Week V Post

As we near the end of this course, this week's reading was a refreshing surprise with us only being required to read one piece of writing instead of the usual two. This week's reading were pages 33-44 in our AMLE This We Believe book. The main theme of these pages being the importance of culture and community characteristics in junior high schools and the effects on their students.

 To go into more detail these were the things discussed in the writing: school environment, adult advocates, guidance services, health & wellness, family involvement, and community & business. Having a good school environment is all important. Students want to feel safe, welcomed and wanted. Having adult advocate is also an important thing for students and can go beyond teachers, whether they are counselors, coaches or other school employees. Guidance counselors are also important, and often overlooked, because they are specialize professionals who are more fit to aide the students' emotional needs than a teacher may be. Health and wellness, in my personal opinion, are often forgotten but are paramount, not only to junior high students, but to people as a whole. This can come in the form of not only competitive sports, but other activities and clubs such as dance or intramural sports. Family and community are also of the utmost importance. As the old saying goes: "It takes a village to raise a child" and it still holds true.    

Comments

  1. Steven Schaaf's Education BlogApril 7, 2018 at 5:21 PM

    Jay,

    Health and wellness are paramount as you have said. In addition to teachers, coaches can have a major impact on the development of children. As you know, coaches have the unique opportunity to touch so many lives and be that positive role model they need. School should always be a place where students feel supported and safe. A positive educational environment goes a long way in helping success in life.

    ReplyDelete
  2. KZApril 7, 2018 at 5:39 PM

    Hi Jay!

    I just responded to Lisa's blog post that it takes a village! That saying is spot on. Being a parent, I know this more now than ever before. I'm grateful for the community we live in and the opportunities that my kids have along with all of the great influences in their lives: teachers, pastors, coaches, etc. I like your comment about guidance counselors and that they are often overlooked. I agree with that statement.

    Thanks,

    Kirsten

    ReplyDelete
  3. lisa_pesaventoApril 8, 2018 at 12:58 PM

    Hi Jay,

    You're absolutely right that adults have limitless opportunities to guide and have a positive impact on middle school students. I wrote about the importance of adult support systems, but I really like how you incorporated extracurricular activities with a focus on health and wellness. Teaching these students the importance of mental and physical exercise can have a positive impact on how they see themselves, as well as learning about cooperation and teamwork. All these factors will help develop various skills that they will need to be successful in the rest of their educational journey, and as adults themselves!

    -Lisa P.

    ReplyDelete

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