Developmental Projects
Each of the following projects takes an in-depth look into the daily lives of students at each point in their educational career and attempts to uncover meaningful and helpful insights about meeting the needs of the whole child at each stage in their journey.
Elementary School Project
The joy and desire elementary students possess for school and learning are hallmarks of this age group. While not every child has a positive grade school experience, general happiness and an easy going attitude overall are characteristics of young students. As they progress through the elementary school, their physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral development is undeniable. It is the job of the teachers and administrators to do what they can to protect their gleeful and positive attitude towards learning as the youngster moves through the grades at their school and beyond. The elementary age child is a delicate and fragile soul which must be nurtured and protected, yet molded and prepared for what is next in both their educational and personal life’s journey.
The joy and desire elementary students possess for school and learning are hallmarks of this age group. While not every child has a positive grade school experience, general happiness and an easy going attitude overall are characteristics of young students. As they progress through the elementary school, their physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral development is undeniable. It is the job of the teachers and administrators to do what they can to protect their gleeful and positive attitude towards learning as the youngster moves through the grades at their school and beyond. The elementary age child is a delicate and fragile soul which must be nurtured and protected, yet molded and prepared for what is next in both their educational and personal life’s journey.
Middle School Project
The age and period of life of the middle school student plays an important part in how they must receive their education. Delivery methods from elementary school must be abandoned, however these students are not yet prepared for the rigidity of a high school classroom. Additionally, students are going through emotional turmoil during this phase of their lives. In a 6th grade room, adolescents are observed in a supportive role and are willing to accept mistakes; whereas in the 7th grade room, mistakes are met with laughter and ridicule, but with acknowledgement that those actions might not be appropriate. Chip Wood, author of Yardsticks, mentions that the typical middle school student is constantly struggling to find peer acceptance and are obsessed with what is “cool.” (2015) Younger middle school students are just beginning to transition out of the elementary school where the focus on is on everyone accepting one another; older middle schoolers just want to be perceived as popular. It is this sort of behavior that sets the stage for bullying and drama between preteens as the need to be “cool” out ways the morals and ethics once instilled in grade school. As Tyack and Cuban point out, the middle school is not yet flawless and may never be due to the vast amount of uncertainty experienced by students at this age. It is the job of the middle school teacher to form meaningful and trusting relationships with their students and forge bonds to help them survive these difficult years. With the right type of support in the school and at home, preteens can develop into mature and well-rounded young adults who are able to prosper and succeed in the high school environment and beyond.
High School Project
As with any grade level, all generic assumptions and observations do not fit all students. This is especially true with high school students. Some are beginning to grapple with the extreme poverty they and their families face each day, while others struggle with newfound independence and how to manage time on their own terms. Still others experience the throngs of employment for the first time, while others prefer to participate in structured after-school extracurriculars like band or athletics. High school students mature greatly from how they enter in their 9th-grade year. For most, the transition begins to take hold around the time they are old enough to legally get their driver’s license. This usually happens in the 10th -grade and many students seem to mature towards the end of the year. This results in a decrease in discipline referrals and an increase in academics or coursework. For some, this coursework is through Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, while others strive to earn the UNC System seal on their report cards for rigor in academics. Each student has their own unique set of interests and future dreams; teachers must know how to effectively capture their students and capitalize on this reality quickly. High school is anything but a “one size fits all” model. Educators and administrators who work with this age group must be prepared to tackle this challenge and realize they, more so than at any other grade band, are shaping the lives of our future generations and must work to ensure a bright future for these young adults.
The age and period of life of the middle school student plays an important part in how they must receive their education. Delivery methods from elementary school must be abandoned, however these students are not yet prepared for the rigidity of a high school classroom. Additionally, students are going through emotional turmoil during this phase of their lives. In a 6th grade room, adolescents are observed in a supportive role and are willing to accept mistakes; whereas in the 7th grade room, mistakes are met with laughter and ridicule, but with acknowledgement that those actions might not be appropriate. Chip Wood, author of Yardsticks, mentions that the typical middle school student is constantly struggling to find peer acceptance and are obsessed with what is “cool.” (2015) Younger middle school students are just beginning to transition out of the elementary school where the focus on is on everyone accepting one another; older middle schoolers just want to be perceived as popular. It is this sort of behavior that sets the stage for bullying and drama between preteens as the need to be “cool” out ways the morals and ethics once instilled in grade school. As Tyack and Cuban point out, the middle school is not yet flawless and may never be due to the vast amount of uncertainty experienced by students at this age. It is the job of the middle school teacher to form meaningful and trusting relationships with their students and forge bonds to help them survive these difficult years. With the right type of support in the school and at home, preteens can develop into mature and well-rounded young adults who are able to prosper and succeed in the high school environment and beyond.
High School Project
As with any grade level, all generic assumptions and observations do not fit all students. This is especially true with high school students. Some are beginning to grapple with the extreme poverty they and their families face each day, while others struggle with newfound independence and how to manage time on their own terms. Still others experience the throngs of employment for the first time, while others prefer to participate in structured after-school extracurriculars like band or athletics. High school students mature greatly from how they enter in their 9th-grade year. For most, the transition begins to take hold around the time they are old enough to legally get their driver’s license. This usually happens in the 10th -grade and many students seem to mature towards the end of the year. This results in a decrease in discipline referrals and an increase in academics or coursework. For some, this coursework is through Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, while others strive to earn the UNC System seal on their report cards for rigor in academics. Each student has their own unique set of interests and future dreams; teachers must know how to effectively capture their students and capitalize on this reality quickly. High school is anything but a “one size fits all” model. Educators and administrators who work with this age group must be prepared to tackle this challenge and realize they, more so than at any other grade band, are shaping the lives of our future generations and must work to ensure a bright future for these young adults.