...for Difficult Students: Promoting Change Through Relationships” by Mary Ellen Beaty-O’Ferrall, Alan Green and Fred Hanna focuses on teachers building relationships with students as a means of classroom management. Teachers must be aware of the emotional and physical changes adolescents are facing, their culture, and family background if they are to build a positive relationship with their students. Building positive relationships also take into consideration of having clear learning goals and serving as a positive role model. Teachers of middle school students are often faced with the task of dealing with negative student behaviors that impact the educational environment of the students. In addition to the negative behaviors the research of the Carnegie of Council on Adolescent Development 1995) states that students in middle school often lose interest in the academics, which adds to the problems that middle school teachers face in the classroom. One way of combatting the negative behaviors of students and their lack of interest in school is to build positive relationships with the students. Teachers must take a personal interest in their students and work towards developing relationships with their students. To build a positive relationship with students teachers: * Need to have empathy. They must try to see things through the eyes of an adolescent. (Hanna, Hanna, & Keys, 1999). * View the negative behaviors as a positive. An example is if a student is manipulative...
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...Abstract In recent years, people have seen the different transitions that students take as they are growing up and going to school. Young adolescents’ are introduced to many different things in life as they are moving along to obtain a better future and become successful. The young adolescents’ are challenged by the moods of others and their own mood. Emotions are a trial all on their own especially for the young adolescents’ in the middle grade years. A Longitudinal investigation was given to 78 fifth grade students using the Piers Harris Self-Concept Scale. Data was collected from the investigation and it was found that young adolescents’ experience more positive changes than negative changes in what we know as domain-specific aspects. A Review of the Literature A longitudinal Investigation of young adolescents’ self-concepts in the middle grades was given to fifth grade students until they reached their middle school grade years. The article stated that middle grade years are a time where the young adolescents’ particularly have a challenging time transitioning. “Fresh from the nurturing environment, young adolescents often find themselves navigating new relationships and making sense of the changing school norms associated with middle grade schools. In addition to environmental changes, young adolescents are also in the midst of dramatic physical and psychological growth. (Rice & Dolgin, 2005) “ Self-concept is understood as being a way for someone to identify...
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...students gain the most from delayed start times. Making middle and high schoolers start classes before 8:30am threatens children’s health, safety, and academic performance. The start time for middle school students should be later than it is now because it has positive effects on middle school students lives. For one thing, middle and high schoolers need to get more sleep according to npr.org. Making middle and high schoolers start classes before 8:30am threatens their life. With a later start time students can get more sleep, and be more active, and focus better in class. When students get more sleep, their health is better than someone who gets less sleep. If middle and high schoolers get more sleep they would have fewer mood changes, they would also have improved physical health. According...
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...Middle Childhood and Adolescence Kierra Williams PSY/280 October 30, 2012 Mara Husband Middle Childhood and Adolescence Middle childhood is the period of life that occurs between the ages 7 and 11. During these times of children lives they are in school and are making many different friends, and their cognitive and physical skills are enhancing. On the other hand, middle childhood period normally introduce individuals into new sets of challenges; not only for the child but for the parents as well. After middle childhood comes the adolescence stage, this period of life children face drastic changes. This stage can range from as early as 8 years old to 18. This essay will describe changes that occur during middle childhood and adolescence concerning family and peer relationships, and how they might influence future development. Established and caring families are central components throughout middle childhood and adolescence developmental stage. The way a family works and cares for its member is called family function. The most vital family function is to provide a place of protection for each family member. Individuals of different age ranges have particular needs from their relatives. Berger’s (2010) study found the following: Children thrive if families function for them in five ways: 1. Provide basic necessities. Children aged 6 to 11 can eat, dress, wash, and sleep without help, but someone must provide food, clothing, and shelter. 2. Encourage learning. School-age...
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...Development in the Middle Years Name Institution Development in the Middle Years Middle years’ students are young students towards the end of their primary school. These students range from ten to fifteen years old. These kids are just about to enter puberty and some have however begun to approach adolescence. They have different needs from those who have already hit adolescence. Puberty is a very peculiar age because a lot happens to the students and they become more aware of who they are and many changes affect them. At this age, students have already formed groups and they identify with their friends (Collins, 1984). Their personalities develop and they begin to discover things about themselves. During this stage of development,...
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...Games (Physical Domain) Section A: Knowledge of the Developmental Milestones During middle childhood, children’s play undergoes several changes, the most obvious of which is children engage in games with rules. These rule-oriented games include informally organized games as well as formally organized sports, such as little league, club or intramural sports. The former category may be variants on popular sports games, well-known childhood games such as red rover, and invented games that children develop on their own. The principal commonality is that these games have a set of rules and often have multiple roles for players. While informal outdoor play allows children to develop rules and try out multiple scenarios, formal, organized sports allows children to learn rules, appreciate their personal skills, and develop their position on a team. Both types of rule-oriented games are important for developing social competencies and enhanced cognitive capabilities. This milestone develops as children begin to develop more improved motor coordination, a better capacity for information processing, and a heightened social maturity (Berk, 2007, p. 294). The physical skills at play in rule-oriented games include flexibility, balance, agility, and force, reflective of increased muscle strength. All four of these are basic motor capacities which become more refined with the gross motor development of middle childhood. Additionally, children’s enhanced capacity for information processing and...
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...within Felix and Antonio is important for middle school students to read about. This story shares many experiences a typical middle school student would have to go through. The “Amigo Brothers” shares...
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...Middle Childhood and Adolescence Paper PSY/280 April 17, 2013 Rosita Rodriguez Middle Childhood and Adolescence Paper Childhood years can be one of the most wonderful times in life. These years can be full of fun. At this age of innocence a child is most impressionable by learning from their surrounding environment. The beginning of a child’s life can be broken down into different stages leading into an adult. In this paper the focus will be on the middle childhood and adolescence. The research will focus on evaluating the effect of functional and dysfunctional family dynamics on development such as family structure, function, and shared and non-shared environments. Examination of additional pressures that are faced in adolescence versus middle childhood, also the research will help to determine the positive and negative impact of peers and changes in peer relations from middle childhood to adolescence. The research will then discuss the development of moral values from middle childhood and adolescence. “It is human to have a long childhood; it is civilized to have an even longer childhood. Long childhood makes a technical and mental virtuoso out of man, but it also leaves a life-long residue of emotional immaturity in him.” — Erik Homburger Erikson (1902-1994) Erik Erikson a theorist believes that our temperament traits are inborn. Other characteristics such as competency or inferiority can be learned according to the challenges or support an individual receives...
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...achievement caused by out of school factors and in school factors will be discussed. Education has had a huge impact to peoples lives and there is a significant difference in the educational achievement based class, ethnicity and gender. A child`s social background has a huge impact on the success in education and their life in future. On average children from middle class families perform well in school, get better GCSE results, stay longer in full time education than children from the working class families. Majority of children from middle class families will go to university compared to the children from working class families. Statistics show that 77% of students from parents with higher professional jobs will achieve 5 or more GCSE, 66% from parents with lower professional, 40% from parents with intermediate jobs and 33% from parents with routine jobs or unemployed, reason being that most middle class parents will afford to take children to private schools or pay for private tuition (webb, r etal2008). We operationalize the concept of class in school by using the access of free school meals (FSM), which is offered to children whose parents get unemployment benefit and come from deprived areas. There is a huge difference in education attainment between pupil receiving FSM and not receiving FSM, Statistics show that at age11, 40% of children receiving FSM will not attain skill in maths or English, at age 16, 35% of children receiving free school meals will get 5 GCSE`S. 31...
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...understanding; leads to the likelihood of a successful learning student. Demographics • Attendance roughly 800 students (85 special needs) ; 55 teachers; 5 administrators • 94% Black; 3% White; 3% Other • 254 6th graders; 246 7th graders; 302 8th graders • 46% Male; 54% Female We have made AYP the past two years, but our administration is not satisfied with that accomplishment. They are continuously researching ways to continue to improve our schools learning efforts. So in saying that, I think that they are very willing to change, and that they are always open to programs and strategies that can help our students to have success in learning. Success brings drive, so when you have some success in collaborating the teachers and administration, you want to continue to get better. I think that the teachers are more of a problem in buying into to change then the administration. You have teachers that are the “traditionals” so they have problems with new strategies that takes away some of there power, so they feel that these changes are not...
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...American children who live below the national poverty level (Meyer, Cancian & Nam, 2007). In today’s society, many people live below the poverty line and those numbers continue to increase because of our high unemployment rates. The Census Bureau reported that 12% of Americans live in poverty. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the poverty level in 2009 for a family of four was $22,050. Working parents have no time and their finances are often strained. Welfare reform in the United States may pressure single mothers to be employed even though child care is expensive and they may barely make minimum wage (Miller, 2007). If a child experiences poverty during their preschool or early school years, then they are less likely to graduate from high school (Duncan, Ludwig, & Magnuson, 2007). Poverty is everywhere. It is in every race and every country (Payne, 2005). There are other factors connected to poverty. A child living in poverty is at-risk because he or she may speak another language, be less healthy, or has even been abused. When children are...
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...Running head: LEADERSHIP AND SYSTEMATIC CHANGE Leadership and Systematic Change Leadership and Systematic Change An effective leader is a person who guides others toward a common goal, showing the way by example, and creating an environment in which other team members feel actively involved in the entire process. Systematic change or system wide change is dependent on quality leadership. Without quality leadership, systematic change will fail and the organization will feel disorderly, without direction, and uncomfortable. It is imperative a leader wishing to implement systematic change have a clear vision, direction, and a process for this change to take place. When effective leaders exert positive influence on their schools, student success, as measured by various outcomes, rises accordingly (Elmore & Burney, 1997). Change, lead by effective leaders, is inevitable and important for growth in organizations and without change stagnation occurs. Currently, at the school where I teach, I have the opportunity to work under two administrative leaders that are effective and compliment each other. I will refer to these leaders as Administrator One and Administrator Two when describing their experience, training and background both before leading my school and while leading my school. Both of the leaders at my school operate under the mantra that a great school is built off of three key ingredients. These ingredients are relationships, communication, and problem solving...
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...self-esteem, regardless of age, sex, and ethnicity, considering it affects virtually every facet of life. The positive self esteem that middle school girls possessed in the past no longer exists and the lack of a strong sense of self will negatively affect these young girls well into their futures. Low self-esteem is a feeling of being unworthy, of not measuring up to others and feeling incapable of achievements or successes in life. Low-self esteem essentially comes about from a lack of self-love and self-rejection (Teen, 2). It is rooted in past experiences, especially if the person did not get much affirmation and reinforcement in their childhood, or was hurt and rejected in some way, and has fear and negative thinking at its core (Harter, 2). Other causes that trigger low self esteem in middle school adolescent girls include peer pressure from social groups, the media, and elders. Low self-esteem can be physically, mentally and socially debilitating (Results, 1). Countless amounts of problems occur if a young teen has self-esteem issues. According to the Dove self-esteem support foundation, “Over 50% of women say their body disgusts them, 6 out of 10 girls think they'd ‘be happier if they were thinner’, and while only 19% of teenage girls are ‘overweight’, 67% think they need to lose weight.” All of these outrageous claims have every entity to do with low self esteem. Positive self-esteem gives you the courage to be your own person, believe in your own values, and make the right...
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...anytime, it is a sad truth that negatively effects the lives of many children and families poverty continues to rise and it is now at an all time high. Not to mention the unemployment rate. What can we do to put a stop to these rising factors? Introduction Over the last decades, the world has made many changes, and the effects of those changes have profoundly been felt by many families everywhere. Today, children are being raised in single parent homes and it is hard when one parent has to work two jobs because absence of the parents can have very drastic effects on the child. (Miller, 2007). Sadly the numbers are at an all time high, when it comes to families and children living in poverty. Unemployment rates are growing and will continue to grow. Sadly more and more families are out of work and having to live without their basic needs being met. Many children experience poverty during their preschool years, which increases the likely of them even graduating from high school (Duncan, Ludwig, & Magnuson, 2007). Poverty does not only affect other countries it is affecting everyone worldwide no matter the race or geographic location. Fact is It is in every race, every country and it is growing more rapidly every day. (Payne, 2005). There are...
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...Currently, Quazonte is enrolled in Churchland Middle School full-time, as an 8th grader. In the last three months, Quazonte has attended school regularly, but there have been interventions by school administration. His recent school behavior has resulted in two out-of-school suspensions, one for fighting and one for being involved in the current matter before the court. Quazonte's performance at school is concerning- he is failing English 8 and Math 8. He is passing all his other classes. The school reports from Churchland Middle School are attached. No cumulative grade level reports were received from Churchland Middle School, but Quazonte’s past academic performance has been reported as “good” by Quazonte and Ms. Edwards. Quazonte's general attitude toward education is positive; he believes there is a definite benefit to his education and believes the school environment is encouraging and supportive. Quazonte has received two out-of-school suspensions. There are many positives in the school situation; Quazonte is involved in one school activity, track and field. Quazonte feels close to one school staff member, his math teacher, Ms. Coston. Quazonte has no special education status. Ms. Edwards feels education to be crucial to success and she places a high value on education. Quazonte has peers who...
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