The main reason I have always wanted to be a middle school teacher is because I love middle schoolers. This is an age group that I feel I have always understood and connected with and that makes my teaching experience joyful (on most days). My interest in middle school students encompasses not just their intellectual development but their social, emotional, and physical development as well. I have seen students from all walks of life going through issues that I could never imagine and coming out as successful and better people in the end.
Every day is a new adventure and it is never boring. Middle school students want to be treated like adults, but are not ready yet. Teaching them how to function as almost high-schoolers is, in my opinion, one of my biggest responsibilities. This is also a time in their life where you might be able to change their mind about school and learning. Some of them say that they have given up or want to drop out, but a lot of times they are just looking for someone to help them.
Finally, I also just love being around students and talking to them about books and learning about their interests. They always have a story to tell and I am surprised by some of the things they have experienced. They are also just plain fun to be around. I love being able to joke around and share experiences with my students
Victoria H. Allen, 8th grade Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher at Clyde A. Erwin Middle School, Asheville, NC
