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Compare and contrast teacher-student relationships in your classroom now to when you were in middle school as a student.
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East Alexander Middle School
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PLC group Oct. 20
When I was in middle school, which has been a while back, I remember looking up to and respecting my teachers. I don't remember them being concerned with my home life or asking personal questions. It seems like today, we have to know these things in order to know the student and respond to their needs.
ReplyDeleteI feel like today I have to have some existing knowledge of my students' personal life. It not only helps me to connect with my students. It also helps me to decide what would be the best way to teach and assess them. When I was in middle school, I recall having teachers who were concerned about me and my personal life. I think that that is perhaps what makes me want to open little windows into my students' lives.
ReplyDeleteYvonne Locklear said.......
ReplyDeleteI went to a K-8 school so I think the teachers already knew a lot about me before I was middle school age. Plus it was a very small community so "everyone knew everyone". Since I was a child who always did my work, I think the teachers didn't have to spend as much individual time with me as the she/he did with the one/two that didn't work. (Yes it was only one or two way back then.) Although as a child I may just not have known how much a teacher was doing to get to know my background. In my class now I always try to find out the real reason a child is not working or why he/she is misbehaving. They may go home to a horrible situation and if so then how is diagraming sentences going to be important to them. I want them to feel safe in my room and with me so that they can concentrate on learning. Children/Students should mean way more to us than just spaces in our grade books or bodies in our desks. YML
Back in the day when I was this age, Middle School, the concept and probably the word itself, did not exist.I attended Taylorsville High, a school with 1st-12th grades. There is nothing to compare. Teachers were well respected and considered professionals, even placed on pedestals. Students would never think of asking teachers a personal question. As far as we were concerned, they had no personal life.The only way we knew some of them smoked was when they opened the lounge door and an enormous cloud bellowed toward us. If a teacher knew you and your family outside of school, they may ask how your parent was or something similar but nothing more. When students in seventh and eighth grade played sports, a teacher may ask if they won the game or not. The remainder of conversations between students and teachers revolved around academics. Today students know more about their teachers than some know about their own family members. Sharing some personal information with your students makes a teacher human and releases some of the stress students feel. In today's world, it is necessary that teachers know about a child's life away from school. They face so many obstacles at home that school becomes their refuge. Having a teacher ask about them and take in interest in them truly makes the day for many of our students.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Junior High, our relationships with our teachers was quite different than it is with students of today. Teachers were more demanding and rules were more "black & white" with little to no leeway given. Students were expected to actually work hard to earn the right to pass to the next level and students were not given a million chances to make up an assignment or to go back and change a grade. Our teachers were friendly, but not to the point that it is today where students see their teachers as not only teachers, but also role models, confidants, counselors, and even substitute parents to some degree. With the changes in our society, I do not see the new teacher/student relationships as a bad thing. I think today that students need a closer relationship with their teachers and that teachers of today can have even a bigger influence on a child's life than they could previously due to many more challenges faced by students in the modern world. I greatly enjoy the relationships that I form with my students of today, and look forward on a daily basis to inspiring them and helping them find social studies and their world a more interesting place. Hopefully, the new bonds formed between teachers & students will create a better tomorrow for our children despite the many challenges of today's world.
ReplyDeleteLike Charlene, the concept of "middle school" did not exist in my time. I attended a "junior high" for seventh and eighth grade. On the whole, my teachers were "professional" and distant. The culture of the school was one in which students did not speak to a teacher unless first spoken to by one. None of us knew any different, and I certainly never imagined it could be any other way. If a teacher had asked me why I seemed tired today or how things were at home, I would have been shocked and probably extremely uncomfortable. In high school, though, I had several teachers who operated on a paradigm more like the one middle schools operate with now. Both of these teachers took a personal interest in me, and I learned from them how big a difference that can make in a student's life.
ReplyDeleteThere are to many differences for me to try and explain. One thing we did have a great deal of was "Respect"! Not so much anymore.
ReplyDeleteI did not go to a true middle school but a K-8 school. I remember having a good relationship with my teachers, but it was not a very personal relationship. You didn't ask a teacher personal questions like students do today. I also don't remember teachers asking me very many personal questions. I think students back then had much more stable family lives and therefore teachers didn't have to be as concerned about home life. If teachers today do not take an interest in student lives, there may not be anyone else who does.
ReplyDeleteI did not attend a Middle School or even a Junior High School. I attended K-8 and then High School. I only had 2 teachers each of the 6-8 grades. Our school was so small that there were only 2 groups of students. Teachers didn't ask about things like how we were, what we liked, or if we were OK. It was all about the academics. I don't even remember my teachers making jokes in class. I think the difference is that students lived with both parents. I don't remember any of my friends having divorced parents or living with grandparents. Now we are to be not only teachers, but also counselors, friends, nurses, and wardens (ha).
ReplyDeleteI remember most of my teachers in middle school being very detached from their students. It was difficult for me to get to know them very well because they were not as engaged with getting to know their students as they were with chatting interminably with a co-worker. There were a few that I connected with very well, but in comparison to my high school experience, it was only a modicum. Junior High was an unpleasant experience for me, and I will say that there were some teachers who added to that unpleasantness. I feel that now, the teacher expectation is higher, and we are pushing ourselves to serve as a mentor to our students. Above all else, it does make the middle school experience much better !!
ReplyDeleteI remember most of my teachers in middle school being less interested and involved with their students. I went to an elementary school that was very small so the teachers seemed more interested and knew a lot about their students. Sometimes I felt just shuffled from one class to another without any real connection to any of the teachers. I think that now our teachers try to really get to know our students. Personally, I want to get to know my students so I can relate with them and have a better relationship with them.
ReplyDeleteAshley Campbell
ACS did have a middle school in the eastern part of the county when I was in the 6th-8th grade. I attended Taylorsville Elementary from grades 1-9. My 8th grade year, I was one of 13 in a combination class with the 8th grade. There was a lot of respect for the teachers at that time. The teachers had a way of letting you know that they cared about you without getting TOO personal. I can't recall experiencing the same issues that middle school students face today.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne Goble
When I was in middle school, I remember teachers focusing on preparing us for high school and pushing for us to go to college. They were not involved in our home life. Today I feel we are more involved in order to help these students understand that they can break the mold and be successful no matter what their home life is like. I feel we become more involved so we have the patience to deal with the troubled students. Also, letting the students know we have flaws, even as teachers, is important. The students will see us as human and that everyone makes mistakes. They need to know that we have a life outside of the school and involve them, to an extent. One question that has been asked of me several times this year is, " Why did I want to be a teacher?" This is a question that can show the students how much we care and why we do what we do for THEM.
ReplyDeleteAnna Hicks
I went to Suger Loaf during my first eight years and then went to Taylorsville High the last three and a half, going the last half of that year at Alexander Central. My class was the first to graduate from ACHS. With some teachers it was all buisness, while others seemed to take an interest in you as a person. I helped pour concrete for walkways to the new gym at Sugar Loaf School as a seventh grader. The principal,Arron Sry, who I invited to travel with me to a high school basketball game in his home town not very long ago, I love and respect. He was my eight grade teacher and coach. He diciplined me with the paddle more than one time. He expelled a certain student for the remainder of that year and I think he did it to get him away from me. He was influencing me in ways taht were not good. You never left your seat before first asking your teacher for permission. You settled your differences at recess by fighting it out because teachers did not go outside with you. I was saved by the bell more than one time. The big difference was respect for authority.
ReplyDeleteMiddle school did not exist for me either. For grades 1-8, I attended Unity School, a school that served grades 1-12 . It was an all black school. Our teachers were well respected, much like preachers were. My teachers usually had taught someone related to me, a sister, uncle,or aunt. They knew of the church I attended and most of them knew my parents. We were expected to behave ourselves, and we usually did. If we didn't we had double trouble (home and school). They were concerned with giving us an education above all else. It didn't matter much to them what your home life was like, in most classrooms EVERY student was expected to do what the teacher said. We only had one teacher who taught us all subjects.Everyone was expected to learn what was taught and most of us did. They told us that the world was changing and that our education was very important. They cared for us but without much of a personal relationship. We just knew that they did. Also, another big difference was that we were taught about God. We had devotions every morning before class started. Once a month Miss Joy (a white lady) came to our school and told us Bible Stories. We were allowed to memorize Bible verses and win prizes.
ReplyDeleteI went to a junior high and not a middle school. We changed class as a whole school. We were not seperated by grade but each hall was a subject. This allowed every teacher to come incontact with each student. I still had teachers I liked better then others but, we never went beyond a teacher/student relation. I was an athlet I bonded more with my coaches. You spent more time with them outside of a classroom so they were able to learn more about you. You were expected to be respectful to everyone it was not that the teacher didnt care it was their job to teach and that was what come first. If you did not do as you were told they would remove without any questions. The roll of todays teacher has changed we are expected to not only teach but become a bigger part of the students life.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think back to my junior high experience, I remember just a few teachers who outwardly expressed how much they truly cared about my classmates and me. I feel now that on the whole, teachers are extremely conscientious of their students' concerns, problems, and accomplishments. My teachers were more concerned about their students' progress with their content and few had very little to say to me about anything else unless it was a question or comment about one of my elder siblings. I hope that my students regard me as their science teacher, but also equally important as a person who cares about them and how they do in other classes, extracurricular activities, and other issues that they face. I feel that our students are more connected to us than I felt to the staff when I was in junior high.
ReplyDeleteI also went to a K-8 school. Some of my teachers were tyrants and some were saints. All had high expectations for their students, and they did not mind letting parents know if expectations were not being met. Like Pat, that meant double trouble. I only remember one special needs child in my school and one kid that got into trouble. We helped the hearing impaired kid and shunned the trouble maker because most of us were afraid of him. I think the best part from my schooling that I miss for my students now is that when I was in school we were allowed to socialize on the playground each day. I think that was an important skill that we mastered - learning how to communicate and talk to one another in a way that is acceptable on many levels. During that time we talked with our teachers, the principal and many different grade levels. We helped the younger children and played with them and visited each other for 45 minutes every day. I think that was one of the most valuable "classrooms" I was ever in.
ReplyDeleteIt has been many year since I was in junior high school - no middle school back then. I think back then, we as students respected our teachers or at least showed them a lot more respect than students do today. I feel like our students expect to be entertained and we expected to be taught. In some ways today is better, because I feel that as teachers we are a lot more approachable than teachers were when I was in school.
ReplyDeleteThings have changed a great deal since I was in middle school. Actually, it was junior high then, and there was no middle school concept yet. The dynamic between teachers and students was very different than it is now. Teachers seemed a lot less worried about relationships with students than about teaching their curriculum. I ask my students why they do things, whereas I don't think I, or especially disruptive students, were ever ased why they did something. Explanations were not excuses. There needs to be a "happy medium" between these two worlds. Finding that ground is the difficult part. We need to be there for our students but it is not our job to be their friend.
ReplyDeleteThings are very different then when I was in middle school and I have seen them change over the past 24 years of my Teaching career.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time the Teacher was always right. Teacher's had alot less responsibilties and student's had more. Parent's supported us the best they could and also felt the Teacher was always right.
Student's do have more pressures today then we did, divorce, no jobs, family conflicts, and no food. We have to adjust to thier new needs as thay have changed over the years.
I honestly never thought I would be teaching in a middle school, especially the one I had attended. The relationship that I have with my students is a little different than the one that I had with my own middle school teachers. The time that I spent at East was by far the best school years I had ever experienced. I enjoyed middle school more than high school. Looking back I can definitely say that great experience is due to the wonderful teacher I had. The relationships that I had with my teachers were great. It's not that I viewed them as friends or wanted them to view me that way, but I looked up them never wanting to let them down. It was also nice to know that if I had any questions or concerns in or outside of school I could always go to them. That is the big thing I have carried over into my own teaching career. I want a good relationship with my students, but I let them know first hand that I'm not here to be their friends. I am here to educate. I have found though I have had to open up more so than the teachers of my past. I believe this partly due to unique group of students that I teach. I honestly just want them to know that I am only human like they are and will make mistakes, but I choose to look at that as an opportunity for personal growth.
ReplyDeleteWell, I never attended a "Middle School". I went to the same school from grades 1-9. I even finished my ninth grade year at the Hiddenite Center because our school burned. Looking back to when I was the age of a middle school student there are huge differences. First, the teacher was always right, and the teachers word was ALWAYS taken over the child's word. Second, I never remember a parent coming to school to tell off a teacher or principal. We had no resource officer and no in school suspension--you got your tale busted and was sent on your way. Some students even got spanked by their parents. I think that students from my time period were a lot more mature than students are today. Yea, today is a different generation with all of their electronics and things. And yes, some have a terrible life to go home to, however, that doesn't mean that the student nor the parents should develop an attitude that they get a free pass in life. I truly believe that that is what is wrong with our young people--they just want to sit back and do nothing and they know that they will sail right on into the next grade and if they don't mom, dad or grandma will come to school, cuss somebody out, and then they will get their way. We didn't have a test at the end of the year--you did your work you passed, didn't do your work you didn't pass. End of story.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went through middle, it was considered a junior high school. Things were much different. One of the biggest difference I see is the respect that students have for themselves and for the school officials. Another difference that I have seen is the way students expect the teacher to cater to their needs instead of trying to take responsibility for themselves.
ReplyDeleteMichael Mays
I did attend a middle school and reading this chapter really made me take a hard look at how I remember being a young teen. I started to remember that middle school was the first time I ever looked at a teacher as a person with a family and friends, with a life! Some teachers really stick out in my memory because they shared a small slice of their personal side. I did want to share an activity that I use to help with students talking and communicating. I take a beach ball and write questions about themselves on it. (ie: what did you do this summer, ask the teacher a question) They toss the ball around and wherever their right hand thumb lands they have to call out the question and answer it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I came through Middle school was not a concept. I went to Hiddenite from the time I started to the 8th grade then to the high school. I agree one of the biggest differences I see in students today is lack of respect they have for teachers and adults in general. When I went to school it was my job to learn, today most of the work has been placed on the teachers shoulders. It is almost as if the students have the attitude of "see if you can teach me, I dare you". Somewhere we have lost the balance it takes to succeed. Their has to be some common ground and we need to find it!
ReplyDeleteI remember having a great respect for all of my teachers when I was a student in middle school. It wasn’t in my nature to go against what the teacher expected. In fact, I was taught whatever expectations my teachers had for me, to accept them and not to question them. I trusted them as my educators and adults.
ReplyDeleteI attended East when it was a Junior High and the schedule allowed for very little time to socialize and interact with my teachers and other staff members. We were rushed between class changes to sit through 55 minute classes and then on to the next session. There were no team names or colors; only grade divisions.
During this time, I was a band member. This opportunity allowed me to have the same classmates and teacher for three years; creating lasting relationships with friends and a memorable teacher. I love now, how there is more flexibility with our time and a team collaboration. I believe our middle school has the opportunity to really reach out and make a difference in a child’s life; not only academically but through a meaningful friendship and/or professional relationship.
As a teacher, I make more time to interact with my students. I like to learn new things about them and in return they seem to want to know more about me. I think this allows for a bridge to be built between teacher and student, which in turn allows for a better working environment in the classroom. There is trust and respect.
Amber Treadway
I was a typical middle school "fly on the wall" student. I had teachers that I connected with and they made great impressions on me as a student and person. I also had other teachers (most common) that I knew nothing about. I dare say I can hardly recall their name to this day. Although my middle school years are hazy to me, I have a strong memory of Mrs. Stewart, Mrs. Yarborough, Ms. Chic, and Ms. Leisure. Two of them are not fond memories, so I believe it is not just the warm-fuzzy ones that make an impression. Of all Mrs. Yarborough was the one that was the kindest to me and made me feel like someone cared. She signed my yearbook: "If I could take you home with me, my life would be content." She has since passed and is still missed. Mrs. Stewart on the other hand gave me more than one paddling.
ReplyDeleteI attended Central Elemenatary School in Iredell County and it was a K-8 school.The 6-8 grades were in a seperate building, and this made the upper classes feel important and special. It seems that all my teachers during this time took an interest in me,and they made a big difference in my life. I can still remember all of their names. We rotated between three teachers and the schedule at that time was different than our current schedule allowing them more time to spend with students than we have.In rotation we only have 45 minutes and even though that is not a lot of time to build a relationship with every student, it is important that we try to encourage and help all chidren who are struggling. We should always be cordial and caring to all our students but sometimes we should go out of our way in order to help certain students who need a good role-model in their life. Students need to at least know we are humans who make mistakes and who have joys and sorrows of our own.
ReplyDeleteI attended a junior high school when I was the age of my students. I remember having 6 classes a day plus homeroom. I felt like my teachers knew me, but there was no way for them to truly establish a relationship with me because they had so many students. Also, my teacher was always right and I never questioned that. All students do not receive the teaching at home that it is important to get an education and that teachers deserve respect. Students were still disrepectful, but I do not believe it was like it is now.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Jr. high I felt like the teachers were trying to prepare us for the next level of education. Students were held to high expectations and recieved the grade they earned. Today I feel students want to be spoonfed the information and not have to work hard for the grade. There were no make-ups or sencond chances for low grades. If you did not have the assingment you took what you earned. Today I feel that is different.
ReplyDeleteI started Jr. High as a 7th grade student and the following year we became a middle school. I went from the lowest on the totem pole to top dog the next year. That was really a strange transition. Teachers didn't ask you about anything outside of school life. I don't remember a single teacher taking any interest in me other than what was going on in their classroom. I played on all of the athletic teams and that was more personal than the regular school setting. When the coach said jump you asked "how high". We went to school, went to class, did our homework and did not disrespect anyone. If you did you got it at home too. I did remember being exposed to a variety of classes such as chorus, home economics, shop and P.E. Middle school is where I separated myself from the cronies. I knew after middle school that I had better options and I was expected to hang out with good kids.
ReplyDeleteMy 7th and 8th grade years were in a Jr. High. Some of my teachers had detached relationships with students. But for the most part, many of the teachers worked to build relationships in the classroom, and also were involved before and after school with students. I would say that most of the teacher-student relationships were similar to today. One of the biggest differences is that as students we wanted the teachers to be fair, where as today I believe that many of the students want the teacher to be more caring.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a student, I do not think there was any emphasis for teachers to develop a relationship with a student. I believe that student-teacher relationships are more encourged now, provided it remains professional. There is good and bad in this. I believe that students today have a lack of respect for authority. I would not say that this is due to the student-teacher relationship but it stems from raising a society of those who feel entitled. I believe that students need to be handed more responsibility and be held to higher expectations not only at school but at home as well.
ReplyDeleteI went to a 1-8 school. Kindergarten had not been thought of as a part of publis education so I went to a private kindergarten class. Schools are so very different from when I went. You didn't know your teachers on a personal level. You had a fear of not pleasing. I don't know if that is neccessarily a good thing thats just how it was. There was no emotion from teachers they just taught. One reason I had a love for band and chorus at an early age is because those teachers were a little more personable and they worked WITH their students. There are pros and cons to the education system of the 60's!
ReplyDeleteHey that anonymous is Babs!!!
ReplyDeleteI attended a jr high......it was like a high school......teachers did not have personal relationships with students. I did have a relationship with the office staff(not as a helper).....Even with my not so stellar behavior record, I was afraid of my teachers and the fact that most were friends with my parents was a deterrent.....In todays schools ,the communication happens at a geometrically faster rate than it did just a few yrs ago......this seems to have students on overdrive(jack of all trades master of none).....The breakdown of the core family makes the relationship with teachers so much more important(not as much support at home)All one has to do is drve your avg bus route and see the differences between now and then......
ReplyDeleteI attended East Jr High School a few years back and there have been numerous changes since. When I went to school here halls were not separated by grade levels and we had 6 block classes daily which were about 60 mins and that did not leave any down time for teachers and students to really get to know each other. I do remember some of my middle school teachers however, my all time favorite teachers were in high school and elementary. I am not saying by any means that my middle school teachers weren’t great I just feel that I didn’t get to know them as well and develop a strong relationship. I hope to make the best relationships possible with my students because I feel that they perform their best when they feel comfortable. Mandy Barriger
ReplyDeleteMy teachers in the junior high school (7th & 8th) had a sense of humor and they did care about their students (Pittsburgh public schools, 1978-79). The curriculum included core subjects plus rotation classes (wood shop, metal shop, art/technology, chorus, and vocational classes). The male teachers formed a personal relationship with the students in the vocational classes. The vocational classes taught responsibility and respect because there were serious safety protocols. The students had a high level of respect for their vocational ed classrooms and teachers. Those classes also built self-confidence. I was really proud of making a pencil holder in wood shop and taking it home as a present for my dad. My male science and math teachers also made an impact on me because they had senses of humor and related to the students by joking with the students. Today, we stress that we need to form personal relationships with our students, but as Jeff Fairchild said, we also have to command respect. So it is fine line. I believe students in my junior high respected our teachers more than these kids respect us now -- this is a reflection of a less formal society in general. Furthermore, teachers today are asked to fill a mentorship role when such is lacking in the home. In many ways, this is an unfair expectation.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in school, especially 7th & 8th grade, I felt that I got to know my teachers and they got to know me. We did not have the pressure of curriculum and testing. Don't get me wrong, my teachers taught their curriculum, but it was not under such stress of time. My middle school teachers are the reasons that I confirmed my thoughts of being a teacher. I don't feel that we get that luxury of time. It is push, push, push the curriculum, so my students perform on the test. I try to incorporate as many fun things as I can, but I wish I could do so much more math in the real world. This would probably help my relationship with my kids, and I know that it would help them get to know me better.
ReplyDelete