many instances. Yes, faculty may volunteer and students may raise money for uniforms and supplies but often times the school still must support afterschool activities financially even if it includes keeping the lights on longer in the school. Time is another barrier especially for team teaching because teachers must find the time in their days to meet with other faculty members.
I believe the greatest challenge for teachers transitioning to a middle school are the students. Middle School students often have less drive to do homework along with in class work. There is more bullying in middle school and I believe students go to middle school to socialize rather then learn. So, middle school teachers must make lessons fun in order to keep their students’ attention let alone get their students’ attention.
Nancie Aita said
Nancie Aita
!. What resources would I suggest our committee use to guide the development of the middle school? I would suggest utilizing the instruction of the guidance councilors. I would imagine the education level of a guidance councilor incorporates educational knowledge of adolescences and they would be the best advocates for knowing what children need in a transition between eliminating the Junior High School and converting these children within a middle school setting.
2. The greatest barrier I see might be where spending money is concerned. Perhaps advance classes might be incorporated for these older, more mature children but it is not in the Board of Education’s budget.
3. I believe the greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school is being aware that now they are dealing with students who once were feeling like they were the “top dogs” and now these students are mixed in with lower grade students. This transition may be harder for the students to handle and in turn, the students may be rebellious toward their peers and their teachers.
Stephanie Lopes said
Stephanie Lopes
EMSE 3300 Sec 03
Repose 1
February 5, 2012
1.) What resources would you suggest that the committee use to guide the development of the middle school?
I would suggest that the committee develop a structured and organized scheduling for the students to switch classes, employ certified teachers for each of the subject areas so they are able to provide students with the appropriate and informative instruction from the content area. Alongside certified teachers and the successful class scheduling, teacher meetings should be enforced to provide the organization of content testing and allow for integration of unit lessons, providing an integration of subject with the certified content area the teacher has. For example, a science teacher can collaborate with other teachers to determine what days testing for science can be done and as well organize science lessons to be interrelated with math or other subject areas. I believe the most important aspect of the transition into the middle school environment is provide the students with rules as such what is to be expected of their behavior, their academics, and their physical appearance (i.e. dress code). To provide the students with a successful transition, the committee could implement an orientation day for the incoming students for the 6th grade class. To allow the establishment of the social aspect of middle school, students will be place according to grade level in classrooms, as well as switch classrooms with the same students from their homeroom classroom. This allows for the students to develop strong social relationships and help them adjust to the changes. With these implementations, the middle school would develop a successful social, emotional and an academic environment for the students, which is after all the goal and purpose of the development of middle schools. By providing a structured and organized plan for the teachers, this allows for a smooth transition for any teacher going from a junior high school to a middle school or from a grammar school to a middle school.
2.) What do you see as the greatest barrier in accomplishing this goal?
The greatest barrier in accomplishing these goals for the middle school would have to be the cooperation of everyone involved. The committee, teachers, students and staff may have a hard time adjusting to the changes that undergo the development of a middle school. Students may not adjust to the new rules implemented; teachers may not be able to adjust to the time frame of the classes or even work together to develop a schedule for testing and development of unit lessons and finally they committee may have some debates as to what works and doesn’t work for the development of the middle school. So the greatest barrier would be every party involved and their cooperation and organization of ideas and actions.
3. What do you believe will be the greatest challenge for the teachers in transitioning to a middle school?
I believe the greatest challenge for the teachers transitioning to a middle school from a junior high school would have to be the difference in the class scheduling. Because the teachers are used to having shorter and numerous classes being switched, the middle school requires longer and less amount of classes. Aside from the number of class changes and the time frame of the class, teachers must also adjust the development of their lesson plans to fit the curriculum and time frame for the grade level. They must be ready to teach 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes all in one day. In addition, teachers going to a middle school will be required to teach in the area of their certification, which means that no teacher will be teaching their certified subject area and another subject area in which they are not certified. This creates an elimination of teaching one subject better than another. Teacher involvement in extracurricular activities such as clubs, sports, and electives could also pose a challenge for those teachers whom have never participated in leading students in these tasks. They may not know how to go about teaching or organizing this particular event they are monitoring.