7th Grade

Over the past two weeks, I’ve visited all the Language Arts classroom (and thereby, every 7th grade student) to talk about the upcoming school year. I focused on several topics that I’ve noticed come up for all 7th graders first semester, as well as some new ones for this class.

• You’re in the middle of middle school. Last year I talked about middle school being the bridge between elementary school, where students where boys and girls, to high school, where students become young men and young women. This year, they are halfway through that process, and as a result there’s a good deal of turbulence during the course of the year.
• Mr. Powell, the 7th grade administrator, and I discussed what we thought 7th graders needed to know during this exciting time. We came up with preparation and expectation. Where 6th grade is an orientation to the world of middle school, 7th grade prepares you for 8th grade, the stepping-stone to hgih school. Organziation, homework, rules, social norms, rleationships with adults, and other areas are developed with an eye to nexxt year. As a result, when 8th grade hits, we have the expectation that students know the basics and can focus on the many skills they will need to hone to be ready for high school.
• WASL testing Although it will be called something else this year, in reality it’s not much different from the past. And the 7th grade test is one f the assessment points in the whole process, looked at by high schools. We want the students to be prepared for the test in May. To do that, they will need to ask for help in the areas that are not as strong as they could or should be. With that help and some hard work, they will be ready to do their best in May.
• College Bound This amazing program allows students who meet financial guidelines, maintain a 2.0 GPS, and stay out of trouble with the law to receive a scholarship to an post-hgigh school institution: 4-year college, tech school, community college, or vocational school. I’ll be handing out applications later this month. Applications and answers to quesions can also be found on line at their web site
• Navigating the social waters My main point in this section was that what with so much already going on in 7th grade individually with students on academic, physical, and emotional levels, they didn’t really need any drama in the social sphere. And 7th grade can be full of drama. Again, Mr. Powell and I put our heads together to try to find a way to make things easier for our 7th graders. We decided to ask them to avoid or sidestep the “He said, she said” scenarios that constantly crop up, and to deal directly with people as often as possible. So often, students act on hearsay, and as a result they put on a great show for the person who stirs the pot, hoping to get some entertainment. This is a very difficult choice for most kids, but we wanted to let them know that we were there to support them if hearsay or rumors continue unabated despite their not participating in the action.

There were other pieces that I saved for later this quarter, such as our Peer Mediation program, or for next semester, such as self-advocacy. I was taking time out of their lA classes, and with too much information at once, students tune out. I enjoy these classroom visits, used them to remind kids what I’m in school for, that I work for them and their families, that there is nothing too big or too little for them to share in the confidential space of m office, and that I’m with them this year and next as their counselor. What a great group of young people!