It’s been 6 weeks that I’ve been back in the classroom. While I’m only teaching 34% (two class periods, and pushing into classrooms and admin offices the remaining 66% of the time), I’ve realized a few things:
- Middle schoolers possess a unique mindset
- Managing expectations can either be simple or all-consuming
- It’s difficult to teach creativity
Sure, I knew this prior to returning to the classroom. However, the big “a-ha” moment is the creativity piece. Middle schoolers are almost afraid to create, or take risks. At least, by the time they’ve reached 7th/8th grade, they’ve become conditioned to play the school game.
They want to complete the task and get the A. They want to know what steps are necessary to finish the assignment. They want to be “done” and move on to the next assignment.
So, this is my new focus: instilling a a sense of creative spirit. And, I’m thinking the 20% time is a good place to start.
