I’ve been finding myself a bit distracted lately by words running through my mind. They are all about education, but disconnected. It’s as if someone has given me a jigsaw puzzle, but with no picture, so I’m not sure how all the pieces fit together. I find myself jotting words on scraps of paper, in notebooks, in Word documents, and in the margins of books. I’ve also been talking to teachers and students and not leaving them alone until I’ve written down some of their words. Sometimes I feel this is how the inside of my head looks.

So many of these words found in conversations, speeches, books, and memories are related to education, but not directly to academics. While I find the content and skills taught through the various disciplines to be vitally important, I also recognize that much of the learning that takes place in middle school is about life.

Some words came from the valedictorian speech of CDS graduate of 2011 Manfred Reiche in which he reminisced about his years at our school. When he described middle school, Manfred mentioned the annual Olympic Festival, the seventh grade Geography Fair, and the eighth grade trip to Manuel Antonio National Park, all events that elicited strong feelings at the time.

We had our most recent Olympic Festival three weeks ago. It was an all day celebration that involved all 12 advisories reinventing themselves as countries with their own governments, economies, colors, t-shirts, national dances, sports, and mascots. The dances and silly games were absolutely wonderful! But what stood out in my mind were the words I overheard spoken by a member of our service organization, Roots and Shoots, on the telephone half an hour before lunch. “Are you sure you don’t have any special deals today, no two for one, or anything like that? Well, what can you give us? We’re ordering a lot of pizza!” Then she grinned, agreed to something, and disconnected. “We’re getting free drinks!” she announced. This 13 year-old was honing negotiation skills through a pizza sale to raise money for charity.

Other words came from the elective I teach on study skills. Last week I asked the students if they liked school. All of them did for the same reason, “It’s where we get to see our friends.” What they didn’t like? Homework, tests, and quizzes. One acknowledged, “Homework is good for you, but when there is too much you get tired a lot.” According to their words, middle school isn’t about academics; it’s about friends.

I am an admirer of John W. Gardner, the Harvard professor who developed the theory of multiple intelligences. My favorite words from Dr. Gardner are, “Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.”

Four years ago I went through a period of uncertainty about the way I taught language arts. I thought that my structured approach emphasizing grammar, vocabulary, reading, and research was solid, but if students didn’t remember half of what I taught them, why was I teaching it? I think I was giving my students too many cut flowers. When I shifted to critical thinking and put student interests and concerns at the center of the curriculum while forcing them to be critical of their own thinking, students became more engaged. Growing their own plants seemed to be the answer.

I’ve also been talking with students about the purpose of education. That’s pretty advanced for 12 year-olds, but a class of seventh graders gave me a lot of words.

• It’s to get us ready for the real things like working and living without your parents and getting food every day.

• It’s so we can get to be intelligent and know a lot of things so when we get out of school we can do well in life and not be on the streets; we’ll have a house.

• It’s to open the doors and give us the opportunities to get into the best university.

• Prepare you for life, get organized, be intelligent.

• The education you get will help you know what to do when a bad situation comes.

• To know what is right and what is wrong.

Notice that not one child said that the purpose of education was to learn English or math or science? Some were thinking about education leading to more education which tells me they don’t really know the purpose of education. Others mentioned learning to manage life. These kids know they will have to grow their own plants.

Philosopher and educator John Dewey has also given me words. He believed that the only real purpose of education is growth. The child learns and grows by doing and interacting with his or her social and cultural environment. Our different experiences help shape our humanness and determine our values. Forcing children to focus exclusively on ideas and values foreign to their own experiences results in disengaged, unthinking people. Education must allow children to learn to solve problems within their own contexts. In his words, “We only think when we are confronted with problems.”

Here are some words from science teacher Scott DeBoer. “I got into education because I wanted the opportunity to influence kids, to set them up with the tools to be successful in life. It can mean academic tools, but also social tools. A big part of my role is not necessarily to teach everything but to facilitate the learning, then extend learning through a trial and error process. I give tools, a basic understanding, but then how to implement a project; they have to figure that out.”

Have you read the book by Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten? Among the things Mr. Fulghum learned in kindergarten were the following:

• Play fair.

• Don’t take things that aren’t yours.

• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.

• Wash your hands before you eat.

• Flush.

• When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.

• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.

A couple of weeks ago I got some words from our middle school counselor, Isabel Urrutia, who came to me with a quote that she wanted to use in her eighth grade life skills class. She is in the habit of beginning classes with a brief discussion from Sean Covey’s book Daily Reflections for Highly Effective Teens. She wanted to know what I thought of these words, “Don’t let school get in the way of your education. Although grades are important, becoming truly educated is more important, so make sure you don’t forget why you’re going to school.” We talked about it and I mentioned that a thoughtful discussion on a provocative idea like this could be a very meaningful experience for her students. Afterwards, Isabel shared with me that students were at first confused by the quote, but as they began analyzing it, they came to realize that learning comes in many forms and much of it is not really academic, but skills for life.

I have more words related to my own childhood education. In my classes, the teacher was the authority and, along with text books, the source of information. Students were expected to master the information as given. The purpose of education was obvious. You went to school to learn the 3 R’s of Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic so you could grow up to be a productive, democratic citizen with a job.

Today, traditional classrooms still prevail, but many teachers who currently teach in our CDS middle school have modernized their teaching methods. Students learn to create, manipulate, and use information to solve real-life problems, often reaching beyond the classroom to use global resources. Both teachers and students are expected to think creatively and critically. I know that I can count on our middle school teachers to get across the important academic content and skills that students need to be successful in middle school, high school, and eventually college and work. You only have to see our standardized test scores each year to know they are doing a fine job. Our average middle school student is at least two years above grade level in basic language and math skills, as well as in science and social studies. But I also feel confident that teachers have not neglected areas such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. We have reached a point in which academics and life skills are balanced. And that is what middle school is all about.

Clearly, I agree with John Dewy when he said, “Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not a preparation for life but is life itself.” If you have any words on that, I’d love to hear from you.

Middle school, with lockers, multiple classrooms, and more independence, brings new challenges to even the most dedicated students. Grades are usually lower than in elementary school and the level of student stress is higher. Grade six is especially demanding as new middle school students are expected to learn the self-management and study skills necessary to keep track of homework and prepare for classes taught by several different teachers every day.

Although teachers are responsible for helping students learn how to organize a locker, use an agenda, take notes, study for a test, and follow directions, there is a lot that parents can do at home to support their child’s development of good organizational and study habits. The single most important thing a parent can do is create a home culture in which education is valued. Helping your child establish educational goals, asking about school, providing the necessary school materials and correct uniform, reading the Middle School Handbook and In the Middle weekly newsletter, being a role model for learning yourself, maintaining contact with teachers, attending school functions, and helping your child study all contribute to the message that education is important.

There are concrete steps you can take to support your family’s education. First, your child needs the right place to study. Most of them seem to have a desk in the bedroom, but surprisingly, the bedroom is NOT always the ideal place to study. For those who are easily distracted, the bedroom is far too entertaining. It might be better to set up a study place at the dining room table or even in the kitchen where parents can offer assistance and help keep the child focused. The desk or table surface should be big enough to spread out papers and books. Make sure essential supplies such as pens, paper and calculator are close by.

Each CDS middle school student was given a beautiful agenda on the first day of classes. This agenda is the student’s most important organizational tool, but in order to be helpful, it must be used. Sixth grade teachers require students to bring it to class daily and do provide a few minutes during class to write down assignments. Teachers of older students usually expect them to use the agenda without telling them to do so. If you notice that your child is not using the agenda, then make an arrangement with the teachers that they check the agenda and sign it regularly, as will you at home. Help your child get in the habit of writing down each daily assignment in each subject and checking it off when it’s complete.

Help your child develop a system of keeping track of papers. I recommend a 3-ring binder, although some students prefer a single accordion file with various sections. The accordion file works providing the student takes time to keep it organized, otherwise it becomes a bottomless pit where everything disappears. Whether the student uses a binder, folders, or an accordion file, the most important thing is to use it consistently and not lose it.

Parents are experts at asking the question, “Did you do your homework?” And students are experts at getting parents to stop asking with responses like, “Oh, I did it in class,” or “I don’t have any homework.” If you are noticing low grades or missing assignments and yet your child rarely seems to have homework, clearly something is wrong. Follow up! Talk to the teachers, check edline, and check your child’s agenda.

Your child may need a crash course on time management. People are productive at different times of day. Help your child find the times that his efforts will be most effective and then establish a well-structured homework routine. Our CDS sixth graders are expected to have about 60 minutes of homework daily. Seventh graders have 70 minutes and eighth graders have 80 minutes. Each student is also expected to read an additional 30 minutes daily. If your child is spending more than this on homework, it is possible that he is not just focused on homework, but also on FaceBook, using the cell phone, taking frequent breaks to surf the web, playing video games, or downloading music. Research shows that multi-tasking may increase “homework” time by up to 400%. I strongly recommend children complete all homework that does not require a computer first and that they not be allowed to be on social networks or use cell phones while doing homework unless they are online with a classmate who is actually helping study. Parents, you have the right to ask what your child is doing with the computer and if it isn’t homework, you should limit computer access until the homework is done.

Students also benefit by studying together; I know of students who have gotten great help from each other by posting their own study guides on FaceBook and Skyping a friend to quiz each other. The only danger here is getting off task, but if the students really do stay focused, studying together online can be beneficial.

In middle school, students start getting long term assignments. Help your child learn how to break these bigger projects into smaller chunks and plan how he’s going to tackle them. Children often underestimate the size of a project and procrastinate until there’s not enough time left to do a good job. Help him learn to manage his time by making sure he does some work each day instead of leaving it all until the end.

Younger students really have no idea how to prepare for a test or quiz. Sometimes they don’t realize that when a teacher writes something on the board or tells them to take notes, it’s because it is important. And if it is important, it may show up on a test. Some students just don’t know where the questions come from. They might glance over class notes again, but rarely think of rereading a textbook chapter or making a study guide or flashcards. I highly recommend parents sit down with a child and reread a chapter and all class notes together, paying special attention to chapter and section headings, review questions at the end, and words in bold. The student should also make flashcards for key concepts and vocabulary words. On one side goes the vocabulary word or a question and on the back is the definition or answer. The child should be making the flashcards, not the parent, because it is the physical act of making the flashcards that often helps the child remember what is on it. Some teachers provide study guides on edline and these are invaluable. The student should make sure he looks up everything on the study guide and prepares the related flashcards. Flashcards and mnemonics can also help when materials have to be memorized. Mnemonics are images or tricks that help us remember information such as My Very Educated Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas to remember the correct order of the planets, back when Pluto was still considered the ninth one.

If your child is really struggling, you may want to ask for help. Start by talking to the teachers. Teachers are aware when a child is struggling and can give you concrete advice. Sometimes all that is needed is getting organized or paying attention. In other cases, there may be a learning disability and you may want to get your child evaluated. In addition, our guidance counselor, Isabel Urrutia, has a list of tutors. Some high school students are also available after school for a reasonable rate. If your child is struggling with organizational skills, talk to Ms. Urrutia or teachers about what might be causing the problems and brainstorm approaches to solve them. If the work seems too difficult for your child or the workload too great, contact the school. There are times when a child is placed in the wrong level of math or Spanish and just needs to be moved. Often children don’t ask for help because they’re afraid of looking dumb. Remind your child that it’s the smart people that ask the best questions!

The points I’ve touched on in this posting are a sample of some of the ways you can support your child’s education at home, but if you would like more detailed information, I’d like to recommend two books. That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week by Ana Homayoun is a fabulous book written for the parents of distracted boys; however, many of the tips can help girls as well. If your child appears to be chronically disorganized, you might want to read The Organized Student by Donna Goldberg and Jennifer Zwiebel. It gives detailed instructions on how to get work turned in before it gets lost.

Finally, you are cordially invited to my presentation for parents, “Help! My Child Is So Disorganized!” on Oct. 25 in the middle school assembly hall from 8:15 to 9:30.

Less than a century ago, educators in the United States noticed that the traditional six years of primary and six years of secondary education had created an imbalance that was detrimental to younger high school students. The junior high school was then created, but it was basically high school with fewer grades; few accommodations were made for its changing, growing students. Middle schools eventually originated as places suited to the developmental needs of students in grades six to eight. Some schools are better at meeting those needs than others. What makes a successful middle school?

Last year, the Association for Middle Level Education wrote a position paper, This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents (2010) that has been extremely useful in helping to redefine the role of the middle school. It specifically pointed out the essential attributes of an education for young adolescents. It should be developmentally responsive, challenging, empowering, and equitable. At Country Day School, I believe we have these attributes because we have the right kinds of people.

We have the right kinds of students. Our students range in age from 10 to 15. They represent dozens of nationalities. They come to school with varied religious beliefs, home languages, and interests. And they are nice, nice kids. Yes, our students are often loud and some run in the halls, but they quiet down and walk carefully when reminded. They may get a little rough playing soccer or be rude when angry, but most of the time, they are kind and courteous. For every child who thoughtlessly tosses trash on the ground, there are ten who take care of our shared spaces. Our students are more concerned about social relationships than academics. They enjoy solving real life problems, working collaboratively, and moving around. They are still children, but in positions to make decisions that can affect them either positively or negatively for the rest of their lives. They are old enough to think critically, but young enough to still get very excited about doing a science experiment or reading a really good book.

We have the right kinds of teachers. Our middle school teachers have chosen to work with young adolescents.  They offer an educational program that is exploratory and challenging, and incorporates student-generated questions and concerns. Instruction takes advantage of a wide variety of skills and abilities. Teachers respect multiple intelligences and individual learning styles. They utilize a variety of authentic and appropriate assessment measures ranging from essays, tests, and quizzes to collaborative projects, in class and online discussions, multimedia presentations, and performances. Health and wellness are supported in the curriculum and through the school-wide theme of Healthy People Healthy Planet. Teachers have also organized spaces to suit the needs of our students. Desks are arranged in groups or circles or U shapes so students can work collaboratively and discuss. They frequently learn outside. Literature classes have small rugs and pillows so students can sprawl comfortably on the floor while they read.

We also have the right kinds of parents. Parents are the first and most important teachers of their own children. What children learn at home can have a tremendous influence on how successful they are at school. Many parents make the financial sacrifice necessary to pay for a private school because they want the best education available, based on United States standards, even though they live in Costa Rica.  Many also volunteer, attend meetings, communicate with teachers, and spend time talking with their children about the importance of education. Parents and the school have partnered to reduce the drinking of alcoholic beverages and drug abuse among students through our Hogares Seguros (Safe Homes) Covenant. Parents who sign it make a commitment that no alcohol or illegal substances are available to underage guests in their homes. Our parents also show the teachers how much they appreciate the work they do by treating them to special monthly breakfasts and a fabulous staff party at the end of the year. The successful middle school must involve families in the education of their children.

We also are a community with a distinctive culture. Its environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive.  It balances hard work with fun. After all, our students are still children and they should enjoy school. That is one reason we have spirit days, sports days, and our now infamous Olympic Festival every year. Through our advisories and Student Council, students have a voice and decision-making power. Every child has many adult advocates. Students regularly work on service and environmental projects that extend our community beyond the gates of the school.

So what makes a successful middle school? The people in it.