Getting Ready for High School Begins in Sixth Grade
Ahhhh…the beauty, the certainty of 20/20 hindsight. As my youngest nears the end of high school, I have been thinking about what allows kids to perform at their best and enjoy their four years to the...
View ArticleSaying Goodbye to the Elementary School After 15 Years
This week my youngest child graduates from fifth grade, which means that after fifteen years, our family graduates from elementary school and closes the door on a tangible marker of our children’s...
View ArticleHow to Help a Kid Who Really, Truly Hates School
My son was in the 4th grade, he came home from school with a note for me from his teacher. The note was a request for an immediate conference to discuss the fact that my son had turned in no classwork...
View ArticleWhen Preparing Kids For High School, Don’t Use These Words
Apparently the 8th grade teacher thought that by crumpling the student’s substandard essay and tossing it into the trash, he was effectively making the point that the student needed to be “better...
View Article12 Things Parents of Middle Schoolers Need to Know About High School
Entering high school is a big deal, but many of us are so busy managing the totally new world of having middle schoolers and the emotional roller coasters that kick into gear during those years (our...
View ArticleTeacher and Professor Has Advice for Parents With Middle School Students
I am entering my 25th year as an educator, having spent the majority of those years in the middle grades. When strangers find out I teach middle school they say things like, “Bless your heart!” and...
View ArticleA Letter To My Youngest As He Enters His Last Year Of Middle School
Dear Youngest Child, It hit me the other day as we were driving down the road and I was asking your older sister about driving classes, that you would be right behind her. There has been a long stretch...
View ArticleI Teach Middle School and Despite What SOME People Think, I Love It
“What do you do?” It’s something I am frequently asked, as are most American adults. When the silence gets awkward or you need a starting point for propelling the conversation, undoubtedly, someone...
View ArticleWhat the End of a Pandemic School Year Feels Like to This Teacher
If you know a teacher, you know that 4th quarter fatigue is a real thing. Don’t believe me? Just ask any educator you know. But be sure to do so prior to 8:30 at night. Otherwise, they are almost...
View ArticleHow Middle and High School Students Can Explore STEM This Summer
NOTE: Grown and Flown was compensated for this post but the opinions in it are our own. Thanks to iD Tech Camps for being one of our partners. Summers with teens can be L O N G. And a summer that...
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View ArticleWhat Your Middle Schoolers Can Do NOW to Be Ready for College
Parents often ask what their eighth or ninth graders should do to prepare for college admissions. They have heard how challenging the process can be, and wonder if starting earlier will give their...
View ArticleSchool Avoidance: What We Did When Our Daughter Refused to Go to School
School refusal—the rampant problem of kids who, crippled with anxiety, struggle to enter the doors of their school on a regular basis. This was the case for us The post School Avoidance: What We Did...
View ArticleDear Middle Schooler, Your Teachers Have a Message for You
Dear Middle Schooler, You should know some things as you step out of summer and into a new school year. Whether you are starting a new chapter of your education, stuck in the middle, or entering these...
View ArticleAs My Teens Get Older and I Lose Control, I Want to Clean
I want to clean. And I never want to clean. And yes, the summer is waning, and the school year is fast approaching, but this year, I do not feel in control of things more than any other year. So I can...
View ArticleNote to the New Kids at School, This Teacher Really Sees You
I see you searching. Your eyes scan the room, looking for any sign of friendship. For one, smile to greet you and invite you to be a new crack of light in that tight circle of friends. I see you...
View ArticleI’m a Middle School Teacher, How I Tame My ‘Sunday Scaries’
Tonight my husband noticed, and commented on, how good of a mood I am in. Not that I’m not usually a ray of sunshine, but my time to shine typically isn’t a Sunday night. Sunday Scaries. Sunday...
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