Teaching in the Middle School

by M. Lee Manning, Katherine Bucher

This text for middle school classroom teachers provides a solid core of essential knowledge about middle schools. Balancing the practical and the theoretical, it has a strong research base, as well as a focus on teaching methods, strategies, materials, resources, and technology that are linked to the standards of the National Middle School Association. The author's objectives are to tell readers about middle schools today, describe adolescents and their developmental period, identify essential middle school concepts that have potential for their age group and educational experiences that are developmentally responsive for young adolescents.

Genres: Education, Textbooks, Nonfiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2000

Reviews

[Jimyanni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not terrible, but it does not do a particularly good job of explaining what a middle-school teacher needs to know in order to "provide developmentally appropriate learning experiences". There is a lot of jargon, as that quote might indicate, but very little explanation of what that jargon actually means and how it would be implemented. Nor is there a solid defense of some of the claims made in the book, other than to say "research indicates this", and occasionally (frequently?) to cite said research. But I still have some serious questions that have not been adequately addressed:

Yes, having every teacher not just available but "actively seeking to help middle-school students with guidance and advocacy" sounds marvellous, but is it realistic? If there is a teacher who is excellent at conveying curriculum but who does not have a personality that is necessarily effective in the role of advocate, is it really wise to pass them by because they don't fit the "middle school concept" that we're looking for? Is it reasonable to say that curriculam, while important, is not the most important aspect of a school (at any level)? This book makesboth of these claims, the first indirectly, the second in so many words. In some subjects, it might be true that understanding concepts and learning to think are more important than the actual subject matter; in others (Mathematics, notably) one MUST master the subject matter, or one will not be able to use that subject matter. Granted, in order to use it effectively, one must then learn to understand the concepts and to think. But if one doesn't have a mastery of the basics, one is NOT going to be able to handle the next level class. And one does students a disservice by attempting to teach them subject matter that they are inadequately prepared for; sometimes, that's what is meant, in the real world, by "acknoeledging the diverse needs of your students". Students who cannot perform 4th grade calculations consistently cannot be expected to learn much in a study of Algebra.

There are good concepts here, but I believe that the authors are too married to the current popular beliefs about middle school education to recognize that in sopme regards, a more traditional approach is, occasionally, what is needed.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to read this for a grad class and I was not impressed. Perhaps as a pre-service teacher it would be useful, but it glosses over topics and is very pie in the sky. While educators should have high expectations, I don't think there's enough reality in here and it doesn't take into account the grips of high stakes testing and the backlash that will come from the elimination of teacher tenure. The scenarios are so cheesy they make me want to vomit.

[Sheila Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yep. Some positives: It wasn't a thick text, as far as the number of pages, but perhaps in a more idiomatic sense…. Another positive: I finished it. Yee haw. That's about all I can say about this expensive class text book that I'm oh so happy I rented and didn't buy.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practical applications