You’re gonna be you, and it’s gonna take a lifetime of practice. And practice is awkward. Practice is a struggle. Practice is a fight.
— Jon Foreman
Today I completed the whirlwind of my second day of grad school. My name is Dakota; I am working towards my Master’s degree in Education and I will be student teaching in a 7th grade language arts and social studies classroom this coming Fall, after the completion of my summer coursework. The program in which I am currently studying includes one cohort of elementary education teachers and two cohorts of secondary (middle and high school) teachers, but various combinations of the three groups have been grouped together for various classes and workshops in our first few days. Because of this, there is often no clear indication of which level a particular student is aiming to teach, and many of my instructors and fellow students have asked me the standard question, “what level are you?”.
Though I will be licensed at the middle and high school levels, I am spending my year in a middle school, so that has become my go-to answer. “Middle school,” I keep replying. “I’m student teaching 7th grade next year.” As most of the inquiries come from members of other groups, the reactions to my response have almost always been the same: “Wow, you’re brave. I could never do middle school.” One instructor today sorted us by group and then looked at us brave middle school teacher candidates and said, “You’re all earning your jewels, aren’t you?”. The metaphor was framed as a compliment–as a commendation for choosing to teach a group she would not have chosen for herself–but it got me thinking about why I am so excited to be teaching middle school students.
Eleven to fourteen year-olds are in-betweeners. As a stereotype, they have lost the blind obedience of elementary schoolers but still lack the maturity of high schoolers. They don’t fit in a category, and I think that’s what makes them scary. Middle school students tend to be snarky because sarcasm is a way to state an opinion without committing to it fully. They tend to only see the very surface of life because they are just realizing that they are going to be allowed to look for themselves, and looking takes practice. They tend to be snitty and mean because they haven’t learned how to express themselves without alienating the people around them. I love middle schoolers because they are just starting to figure all this out for themselves. So yes, maybe this means that by teaching them I will someday get jewels in my metaphorical crown. I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t wait to see what this year holds, and that I am prepared to do what it takes to be the best teacher I can be. I haven’t earned my jewels yet, and it may be a long time before I do, but this year is my first step to trying.
I Haven't Earned My Jewels Yet 