If you asked a room full of adults to name the most chaotic, awkward, and confusing years of
their lives, about 95% of them would instantly answer: middle school.
As a middle school teacher, I have a front-row seat to this beautiful, wild ride every single day. I
see the slammed lockers, the sudden friendship shifts, the stress of moving from classroom to
classroom, and the overwhelming pressure you face.
From where you’re sitting, it might feel like teachers live in a completely different universe. You
might think our goal in life is to take away your phones, assign homework on weekends, and
police the dress code. But if we could pause the lesson plan for five minutes and have real talk
with you, here is what we want you to know.
We know that middle school isn’t just about learning algebraic equations or the cell structure of a
plant. You are learning how to be a human being.
When you walk into class and you’re quiet because you had a fight with your best friend at lunch,
we notice. When you freeze up during a presentation because public speaking feels terrifying, we
get it. We are human too, and we care way more about your well-being than a perfect quiz score.
Let’s talk about the phone policy. We know your phone is your lifeline to your social world, your
music, and your schedule. It feels like we are just being strict when we ask you to put it in a
pouch or keep it in your locker.
But here’s our perspective: we see how much anxiety those little screens cause. We see the
distraction, the group-chat drama leaking into the hallways, and the pressure to look perfect
online. When we ask you to disconnect for 45 minutes, it’s not because we want to annoy you,
it’s because we want to give your brain a safe break from the noise. We want you to look up, talk
to the person next to you, and realize that real-life connection is a lot less stressful than a
comment section.
Middle school is the ultimate sandbox for making mistakes. If you fail a quiz, forget your gym
uniform, or completely mess up a project, guess what? Your life is not over.
In fact, this is the safest time in your entire educational journey to stumble. Part of our job as
educators isn’t just teaching you how to get the right answer, it’s teaching you what to do when
you get the wrong answer. When you make a mistake and own up to it, you are building your
resiliency skill. Don’t run from a bad grade or try to hide it. Come to us before or after school.
When a student says, “I didn’t understand this, can you help me fix it?” That is our absolute
favorite moment.
The Big Secret: We chose middle school on purpose. Nobody gets forced into teaching this
age group. We are here because we think your ideas are brilliant, your humor is unmatched, and
you are at the exact age where you decide who you want to be. Let’s make it a great year.
-Melinda Beck
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