Zak's Weekly Musings (May 15, 2022)

There’s no explanation needed when an adult turns to another and says, “This is so middle school.” We know that “so middle school” connotes outsized reactions and underhanded cruelty. “Middle school” is often used as shorthand to suggest discomfort, pettiness, and emotional upheaval. Nobody uses “middle school” to imply equanimity or stability. Middle school is, in short, best known for its raggedy, baggy fit and feel. 

Just a few weeks ago, I met with rising 5th grader parents/guardians to introduce them to the Middle School. I opened the presentation with an icebreaker, which asked attendees what it would take for them to go back to middle school themselves. Of the 20+ people in attendance, only two people raised their hands for the option of “I loved middle school, and would go back for free.” I was one of these two people. This is not some revelatory finding, of course – it merely reinforces what we already know. But, what if we’re wrong? What if what we know isn’t right at all? What if the student-teacher relationship is powerful enough to reverse this narrative? 

Let’s not be pollyannaish – Middle School is an inescapably challenging time; but, St. Francis is an undeniably special place. Now, there are many things that make St. Francis special, but across all four divisions, there is one shared throuhgline: the student-teacher relationship. 

Below you will find screenshots of student responses to the MS Student Satisfaction Survey. As you read them over, I want to thank you for your care and compassion, and for fostering the conditions in your classrooms to help our students joyfully grow into the critical, independent thinkers they are today. It is this duty of care that makes our school and division so special, and it is the relationships you have formed with your students that is largely attributable to these survey results. 

25 years from now, when our own middle schoolers have middle schoolers, I would bet that a lot of them will raise their hands when they’re asked if they would go back to Middle School for free.