If you have been following me for some time, you know that I recently transferred to teaching at the high school level after teaching middle schoolers the past five years. While I did enjoy teaching at this level, I have held the desire to teach higher grades for a bit and decided to take the plunge. I have envisioned myself holding engaging discussions over works like The Catcher in the Rye and those of Shakespeare, helping students navigate the college application process and helping students begin to navigate their young adult lives – something not readily feasible with younger students.
Although my situation isn’t entirely unique I thought I would share some of my noticings for those considering making the change with their own careers. It is not to say that this is to be expected for everyone who makes the shift but to provide an idea of what could be expected:
- Skills vs content – As an English language arts teacher, I have noticed that middle school tends to focus on remediating foundational skills. It makes sense as students are in the awkward phase of pre-adolescence and might need a refresher on skills previously taught before delving into more abstract and complex thinking that high school would offer. As a high school teacher, the expectation is that now that skills have hopefully been mastered, more teaching and planning can focus on content and really strengthening those critical thinking skills. Of course we may revisit foundational skills but a shift definitely happens.
- Behavior management vs engagement – If any middle school teacher knows, while middle schoolers are a lot of fun and energetic and yes, sometimes drama-filled; as a teacher, behavior management is key to succeeding. Middle school can be such a whirlwind of emotions and changes, physical and otherwise that it would take skill to hone in. However, transitioning to teaching on the high school level can prove an interesting trade off. While students definitely know how to better control their behavior and emotions, then there is greater attention to instruction. You often hear such teachers say they truly feel as though they are teaching at this level and I have noted the greater focus to academics as well.
- Relationship building – Another true mark of a successful middle school teacher is their capacity to develop relationships with students, and it is crucial at this age for buy-in. Of course any strong teacher would need to develop relationships with their students but somehow during this time, it seems even more necessary. As a high school teacher, relationship building then becomes secondary to instruction. Considering that high school students are more likely to have jobs as they become of age and are allowed greater independence, it makes sense for the focus to shift to finding their own path. Though forming strong bonds can still be fruitful as all students can use an extra hand.
- Course and Unit Length – This aspect will definitely vary from school to school but one adjustment I did have to make was my instructional pacing. In middle school teaching, units of study could take a couple of months as we investigated different genres of reading and writing. At the high school level, it appears as though this is condensed and extremely focused as the units of study are way shorter in length, no more than 3 or 4 weeks! While this might be seen as an inconsequential change, it is one nonetheless and one that begs the question of truly critical teaching points.
As I reflect on some of these changes, I have to say that I have and am enjoying both experiences within my teaching career. I miss some of the childish antics and energy of the middle school students but I do appreciate the feeling that I can delve into even deeper discussions with my high schoolers. It is a unique time to shift between two such levels amidst a pandemic but a change I feel was needed as I continue to grow as a teacher. I look forward to continuing this journey.
Looking back and thinking about grade school for me… I definitely feel like visuals helped me learn and grasp things more. I feel like I had more visuals in middle school in comparison to high school though.I also think there were definitely more distractions in high school too so it can be difficult teaching students when their attention is all over the place and focused on different things going on with their transitions in life as well.I will say though that I do recall getting the handle on different subjects much more easier in high school though.
Yes, each stage requires different teaching methods according to development. I agree and definitely see your assessment from a teacher standpoint and continuing learner!
One of my best friends is a dedicated teacher and I am thankful for her and all the great teachers out there. I will share this post with my friend.
Thanks for reading, and sharing! Hopefully they can compare notes as well!
I really enjoyed the post. There’s so much going on at every stage of child’s development. And parents need to be aware of that.
That is true. Whenever I have children, I think my experience as a teacher will definitely be helpful as I raise them.
Thank you for sharing your self discovery. This is really interesting. Most of my family are teachers I guess they can really relate to this
For sure! Thanks for reading!
People need one like you. Thanks for all the efforts. We appreciate you!
Aww, thank you!
I can relate the differences reminiscing childhood days. This is interesting, transitions teach us lots.
It does and surprisingly there is a very real shift between middle and high school levels!
So interesting. Once upon a time I wanted to teach social studies secondary ed. I kind of miss that dream…
It’s never too late and there is always a need for teachers!
Interesting article never think about these issues. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading!
Such a lovely article. Thanks for sharing your thoughts as an educator.
Thank you for reading!
These are some really interesting differences between high school and middle school. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to teach middle school, high school or elementary.
I’m fortunate to have experience in middle and high school. I don’t know if I would like the elementary level, the older kids are so much fun and can talk about deeper topics!