I started middle school in September, and it's only mid-November now, so I'm still thinking about just the strangest things I believed about middle school. There's some that I'll post about later, that are big. They're things that are easy to believe because they're influenced by what we hear, or what we see in movies and read in books. But just for fun, I want to write out some of the silliest things I believed for reasons I don't even know.
Talking was absolutely, 101% forbidden during school hours. Yeah. This makes no sense. I mean, aside from lunch, I was picturing a sort of military-like atmosphere, where you went in class and if you so much as whispered to ask for a pencil, the teacher would hate you forever. I don't even know why I thought this, because I have never seen anything like this in any movie, or read anything like this in any book. And please don't laugh at me, because I didn't go to elementary school, so I guess this was honestly just my perception of school overall.
The Truth
In middle school, people actually talk so much it's surprising. I don't think a second goes by in a class where at any given table someone isn't whispering to ask what time class is let out, or if they need a pencil, or whatever. That's assuming they're bothering to whisper at all, and aren't just chattering about random stuff. It's not like the kids in my school are really bad or something, either. If the teacher needs to talk, sure, they'll quiet down and maybe only whisper something really quickly if it's necessary, but the teacher only needs to talk for about 10% of class (out of a 55 minutes class, that's like five minutes). The rest of the time is spent either talking about something you're actually told to talk about, or by working on something where the class is basically in discussion mode, sharing whatever comes to mind with their friends and having just a sort of work and hang out atmosphere.
Because they have so many students, teachers never really care about you. I'm not sure if this is all that stupid, because it made logical sense to me. But it does sound pretty stupid. I thought that because the average middle school teacher has 125+ students to teacher over all their different periods, they would never learn the names of their students, make friends with them, or really be at all like a person, because they were so super-stressed. If you mentioned to me the concept of student email just three months ago, I would have rolled my eyes and thought "Yeah. Because a teacher with that many kids can so just email their students whenever a problem comes up.
The Truth I am still confused about how they do it, but all of my teachers seem to act like each kid has something special about them. Because wait-they do. I imagined each class to be a kind of collective to a teacher, but this is so far from the truth. It may be because I was the new girl and my teachers were just always like "Kanani, how are you liking school?" "You were homeschooled right, do you get this?" But it's just funny to see how teachers laugh with and have inside jokes with kids like they're kids too, in a way. And it's amazing that the teachers can always remember about who has what dog, or who had a big soccer game that weekend. They do have a lot of kids to teach, but if you really think about it, their students are their life. Just like you probably know all about many, many people at school, it's the same for them. I'm not trying to stereotype teachers as a collective, but that's just like I promise they don't stereotype you (if you thought they did. Which you probably didn't. Because I'm just thatdumb special.
Friends are few and far between, and they're the only people you can talk to and know. Say what? No, really. This may sound confusing, but what I mean is I guess I just assumed that you made friends with some people, whether a lot or a little, and that was it. They were the ones you asked for pencils from, and worked with on projects, and only them, specifically. Like there were your friends, and there was no such thing as being an acquaintance, or a distant friend. There were just those you told secrets and had slumber parties with, and everyone was was bleep not part of your life.
The Truth
In middle school, everyone knows pretty much everyone else. You have your friends that you do share the secrets and slumber parties with, but basically every other person in your grade (except for those few that maybe you don't like, or don't like you, or you've never spoken to because you just met and don't sit by each other or whatever) is still a very distant kind of fair-weather friend. Within my first month of school, I've lent things (like my laptop charger, pencils, pens, paper, sticky notes, etc) to so many different people. Even when I just met someone to the point where I could hardly remember their name, it was like if they noticed something funny and I was right next to them, they'd tell me and laugh. It actually felt quite weird to me, but I do think it's better than what I assumed. It's kind of like, because you're in the same school in the same grade in the same class, you're equals, and that equalness somehow just forms this bond. Like that bond is different than the bond between that kid you just met and the teacher, and their bond with you, even though it sounds strange to think of it existing at all (I am laughing right now because the word "bond" sounds so funny), is enough to create a little mini-friendship. I mean, sure, that random boy who sits at your table in math will probably never be any kind of friend at all to you (I mean, he could be, but only if it's going to happen, which, if you're a girl or a boy who's the exact opposite of him, it probably won't), but that doesn't mean you'll never say two words to each other all year because of it. You might end up sharing half your stuff with him at one time or another, or maybe you'll share an inside joke even if you'll never think of repeating it.
Wow. That last one was long. Maybe the idea was stupid, but I think I kind of helped myself understand that concept more. I know you're probably thinking I'm an idiot, but I promise you I'm not. If you're for realz just starting middle school instead of starting eighth grade with no idea of anything about any school, then maybe some of the beliefs I had were first nature to you by the time you were six. But maybe some of them weren't. I'm new to this blog writing thing all over, but I want to write this stuff, for you and for me, because I am still learning so much new stuff. And I really think it's important for new middle schoolers (or anyone starting school higher than middle school, whether it be high school from homeschooling or something) to know the truth about the things they're led to believe. Like I had some pretty strong beliefs about bullying, about what people wore and liked, and all that stuff. Middle school is not at all as bad as basically every show ever will have you think. Kanani*
*Okay.... My name is not Kanani. Just gonna get that out there. I am a 13-year-old girl with a sister, but my sister's name is not Star. I honestly don't feel like editing my bio, so just believe everything it says except the names. That's for safety. Safety first! ;)
Talking was absolutely, 101% forbidden during school hours. Yeah. This makes no sense. I mean, aside from lunch, I was picturing a sort of military-like atmosphere, where you went in class and if you so much as whispered to ask for a pencil, the teacher would hate you forever. I don't even know why I thought this, because I have never seen anything like this in any movie, or read anything like this in any book. And please don't laugh at me, because I didn't go to elementary school, so I guess this was honestly just my perception of school overall.
The Truth
In middle school, people actually talk so much it's surprising. I don't think a second goes by in a class where at any given table someone isn't whispering to ask what time class is let out, or if they need a pencil, or whatever. That's assuming they're bothering to whisper at all, and aren't just chattering about random stuff. It's not like the kids in my school are really bad or something, either. If the teacher needs to talk, sure, they'll quiet down and maybe only whisper something really quickly if it's necessary, but the teacher only needs to talk for about 10% of class (out of a 55 minutes class, that's like five minutes). The rest of the time is spent either talking about something you're actually told to talk about, or by working on something where the class is basically in discussion mode, sharing whatever comes to mind with their friends and having just a sort of work and hang out atmosphere.
Because they have so many students, teachers never really care about you. I'm not sure if this is all that stupid, because it made logical sense to me. But it does sound pretty stupid. I thought that because the average middle school teacher has 125+ students to teacher over all their different periods, they would never learn the names of their students, make friends with them, or really be at all like a person, because they were so super-stressed. If you mentioned to me the concept of student email just three months ago, I would have rolled my eyes and thought "Yeah. Because a teacher with that many kids can so just email their students whenever a problem comes up.
The Truth I am still confused about how they do it, but all of my teachers seem to act like each kid has something special about them. Because wait-they do. I imagined each class to be a kind of collective to a teacher, but this is so far from the truth. It may be because I was the new girl and my teachers were just always like "Kanani, how are you liking school?" "You were homeschooled right, do you get this?" But it's just funny to see how teachers laugh with and have inside jokes with kids like they're kids too, in a way. And it's amazing that the teachers can always remember about who has what dog, or who had a big soccer game that weekend. They do have a lot of kids to teach, but if you really think about it, their students are their life. Just like you probably know all about many, many people at school, it's the same for them. I'm not trying to stereotype teachers as a collective, but that's just like I promise they don't stereotype you (if you thought they did. Which you probably didn't. Because I'm just that
Friends are few and far between, and they're the only people you can talk to and know. Say what? No, really. This may sound confusing, but what I mean is I guess I just assumed that you made friends with some people, whether a lot or a little, and that was it. They were the ones you asked for pencils from, and worked with on projects, and only them, specifically. Like there were your friends, and there was no such thing as being an acquaintance, or a distant friend. There were just those you told secrets and had slumber parties with, and everyone was was bleep not part of your life.
The Truth
In middle school, everyone knows pretty much everyone else. You have your friends that you do share the secrets and slumber parties with, but basically every other person in your grade (except for those few that maybe you don't like, or don't like you, or you've never spoken to because you just met and don't sit by each other or whatever) is still a very distant kind of fair-weather friend. Within my first month of school, I've lent things (like my laptop charger, pencils, pens, paper, sticky notes, etc) to so many different people. Even when I just met someone to the point where I could hardly remember their name, it was like if they noticed something funny and I was right next to them, they'd tell me and laugh. It actually felt quite weird to me, but I do think it's better than what I assumed. It's kind of like, because you're in the same school in the same grade in the same class, you're equals, and that equalness somehow just forms this bond. Like that bond is different than the bond between that kid you just met and the teacher, and their bond with you, even though it sounds strange to think of it existing at all (I am laughing right now because the word "bond" sounds so funny), is enough to create a little mini-friendship. I mean, sure, that random boy who sits at your table in math will probably never be any kind of friend at all to you (I mean, he could be, but only if it's going to happen, which, if you're a girl or a boy who's the exact opposite of him, it probably won't), but that doesn't mean you'll never say two words to each other all year because of it. You might end up sharing half your stuff with him at one time or another, or maybe you'll share an inside joke even if you'll never think of repeating it.
Wow. That last one was long. Maybe the idea was stupid, but I think I kind of helped myself understand that concept more. I know you're probably thinking I'm an idiot, but I promise you I'm not. If you're for realz just starting middle school instead of starting eighth grade with no idea of anything about any school, then maybe some of the beliefs I had were first nature to you by the time you were six. But maybe some of them weren't. I'm new to this blog writing thing all over, but I want to write this stuff, for you and for me, because I am still learning so much new stuff. And I really think it's important for new middle schoolers (or anyone starting school higher than middle school, whether it be high school from homeschooling or something) to know the truth about the things they're led to believe. Like I had some pretty strong beliefs about bullying, about what people wore and liked, and all that stuff. Middle school is not at all as bad as basically every show ever will have you think. Kanani*
*Okay.... My name is not Kanani. Just gonna get that out there. I am a 13-year-old girl with a sister, but my sister's name is not Star. I honestly don't feel like editing my bio, so just believe everything it says except the names. That's for safety. Safety first! ;)
