week 2 Middle Phase

Why do we need Qld to reform middle years of schooling.

I actually don't see why we should, after the readings this week i am still not convinced. I like the fact that students entering year 8 get to have a variety of different subjects with different teachers. Most students have long been anticipating going to high school so they can have different teachers. Moving around the school having different teachers and different subjects is more fun and interesting to a year 8 then having to sit in the same class and same teacher for most of the day. I think that in high school specialist teachers have knowledge and passion in their subject areas, and by having the one teacher for a few subjects that specialist knowledge will disappear.

What aspects of middle schooling have you seen so far that you consider are the best practices.

Currently at the school I am doing my prac students have different teachers in specialist areas like phy ed , hospitality, fashion, manual arts, art, music and then they have the same teacher for English, sose, history or maths and science. I do like this concept they are getting variety but still have the same teacher for 2-3 subjects. I believe if the teacher is a great teacher the whole idea of one teacher for numerous subjects could be fantastic but what if that one teacher is not engaging you could lose allot of students interest in those subjects.
According to Knipe what students wanted to talk about was the different teachers and what they thought about them. at this stage comments about subjects were closely bound up with thoughts about particular teachers. (Knipe2007)
Overall I think a teacher that is engaging and makes learning enjoyable will make a difference in a students life whether they have them for 2-3 subjects or just one subject.