The Wonder Years

My years in middle school were mixed with wonder, terror, and uncertainty. If you would've asked me when I graduated eighth grade in 1989 about working alongside of students in this season of life, I would've quickly and definitively said "NO!" It's not because I didn't like the growing independence that came with this season, but because of the instability and confusion that came with the indepdence. But this fall I am starting my tenth year of working with middle school students. They are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. In this series of posts, I want to explore some questions to help me effectively serve my students, as well as their parents and their teachers. Here are the questions I want to answer:

Who are they?

In other words, what are middle school students like? How do middle school students reflect God? In what ways are they unique and distinct? These questions I think probe the nature of a typical student between the ages of 11-14. By answering these questions, I think I'll better understand the "what?" question about middle school students. To answer these questions I want to discuss how middle school students reflect different aspects of the image of God in man, including moral aspects, mental aspects, spiritual aspects, relational aspects, and physical aspects.

What are the implications for education?

What might school look like for middle school students? These questions probe the implications of middle school students. These questions help me understand the "So what?" question about my students.