NOTE: I taught 7th grade ELA for the 2014-2015
school year. This post comes from May of
2015, demonstrating one of the many reasons I love teaching middle school!
As I shared previously, I have been a middle school teacher for
my entire teaching career. I have just
finished my eighth school year of teaching, and my third year of teaching 7th
grade English/Language Arts. 7th
grade is an interesting age for students – they are learning more about
themselves, how to take responsibility for their actions, and who they
ultimately want to be. Many people, when
they find out that I teach middle school, say things like, “Bless you,” and “I
will pray for you,” citing the difficulty of the middle school age. I would not teach any other grade – my
passion is teaching these young men and women.
My goal is to not only teach them about school subjects, but about life
– and how to be the best citizens that they can be.
As an end-of-the-year project, I asked my five
English/Language Arts classes to complete the following assignment.
You are on the home
stretch of your 7th grade year – you are so close to being in 8th
grade! There is a whole new group of 7th
graders that will be in your place next year.
If you could tell them anything about 7th grade, what would
you tell them?
Write a friendly
letter on a lined piece of paper and share AT LEAST FIVE THINGS that they
should know about 7th grade.
Make sure your letter
includes the following:
Today’s date
A greeting – Dear
Future 7th Grader, (with a comma after “Grader”)
Indent the first line
of your letter – write in complete sentences!
A closing – Sincerely,
(with a comma after the word)
Your signature under
the closing
Make sure you
brainstorm ideas before you begin to write you letter!
I explained to my students that they had something to say to
the up-and-coming 7th graders – words of advice and encouragement
for those coming to “fill their shoes.”
The responses I received from my students were all over the place – from
funny to thoughtful to deeply insightful.
Many students shared cautionary tales to persuade their readers to not
make the same mistakes, while others shared tips and suggestions for a
successful 7th grade year.
The most intriguing suggestions came from some of my best
writers and deepest thinkers; little do they know, many of their tips and
suggestions have a Biblical application.
Focus on the
important things.
The world in which we live bombards us with so much – with
the Internet, smart phones, and numerous applications, we have the world at our
fingertips. Some doctors are actually
diagnosing the condition of “text neck,” where people spend so much time looking
down at their phones, that they develop a medical condition. Our society thrives on instant gratification
– what they can get right now. Middle
school students, as well as many adults, spend their time worrying about what
to post on Facebook, the next picture they will put on Instagram, or the next
video they can watch on You Tube. The
Lord teaches us that these things that the world deems important are not – they
are miniscule compared to the Lord and His plans.
Colossians 3:1-2 says, “You have been raised up with
Christ. So think about things that are
in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God’s right hand. Think about things that are in heaven. Don’t think about things that are on
earth.” Paul wanted the church at
Colosse to realize the temporary nature of the world, and the permanent nature
of God. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram –
these things will pass away, but the promises of the Lord are steadfast and
sure.
Have some confidence.
In many situations, confidence is a trait that is lacking in
middle school students. Every student I
teach has a great deal of potential – but many young people fear acting upon
it. For the sake of being “cool” or part
of the “in-crowd”, students will purposefully underachieve. It pains me to see this. I have high expectations for my students, and
they know, from Day One, that I believe in them and their capability to reach
their potential. In the same manner, the
Lord wants us to be confident in Him and the plans He has for our lives.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope
for, and certain of what we do not see.”
God wants us to fully rely on Him, follow His lead, and have faith in
His guidance and strength. Just as a
middle school student should demonstrate confidence in their potential, we as
Christians need to have confidence in our Lord – the Creator of the all
things.
Respect yourself and
watch what you say about others.
“Drama” is a common terms heard in most middle schools. This word refers to conflicts that are
cultivated by at least two people.
Emotions run high, mean words are spoken, and feelings are hurt. This daily occurrence in middle school stems
from one action, and that is gossip. Merriam-Webster
defines gossip as, “to talk about the personal lives of other people.” Anytime gossip is involved in a conflict,
people are hurt, and the end result is a huge mess.
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of
your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that
it may give grace to those who hear.”
The Bible tells us that gossip should not be a word in our vocabulary –
or an action in which we participate.
James talks about the power of the tongue in chapter 3, verse 5: “The tongue is also a small part of the body,
but it can speak big things. See how a
very small fire can set many trees on fire.”
Watching what you say about others is good advice – for middle school
students, and for Christians.
From the mouths of children…comes a great deal of wisdom!
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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