Chapter 1: Until reading this chapter, I did not know
that there are so many differences between middle schools and junior high
schools. I thought a junior high included only grades 7 and 8 and a
middle school consisted of grades 7-8 or 6-8.
The slide in Dr. C’s Power Point, titled “Middle School v.
Junior High” states the differences, according to the National Middle School
Association. In summary, it states that
a junior high is a very structured environment that prepares students
academically for high school. A middle
school allows students the freedom to learn in a comfortable, creative setting.
I have worked at a junior high school for 17 years that
includes grades 6-8. I believe that my
school exhibits qualities of both a middle school and a junior high school. We
follow an eight period day and subjects are offered for one semester or one
year. Some of our teachers teach
strictly from a textbook but others teach by inquiry and exploration.
I was most surprised and puzzled by Statement #2: “MS fosters
collaboration and empowerment of teachers and students—JH fosters competition
and empowerment of administrators.” I assume it means that middle schools
encourage the use of cross-curricular projects.
I am not sure what the second part of the statement refers to. Do junior high teachers typically compete
with other administrators within their districts? Can anyone explain this statement to me?
I also found it interesting that there were so many differences between middle school and junior high. I thought the names were basically interchangeable except for the fact that middle schools sometimes have fifth or sixth grade as well. I think that the middle school that I went to exhibited qualities that the book described of both middle schools and junior high schools. I believe that most middle schools and junior high schools are a mix of the descriptions of middle and junior high school in the book.
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