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Friends, family, and acquaintances can’t imagine that a sane human would choose working with young teenagers, but here’s what I tell them:
Middle school students are the best kept secret, especially 7th graders.
When I’m asked about retirement, my reply stops them short: Who else gets to read, discuss, and write about books with kids every day? Who else gets to engage with young writers and watch them blossom, excited about their new found skills. Who else gets to recite poetry with 75 kids at the top of her lungs? Who else stays in touch with their silly side, every single day?
These kiddos come to me potty trained, on the precipice of young adulthood, with lots of skills under their belts. Their awkward jokes keep us all laughing, and give me great fodder for parties. They tell it like it is and hold me accountable-- tactfully, most of the time. When there is a problem or a person in need, they still run to me, sometimes even to propose a solution. They seem happy to see me--at school or at Walmart, and generally, they’re respectful. Unless they’re having a bad day. And then we stop, and I listen, and I pray.
Middle schoolers still regard their teachers as heroes, and I’m up for the challenge. And finally, Axe body spray...that’s all.
Beverly Kirkland, West McDowell Middle School (Marion, NC), B. S. from University of Southern Mississippi in Secondary Education with concentrations in English and Speech Education.