"Socialization skills, however, do not always come easily to young adolescents" (WEMSTK p.36). In my experience, socializing was not always easy. My middle school had two elementary schools put into one, so for me I knew everyone from my school, but not necessarily the other. So socialization played a major role in my middle school experience. It didn't always come easy, but that is part of growing up, taking risks and introducing yourself to new opportunities.
"Technology has a dramatic impact on young adolescent in both positive and negative ways" (WEMSTK p.39). I think everyone can say that now of days technology is a main focus amongst all. It is a way for us to communicate and stay connected throughout the world. Technology allows us to know what is happening, the latest trends, etc.. As a middle schooler technology can be tricky and frustrating at times, but what we have to realize that not everything on the internet or social media is true or realistic; therefore, we can find our own positives and negatives.
"The middle school years are marked by an almost constant search for an identity in many areas: gender, ethnic, cultural, relational (friendships), socioeconomic, sexual, spiritual, physical, academic, and concerns about one's future life...." (WEMSTK p. 45). Middle school is the time and place where young adolescents start to realize and develop into the person they want to be. I think that this quote shows the amount of thoughts and concerns every middle schooler considered when it comes to finding who they are as a person. I can say myself that throughout my experiences in middle school I was able to find who I wanted to be and who I wanted to surround myself with. Middle school gives students the opportunity to find themselves.
"Peer pressure is real to the young adolescent" (WEMSTK p. 37). This quote I can agree with 100%. Peer pressure is a thing all throughout life, and especially in middle school. Everyone wants to fit in and with that some students will decide to make sacrifices. As teachers we need to be able to realize when this is happening and to address it. Peer pressure can be dangerous at times and personally I wouldn't want to watch one of my students make a decision that would ruin the rest of their career.
"The separation between boys and girls is even more pronounced" (WEMSTK p.35, Doda and Knowles (2008). This quote was new to me because as a middle schooler there was no separation between genders. In my middle school we were all super close, didn't matter if you were a boy or girl. This was surprising to hear from a student; although, they do go on to mention that boys and girls would only mix if they were friends. I guess it would primarily depend on the environment and or circumstances the students were put in.
"Ethnic Identity" (WEMSTK p.47). After reading this section, it made me think a lot. As a middle schooler I didn't consider that it is harder for others to adjust based on their appearance and or ethnicity. Becoming a teacher I am going to take into consideration the struggles that those take in, both physically, mentally, and emotionally. I think it is important for everyone to realize this and read this section due to the insight it gives on ethnic identity.
"Teaching young adolescents who are ELLs requires sensitivity to their culture, their language, and their struggle for identity" (WEMSTK p.51). Knowing this I will start being more aware on how this circumstances affect their learning. As a teacher it is important to understand how this effects the students learning and their social ways.
One question is, How are students going to react to things posted on social media pertaining to trends?
Depending on relationships, is there a way that students can connect on a level were gender doesn't matter?
Should we as teachers create topics and lesson plans pertaining to what is going on in social media, in order to address what middle schoolers are going through?
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