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What does middle school mean to you?
Where are you going?
One day, a middle school teacher over heard an 8th grade student say to another student “…this school sucks!” The teacher took a moment to consider whether or not to respond or engage the student on what had been said. After a moment, the teacher approached the student and asked, “Did you just say ‘This school sucks.’ to your friend?”. The surprised student, who figured he was entitled to his opinion and had nothing to loose, replied, “Yah, this school does suck.” “Really?”, said the teacher. “OK, she went on, “If this school sucks…point to which part! Is it the color of the walls or are the windows to small? Is it the cafeteria or the mascot? What is it about this school that sucks?” The student stared at her dumb founded. Finally, the teacher said, “I don’t think this school sucks. School is not defined by a building, it is defined by the people inside. If you think this school sucks, then you are not talking about the school, you are talking about the people, and I am one of them, and so are you!” She paused a moment, then casually turned and went back to work.
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Middle school students often times forget the power and influence when they express their feelings. The desire to sound important, look mature and feel intelligent sometimes overrides the fundamental need to be kind and considerate. Middle school students have grown accustom to throwing out their opinions with little need for explanation or foundation. If they like a movie, or not, a middle school student will give virtually no reason for their opinion beyond it being “stupid” or “it rocked”. And why? It has become widely accepted as common place for middle school students to express themselves this way with their words taken at face value. They rely on status and popularity to give their opinion weight. A popular kid may have more weight in what they say than perhaps a wallflower personality or someone who is shy. It is known as the “celebrity complex” and is a very real phenomenon not just for the middle school student, but for people of all ages. Even more strange, having a negative opinion is often times far more cool than having a positive one.
Definition: Middle School is a program designed to empower the oldest, most influential students on campus; the 8th grader. By redefining the students values and their discription of the world we share, Definition: Middle School challenges the 8th grader to become aware of their opinion and how it reflects on themselves and those around them. Definition: Middle School asks the 8th grader to take on the roll of leader to promote a positive outlook and attitude.
Definition: Middle School is a great complement to any middle school seeking to improve its school climate and culture.Based on several basic leadership concepts, Definition: Middle School relies on the leadership status of the 8th grader to help form and shape a school’s culture. From connections in the hallways to teacher and adult interactions in the classroom, all upper level students posses the ability to model the correct and desired behavior that best reflects what middle school students have to offer.
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