Meet Me in the Middle: Chapter 2

Motivating Young Adolescents

“Getting young adolescents to pay attention and learn is 80 percent of our battle in middle schools” Wormeli, Pg 7

As the quote above suggests, this chapter highlighted both the importance and challenge of actively engaging students in the classroom. Intrinsic motivation to learn is rare during these middle years of change and development, and for some learning becomes a less-than-primary focus while at school. Thus the responsibility for exterior educational stimulation falls to the classroom teachers and surrounding faculty. The strategies outlined in the chapter include expressing interest in your students, creating emotionally safe environments, using stories to relate content to the “real world”, expressing enthusiasm for your subject and meeting the learning needs of all students. After instilling interest and excitement in students, the next battle becomes one of maintaining this momentum throughout the school year. Wormeli addresses this concern and provides several example approaches such as using frequent and authentic assessment and feedback, using games and cooperative learning strategies to keep an edge of excitement, using music and communicating goals clearly.



Synthesis:

From reading the class blogs, I found an overwhelming support for the section dedicated to showing enthusiasm for one’s subject. In demonstrating our own passion for our content, we as teachers are able to show students that there is something to be excited about, while piquing their interest and pushing them to “see what we see”. Enthusiasm is contagious. When we are energized, we encourage others to become so, and perhaps even inspire them to go out and find their own passion.