Teaching in the middle years is about the excitement of helping 10 to 14 year olds learn. Guiding students on the journey from childhood to adolescence is a process that is never dull; it is filled with questions, challenges, thoughtful discussions, emotional outbursts, new beginnings, laughter and fun. Middle Schools take students that are “too old” for elementary school and “too young” for high school and provides them with a unique school community that celebrates their talents and supports their learning during those transitional years. Students thrive in this environment making real contributions through involvement, energy and leadership. Teachers and students cooperate, learn and grow together in these vibrant school communities.

One of the greatest things about teaching in a middle school is the opportunity to work with a team of teachers and staff members to design and deliver the educational program to your students. Middle school teachers are open about their practice. They share their expertise and insights into the teaching and learning process as they work together to best support the students on their team.  Flexible timetables and team teaching create exciting opportunities for curriculum integration and innovative programs.

Middle schools are usually organized into groups of 3-5 classes of students.  As a teacher you belong to a teaching team that is responsible for planning and supporting the entire program for 90-150 students in your classes. It is like being part of a “school within a school” and, as the year progresses, you get to know and work with all the students on your team in addition to the students in your homeroom class. Through collaboration with other teachers in weekly team meetings, the team draws on the individual strengths and backgrounds of its teachers to plan and deliver an exciting educational program for the students that includes the core curriculum, advisory, explorations, field trips and team activities.

The Explorations program is another unique aspect of middle schools. Explorations are different from elective courses in secondary school because all students take all of the Explorations subjects throughout the year. For part of every day students attend Explorations classes taught by teachers with specialized training in subject areas such as: Art, Drama, Physical Education, Music, Home Economics, Technology Education and Computers. As a middle school teacher you have the opportunity to teach in one of the Explorations subjects as well.

Middle schools create a sense of community and belonging to support the social, emotional and intellectual development of early adolescents but they can be even more.   Through the common efforts of parents, teachers, staff and school administration middle schools can become places of learning for the entire community.