By Anna Corbett-Neal, Co-Editor-In-Chief
Over the past eight weeks, I have had the opportunity as a student teacher to teach what I believe is the best group of middle schoolers around. I have been blessed to have this experience, but I have noticed something that doesn't pertain to the students or teachers I have had the pleasure of working with. It pertains to people who make quick judgments before truly understanding the students in front of them.
Anytime I tell someone I want to teach middle school, I am met with a look of horror, which I don't think is fair. “Oh, bless your heart” and “It takes a special person to want to do that” are the comments I hear most often. There is a huge stigma surrounding middle schoolers that has given them a bad rap, which I don't think is right.
Middle schoolers are thought to be crazy, obnoxious and addicted to their phones, which isn't true. I believe middle schoolers are a light in dark times, but many people refuse to see that side of them. Why are we judging books by their covers, especially when they are still children?
There is an expectation that kids grow up too soon and that social media is to blame. There has been a loss of compassion toward kids as they learn to be mature. Instead, an agenda has been pushed to force this change rather than letting it happen naturally. We have lost the love for a big group of kids who need it the most. Don't you remember how it felt to be going through some of your biggest life changes while also being expected to act a certain way? It felt like a prison of sorts, at least it did for me.
Tweens and teens are moody. It's a fact of life. So why don't we give them more grace? All kids have moments that frustrate us, but don't adults have those, too? Why are we giving grace to adults going through hard times but not allowing the same for our kids? It seems pretty hypocritical if you ask me.
The students have become aware of this stigma, and it has caused more harm than good in the classroom. It's not fair to be judged based on one trait that does not define the whole person. Your age does not define the person you are meant to become. It's the people you are surrounded by who shape you.
Instead of seeing this age group as a nuisance and obnoxious, maybe try to dig deeper and understand who they are. These kids are our future, and we need to do everything we can to build them up and make them feel important rather than tear them down and make them feel less than.
Giving a little bit of grace can change a kid's life without you even knowing. Be the person who shapes these kids into compassionate, loving adults by being the example.
PHOTO: Courtesy, Unsplash
