Middle School

Between the elementary and high-school years lies a twilight zone. Called junior high or middle school, it's inhabited by 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Its purpose? To give kids a safe haven to navigate the territory between childhood and adolescence.

To a greater or lesser degree, your child is likely to experience emotional and academic bumps along the path to high school. "Early adolescents have such a range of differences," says one teacher. "They're not little kids but they're certainly not young adults yet. They'd be eaten alive in high school! Middle school is a place where they can breathe."

One of the main things middle-school kids notice--and enjoy--is moving from class to class during the course of the day. No longer are they under the omnipresent eye of one teacher. For some, it's a major hurdle to adjust to the demands of different adults every forty-five or fifty minutes.

Less continuity means more accountability. Gone are the days when you can get away with not turning in homework because you were oh-so-stressed with another assignment. Teacher A has no stake--and often no interest--in your dealings with Teacher B. Setting priorities and managing time become daily realities.

Yikes! What day is it today? What class am I headed for? Did I bring the right books to school? As students move through 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, it's increasingly clear that organizational skills--or the lack thereof--can be the difference between heaven and hell.

As students juggle new agendas and expectations, the self-contained setting of middle school has a cushioning effect. Teachers are there to guide and supervise and if kids occasionally blunder, well, that's par for the course. "Much of the time, middle school is more like muddle school," one principal laughs. "But where else can they safely spread their wings?"

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