General Discussion

MissB

(16,344 posts)

11. I don't mind the K-8 model.

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 12:52 AM

Jul 2014

Disclaimer: our school district is quite small, about 250 kids in K-8 and 250 in the high school, and our district has very little socio-economic variability.

The K-8 school has self contained classrooms (one teacher, except for things like PE, art, music, foreign language) through 4th grade. Beginning in 5th, they get a team of teachers (math, science, English, social studies, plus the aforementioned art, music, etc). The kids rotate through the classrooms each day. They also get a day planner, so they can start keeping track of projects and assignments. 5/6 and 7/8 have teams of teachers.

I think having a small school allows the staff to really keep an eye on things. The older kids spend a lot of time working with the younger ones, reinforcing a sense of community. Bullying was nearly nonexistent - to the degree that it could be tamped down. Issues that cropped up were used as learning experiences for the whole school community and I watched the administrators keep on top of those issues. And the school celebrated both athletic and academic achievements.

I feel grateful that my kids attended that school from kindergarten on- they didn't just "survive" middle school, they thrived.

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Retired Teacher: Abolish Middle School [View all] RandySF Jul 2014 OP

yeah, yeah, yeah. fuck that. i loved junior high. n/t orleans Jul 2014 #1

Good for you, I dreaded every day for three years straight. Scootaloo Jul 2014 #9

I only had it for 2 years. minivan2 Jul 2014 #26

I went to school in NYC(Catholic) started in '45 that went from 1st to 8th grade. CK_John Jul 2014 #2

Same for me in California bhikkhu Jul 2014 #12

Same for me. cali Jul 2014 #27

I never knew about "middle school" when I was in school. Why the distinction? PSPS Jul 2014 #3

the district I grew up in had elementary, middle school, junior high, and high school fishwax Jul 2014 #7

Maturational. Igel Jul 2014 #34

I kind of agree (though don't know what the answer is exactly) frazzled Jul 2014 #4

My middle school was a total clusterfuck RandySF Jul 2014 #17

middle school doesn't have to be bad dsc Jul 2014 #5

kids grow up fast enough. less pressure socially in k to eight, then high school. roguevalley Jul 2014 #14

Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jul 2014 #6

That's no solution. Hormones will rage in those kids no matter where they go to school. pnwmom Jul 2014 #8

It worked well for my generation, but that was a long time ago. It was enough of a shock for many freshwest Jul 2014 #18

Wow. 10,000 kids in a high school? pnwmom Jul 2014 #19

Aw crap, I was fact checking and wrote the wrong number. It was only about 8,000 students. freshwest Jul 2014 #23

8,000. Still. That's the size of a typical university, not a high school. pnwmom Jul 2014 #24

it works in lots of places and has worked in lots of places cali Jul 2014 #28

The reason school districts switched to middle schools in the first place is because K-8 pnwmom Jul 2014 #29

We didn't have middle school when i was young... junior high rpannier Jul 2014 #10

I don't mind the K-8 model. MissB Jul 2014 #11

It's not just how the grades are arranged -- it's also the subjects starroute Jul 2014 #13

Middle school was hell for me. snot Jul 2014 #15

Montessori said kids that age (11-14 or so) shouldn't be in school. Let them play outside all day. Recursion Jul 2014 #16

I taught middle school for 10 years Ishoutandscream2 Jul 2014 #20

It has to be the hardest grade level to teach IMO.. personal experience speaking. YOHABLO Jul 2014 #21

K-8 isn't always a great idea because now 7th graders can be huge BrotherIvan Jul 2014 #22

Know what you mean IkeRepublican Jul 2014 #25

Pretty funny BrotherIvan Jul 2014 #35

You can literally smell hormonal activity? Populist_Prole Jul 2014 #40

Yes, as the other poster attested BrotherIvan Jul 2014 #41

Wow. Interesting Populist_Prole Jul 2014 #42

Ha! BrotherIvan Jul 2014 #43

Most of the issues he describes whistler162 Jul 2014 #30

Things are so far from cookie cutter... Blue_Adept Jul 2014 #31

I agree. K-8 and then high school. The presence of the little kids can sometimes Squinch Jul 2014 #32

The education I got in middle school was just fine. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jul 2014 #33

I don't think so. Xyzse Jul 2014 #36

Additionally Blue_Adept Jul 2014 #37

Well I am sure that the company whistler162 Jul 2014 #39

I've been teaching in K-8 schools LWolf Jul 2014 #38