The Exemplary Middle School

Middle School Curriculum

The Exemplary Middle School

• Early adolescence is a unique and significant period in human development….the end of an individual’s childhood years…the beginning of youth or young adulthood….in a state of metamorphosis. No longer children, but yet not adults, they are in a world of their own somewhere in between.

Three Phases of Adolescence

• Early 10 – 14• Middle 14 – 18• Late 18 +

• What are the characteristics of MG?

Eight Tasks to Successful Development

• * Mature socially with both sexes• * Male or feminine social role• * Health of the body• * Independence from parents • * Preparing for marriage/family life• * Values and ethical framework• * Socially responsible behavior

• **Robert J. Havinghurst 1972

“Puberty and entrance into middle school typically define the beginning of adolescence.” Roth & Brooks-Gunn

1999

• What are the differences between boys and girls?

Adolescent Development• Average age of puberty dropped from 16 to 12

• AIDS is the 6th leadingcause of MG death

• Each day 3,000 MGsmoke their first cigarette

• More than half ofMG are overweight

(see p. 1 & 8 of textbook)

Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences - 1983

Spatial Intelligence

Musical Intelligence

Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence

Interpersonal Intelligence

IntrapersonalIntelligence

Linguistic Intelligence

Logical Math Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence

• Self-awareness *Read emotions• Control impulses *Feels empathy• Maintains relationships *Social deftness• Self-motivated toward success despite defeat

Stages of MG Moral Development

#1 – What they can get away with

Stage # 2Where what is rightand wrong dependson who is involvedand theirrelationship

Stage # 3 – The desire to please others and win acceptance – group approval is now important

Stage # 4 – Need for social order beyond individual benefit and beyond approval of the group (very advanced

and rarely achieved by middle schoolers)

The Major Task of Adolescence

• The struggle between identify versus isolation.• To develop an identity of value & uniqueness. • Self-respect – Relationships – Peers -- Intimacy

7 Cardinal Principals of Effective Schools for Adolescent Success

• # 1 --• * Emotional support • and• encouragement –• • Particularly so that • students feel known• and cared for

• # 2 --• Opportunities for students• to exercise appropriate• autonomous control • over certain aspects of• their own learning.

• # 3 – Support for the development of noncompetitive, non-judgmental, and non-comparative ways.

# 4 – Meaningful, rigorous, unfragmented, and socially approved curriculum, connected to the lives of the

students with expectations for success for all students.

• # 5 – Organizational and operational strategies that yield a sense of personal identity – a feeling of smallness even in large schools.

# 6 –Particular support for the growing number of students who needmore than the basicservices to beacademicallysuccessful.

# 7 – Constructivist-style, active, social, experiental classroom learning experiences

• Summary –• The development of a sense of identity may

be the central task of early adolescence.

Many millions of young adolescents are at risk of failing to craft such an identity and, consequently,

are failing in middle school.

Middle schools can make a big difference in the degree of success such students

experience.

My parents keep asking how school was. It’s like saying, “How was that drive-by shooting? You don’t care….You’re lucky you got out alive.” --XxDailyDreamsX

• Look at all the little girlstrying to be Beautifulbecause if your anything elseyou wont survive -- XxDailyDreamsX

Middle School = DRAMA to the 10th Power….Squared !

• All materials and quotes are adapted from “The Exemplary Middle School” (3rd edition) by Paul S. George and William M. Alexander

• Thomson-Wadsworth Publishers 2003