Middle Schoolers: Dog Food and Awkwardness

Today was my last lesson of my undergrad career prior to student teaching in the spring. After teaching my lesson today I thought about just how funny some of the things that kids say are. So I decided to change the focus of my blog and write about the things that students will say in my classrooms over my career as a teacher. Whether it be something that is downright funny or completely inspirational, I will do my best to account these situations.  

Now onto more important things. Middle Schoolers. I have always been absolutely fascinated by this age group because you will never know how awkward you were until you reach college age or even older. I know I didn't know until I came back from college on Christmas Break my sophomore year and had to ride to town with mom to pick up my brothers, then 6th and 7th graders. Let me tell you what I saw...

• Loads of "brace faces", "metal mouths" or "cheese graters" (whatever you called them)
• A 6th grader running towards the parking lot with his stocking cap covering his eyes. Therefore, he could not see that his backpack was unzipped and his papers were flying everywhere. 
• A 8th grader boy walking about of the school with that awkward "I'm so cool" stride only to trip over the feet he hadn't grown into yet.
• Awkward fashions and hairstyles (similar to when I rocked the slicked back, no bump ponytail in middle school... It used to be cool)
• And finally... two 6th grade boys, hiding behind a dirt pile, suddenly appeared when girls (that they probably liked) walked by and the two boys proceeded to throw dirt at them.

Things typically associated with Middle School. Thus, began my fascination with Middle Schoolers.

Note this picture is from Google Images and not any middle schoolers I have interacted with. 

A couple of weeks ago I found out that I would be working with an 8th Grade class at Mission Valley High School leading them in a Yogurt Production Lab. Though I am fascinated with the age group I wasn't sure about teaching fourteen 8th graders by myself. However, this group showed me how great middle schoolers can be. Today was my last day with the class and we were tasting cheeses.

One student smelled Gouda cheese and told the whole class that they thought it smelled like dog food. Another informed the class that it tasted like dog food too... The class stopped for a minute. But instead of the rest of the class picking on the student some other students agreed with him. There were about 3 or 4 students in the class that admitted to eating dog food/treats. I could not stop laughing inside. Trying to contain it I shared with them a time that my sorority sisters put dog treats in our snack room and some girls ate them. These students were dying laughing.

While random things were brought up during the cheese tastings, they seemed to enjoy a unit that allowed them to eat something as tasty as cheese. This was the best group of students I have ever worked with during my undergrad thus far. Today, these 8th graders assured me I made the right choice in my career path as an agricultural educator.

Middle schoolers may be quirky, awkward but this group showed me that Middle School students are also inquisitive, hilarious and determined.  I can't wait to see where my work with middle school students ends up in the future. A year ago I would have told you I could never teach middle school but now I say bring it on!