TINA NELSON - COMP 106 BLOG: April 2010

Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Aspects of Educational Transitions

There are 1,225,217 students currently enrolled in Michigan elementary schools with 6.23% being pre-kindergarten or nursery school students, 5.37% are kindergarten students, 44.07% are elementary students (1–8) and 21.47% are high school students (9-12) (www.michigan.gov).

These statistics, in my opinion, are frightening because to me they show a huge breakdown from middle school to high school. Why are they so low from one school level to the next? Are the aspects involved in transitioning affecting students so much that they are refusing to complete their education?

The focus of my research thus far has been on how elementary school students transition into middle school. Now, I intend to dig deeper into the aspects of educational transitioning by taking a closer look into the various school milieus, and discovering what is being done to help students transition smoother. I intend to show various aspects that are involved in what could be known as sociological epidemics or what I chose to call, “the good, the bad and the ugly” aspects of educational transitions. Transitioning for children come in various stages, each one filled with mixed emotions. The first transition is pre-kindergarten to kindergarten, then elementary to middle school, and finally middle school to high school in which, most of these students alike are afraid they won’t fit in. For some, they will miss their old friends and wonder how they are going to make new ones. Others, unfortunately, will have to figure out ways of making a bully leave them alone. Some may even have to face the pressure of telling their classmates that they are not ready for sex.

The first transition of study is pre-kindergarten to kindergarten which is quite emotional for both children and parents. The first few hours and sometimes weeks within these classrooms are spent with the teacher having to console teary-eyed students and making phone calls to parents whose child is not mentally ready to be in this new environment. Studies have shown that the transition to kindergarten can be successful, but only if the preparation is done properly. An article published in the Washington Post states that students with pre-school experience tend to exhibit higher achievement, display fewer behavioral issues, and are less likely to be retained (Perez, and Dagen 35). However, there are children who unfortunately don’t experience pre-kindergarten. That seems to be changing because recent studies show more parents are enrolling their children into preschool.

The next educational transitioning period for students comes when it’s time to go to middle school, which has been the focus of my previous research. Research supports that preparation doesn’t begin early enough and causes some very uncomfortable situations for the student entering into middle school. Most often, today’s parents are busy concentrating on the livelihood of the household, i.e. making sure the bills are paid and that there is food on the table. Meanwhile, little Joseph or little Elizabeth is no longer that little kid anymore. Their child has quickly become an adolescent, unprepared for the world that has been a comfort to them, unaware that world soon going to change. With this being true, children are now forced to come to terms with the fact that they are no longer classified as “child” anymore and that they are now “adolescent”. With that change comes a much larger educational responsibility that to which they have been accustomed.

This is just phase one of what I call “the good, the bad and the ugly” of educational transition. The “good side” of this, is that the child has accomplished good grades and is promoted out of elementary school into middle school; the “bad side,” as I’ve discovered through my own research is that they are emotionally not ready; and finally the “ugly side,”, they have no choice except to face up to their new world. They have to develop ways to “make it or break it” in order to survive. Knowing that these transitions are difficult for some students and their parents, most schools have taken initiative by starting support groups to make this transition smoother. Most often this includes parent workshops that begin in the elementary school with follow up workshops that continue while the adjustments are being made in middle school.

Students transitioning into middle school are faced with more than this new educational milieu. The new middle school students are now challenged with keeping up with a classroom schedule, switching from one classroom to the next, getting to and from their locker without being late for the next class, showering after gym class, and so much more. Although, they may have participated in the pre-middle school orientations while in elementary school, there is nothing compared to actually having to handle the responsibilities that they now face.

One of the “bad” and “ugly” aspects of middle school transition is the increase in disciplinary problems. Students find new freedoms that they did not have in elementary. Many children tend to fit in by giving into peer pressure. Meanwhile, the new middle school student is becoming an adult and is merely seeking independence and ways to mature; which can lead them into unexpected disruptive behavioral issues. The new middle school student tends to argue more or simply becoming more expressive than when they were in elementary school (www.sbschools.org). This sometimes is a result of their new found friends’ encouragement in the locker room or even in the cafeteria during lunch time.

Bullying is another one of those “bad and ugly” aspects of middle transitioning. Bullying is a very different experience than what some children may have experienced in elementary school. A bully is simply a person who is habitually cruel or overbearing, especially to smaller or weaker people. Due to the increase in teen accessibility to the internet, a bully can be more than just a student’s peers, but anyone they are communicating with online.

These days, bullies' turf extends far beyond the classroom and the schoolyard. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), nearly one in five middle school students was bullied online at least once in the past two months.

Cyber bullies do their dirty work through instant messages, e-mails, blogs, and chat rooms. They can remain anonymous while sending nasty comments, posting unflattering images, and revealing embarrassing information about others. Without the threat of getting caught or having a face-to-face confrontation, these bullies can be especially cruel. (Fanning, K. 10-11)

Middle school students also begin to experience hormone changes and unfortunately some of these students haven’t had the “birds & the bees” conversation. Today’s teens, like teens of other eras, are sexually curious. They start out with an innocent kiss which can lead into situations that, at this young age, they cannot handle or even control. A perfect example of this is told in an article published by the American Camping Association entitled, Hooking up, losing out? The new culture of teen sex ... and how to talk to your campers about it: healthy teens--third in a series of three articles:

Reports of a fourteen-year-old middle school girl performing oral sex on a sixteen-year-old high school boy differed only slightly from scores of similar tales making headlines across the country. The setting (a school bus) and the audience (classmates) made it especially unappealing, but really not that surprising. After all, it was not long before that news broke of a senior class scavenger hunt proffering points for proof (videos and such) of masturbation and public intercourse, and not long after that a widely publicized episode of group oral sex rocked a storied New England prep school.

Such incidents in a diverse set of institutions and communities nationwide raise important questions about early intimacy among teens and the physical, social, emotional, and legal toll it can take on young lives.

Sex is underestimated by both parents and teachers of the new middle school student. Middle school students are more aware of sex than the adults around them even know. This “bad and ugly” aspect can be attributed to not only internet access, but video games, music, and cable television that engulf the developing young mind of a middle school student. Their exposure to sexual content is paramount. While their parents are off to work and dealing with the livelihood of the household, their child is being taught by whatever they chose to expose themselves to since they often times have no adult supervision. The American Camping Association article confirms this issue. It also touched on a study conducted at the University of California, Santa Barbara, finding:

* Two thirds of all television shows (64 percent) have some sexual content, including one in three (32 percent) with sexual behaviors;

* One in seven shows (14 percent) now includes sexual intercourse; and

* In the top twenty shows among teen viewers, eight in ten episodes included some sexual content (83 percent), including one in five (20 percent) with sexual intercourse.

The transition to high school is very similar to middle school but on a much stronger level. They too experience emotional anxieties of the new school. Finding their way from one class to another is even more complicated because most high schools have more than two levels and their classes may be on more than one floor. Bullying is increased as well. “Cyber-bullying” has much stronger contents and girls tend to be more aggressive than boys in high school. Sexual promiscuity increases in high school. Girls feel like they do not want to be the girl known for not “putting out,” or engage in sexual activity, to save her relationship with her boyfriend, who may happen to be the football or basketball captain, especially when it seems all the girls are “giving it up.”

Being a transitioning student does not have to be a “bad and ugly” aspect, there are many good aspects that go along with transitions. With early preparation and seeking out programs that are in place to assist the parents and student, the transition at each level can be smooth. The key is be surrounded by positive people and to not be afraid to speak out if something is uncomfortable. Students have to remain focused and stay on task with getting the education that is being provided.

Work Cited

Fanning, K.. (2008, September). The TROUBLE with BULLIES. Junior Scholastic, 111(1), 10-11,T4. Web. 9 Apr. 2010.

Pérez, D., and A. Dagen. "School Readiness: A Policy Examination of Teaching and Learning for Early Childhood Education. " Childhood Education 86.1 (2009): 35-39. Web. 9 Apr. 2010.

posted by tinan106 @ 6:15 PM 0 comments

Monday, April 5, 2010

Grade School to Middle School - Transition Survey

My survey process was challenging at first. At the time when I created my survey, I was unaware that I had setting issues. I began soliciting my survey to those that I wanted to participate and soon found out that the survey could not be taken from the same computer. This is when I printed a copy of my survey questions and began having students take the survey manually. This was a tedious process within itself. I soon found that I needed to go into the setting menu and make the adjustment allowing multiple users to participate. Then my students were able to input their survey information electronically.

As far what was interesting about this survey process was the responses I received. When I chose this subject for my research, I had no idea of what I was actually getting myself into. But it was easy for me because of my accessibility to people needed to participate. I was amazed at the response to most of the questions. I also was amazed at the number of children chose not to participate because they didn’t have a clue about what was about to happen in their life and really didn’t care. This would have to be disappointing to me, the fact that many students at this stage in their education don’t have a clue what they are going to do next, many didn’t know what school they were going to and didn’t show any interest in knowing.

I don’t think I would change any of the questions because I feel they pinpointed the exact information that I was going after. They were clear and easily understood by the students and parents that participated.

This survey was given to 34 sixth grade students, in which, 13 of the 34 students actually completed the survey. Of the 13 students 8 were male and 4 were female and 1 person logged on and decided to skip the entire survey. 81% of the students surveyed were nervous about knowing they will be going to middle school next year; while 40%of the students were sad that they are going to leave elementary school. Of the students that responded to the stories either good or bad, expressed fear of a bigger school, not being accepted or if they were ready to meet new friends. The good expressions were the excitement of preparing for the challenges of the new classroom assignments and being able to change classes and have different teachers for each subject. Most are anticipating the new expectations and required reading that they have heard from students that are already in middle school have shared with them. Their hope is that they will not be bullied by their new peers and they hope they will be able to fit into the new school environment. They hope their parents will continue to be as supportive as they are for them right now in elementary school. They know the demands are greater and they are aware they have to learn how to organize and create a schedule and stick to it.

The parents that were surveyed are excited that their child is moving on to middle school and they too know that it will be a challenge for both them and their child. They know that they will have to enforce more study hours and teach their child how to be more focused, if they aren’t already. Many of the parents surveyed agreed that they need to visit the middle school of their choice early, to give both them and their child an opportunity to see what to expect, rather than wait for the first day of school to see and avoid some of the overwhelming emotion that is tied to first day in a new school.

posted by tinan106 @ 9:49 AM 1 comments

about me

: Name: tinan106; Location: Detroit, MI

Mother of five children. I haven't been in a classroom in over 20 years. Being back in school gives me a sense of accomplishment. I am a self taught graphic designer and I really enjoy creativity and being around creative people.

View my complete profile

Comp 106 Assignments

About Me