January 2024 Discourse in the Middle School Classroom Dear Parents, Daily headlines decry the degradation of kindness, empathy, and the ability to forge understanding between people. It is clear that we urgently need to educate our children about how to interact profitably and civilly with one another, but how?
The Potomac administration, faculty, and staff have agreed on certain principles to ground our community’s thinking in this area. First, we have defined some non-negotiable principles rooted in our core values–we recognize and reaffirm the importance of members of our community to be their authentic selves. At the same time, we do not tolerate behavior that targets, criticizes, or mocks other’s identities, including slurs, mimicking accents, or teasing about religious or political beliefs.
These guiding principles help mediate conversations in the Middle School classroom but don’t eliminate all of the potential issues that might arise when discussing controversial topics. To that end, we keep certain tenets in mind as we lead and/or moderate discussions on a potentially charged topic. For example, we strive to center the students and serve their needs. This is particularly important given the wide age and maturity range of our Middle School students–what might be on the minds and hearts of our sixth graders can be very different from that of our fourth graders. Teachers need to make frequent judgment calls about whether or not to initiate conversations and/or how to use curricular tie-ins to shed light on thorny issues. In Middle School, we lean towards not initiating discussions about world tragedies to respect the boundaries that families may have about exposure to current events. But when an issue arises with students in a Middle School space, we may feel the need to broach potentially controversial topics. In those moments, we gather as a faculty when possible to underscore our understanding of what the students may need in the moment and work to communicate afterward to families about those discussions.
We educators understand that teachers hold powerful positions in the classroom and are consistently aware of the potential we have to inadvertently tell our students what to think rather than how to think. Therefore, we regularly ground ourselves in our core values during classroom discussions and hold our personal ideological viewpoints to ourselves, even when pressed to share them by students. As Middle School teachers, we know how impressionable our students are–they are rapidly becoming citizens of the world they live in and deserve the opportunity to formulate their own opinions. We work hard to facilitate that process.
We also recognize that students’ ability to discuss tough topics with one another rationally, civilly, and cogently is not innate. It must be taught carefully and systematically. Below you will read about an example from our sixth grade where this is accomplished.
John Mathews
Head of Middle School |
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Photo: Enjoying the Potomac Book Fair |
Debating with Civility in Sixth Grade
Many adolescents love to argue, whatever the issue and their interlocutor’s point of view. Our sixth grade language arts teachers have embraced this truth by opening the writing curriculum with an “argument unit.” First, students are assigned a position, pro or con, on whether “Competitive sports are good for children to play.” After receiving their assignment, students research from a curated set of articles that offer points for their argument. The research is in preparation for a debate against a student from another homeroom.
Students are trained to formulate and deliver their position and rebut the other’s points based on what they hear during the debate. The first item on the rubric underscores the importance of civilly interacting with one another– “Respect for the Other Side.” Students are expected to speak, respond, and demonstrate body language with respect toward their opponent. Sixth grade teacher Catherine Fields acknowledges that while students sometimes struggle to follow these expectations, they are almost invariably self-aware (and quite critical) of their slip-ups in post-debate self-reflections.
She also notes that the tactics of developing argumentation skills are also helpful in the second segment of the unit, in which students choose from nearly a dozen current event topics and develop their arguments in essay form. She has also observed that their learning has benefited their subsequent interactions with teachers. She recalled a recent moment where a student used evidence effectively to underpin their argument with a teacher to achieve more points on a science project, and it worked! It’s no surprise to hear that the email was evidence-based and impeccably respectful in its construction.
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Photo: Grade 5 Invention Convention |
Clubs Continue to Roll!
The second trimester of clubs is in full swing, and there are several new offerings, including clubs created by students. Here are some snapshots into a few:
Writing Club: Here’s the blurb created by fourth grader Hadley Maloney, who designed this club: Are you interested in creative writing or storytelling? Come join the new MS Writing Club where you can let your creativity and imagination shine, unleash your inner poet, and share and learn from others through writing. We may explore themes and learn from each other as we share our different perspectives and maybe even reach out and engage real authors. Card Trading Club: This club was created in 2022 by fifth grader Parker Starr. In it, students bring their trading cards from home, share their wares, and even trade with one another (trades are moderated by faculty leader Mr. Mathews). If we are lucky, students also get to see a new pack “pulled” open by an attendee to see what treasures lay within!
Squash and Basketball in Spangler: Students willing to brave the chilly walk enjoy these two active clubs being held this winter in our Spangler Center for Athletics and Community. |
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MidStream Minutes Delayed opening? Please be aware that a delayed opening means casual dress for all MS Students! Snowy Weather, but school in session? Please bring snow gear for full outdoor play access.
Snow Days Accumulating? Know that our first two snow days are days off, but work will be posted on the third consecutive day of a school closure. Stay tuned for more information on this should this eventuality arise.
Reports on the Way in Early February First semester comments will be available to parents on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 7. These will include comments from all academic areas. A letter will be emailed on the day reports go live to remind parents they are available.
Parent-Teacher Conferences in February, too! Friday, February 9, is the K-12 parent-teacher conference day. On this day, students do not have classes, but childcare is available for parents to attend their conferences. Also, sixth grade students not only attend their conferences, but they are the leaders of these discussions! Because of this, their conferences are 20 minutes in duration; grades 4 and 6 are their usual 25-minute length. The Parent Portal will open in early February to sign up for times; be on the lookout for further communication in Paw Prints.
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| Dates to Know MS Parent Rep Meeting
Wednesday, January 17
8:30 to 10:00 am
Rossotti Conference Room in Spangler
Mr. McNeil’s Grade 5 Class Play
Friday, January 19
9:05 am
Langstaff Auditorium
JA4/JH4 Field Trip (Martha’s Table)
Wednesday, January 23
9:00 to 11:30 am
Faculty Professional Day Wednesday, January 24 No classes for students
LS/MS Kids’ Heart Challenge Assembly
Friday, January 26
9:30 to 10:30 am
Spangler Center for Athletics and Community
Casual, athletic dress for students
CW4/DWM4 Field Trip (Martha’s Table)
Wednesday, January 31
9:00 to 11:30 am
CS5/AMM5 Field Trip (Higher Horizons)
Tuesday, February 6
8:30 to 11:00 am
YC5/ADM5 Field Trip (Higher Horizons)
Wednesday, February 7
8:30 to 11:00 am
Mr. Mogle’s Grade 4 Class Play
Thursday, February 8
9:05 am
Langstaff Auditorium
Parent-Teacher Conference Day
Friday, February 9
No classes for students |
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