I find them delightfully awkward. They’re old enough to approach serious concepts with the proper attitude, but young enough to secretly like (even as they roll their eyes) the silly songs I make up to help them remember content.

While I’m not a teacher, during the government shutdown I was a substitute teacher. I subbed at all levels and thought MS was the worst. Glad to have found this thread. It really shed some insight into why teachers choose this level.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the daily news about the topic. apparently many women prefer to teach jr high and HS for the boys and affairs.

This was unnecessary even as a joke.

Are you one of those teachers?

Anonymous wrote:From the daily news about the topic. apparently many women prefer to teach jr high and HS for the boys and affairs.

This was unnecessary even as a joke.

I teach college students now but taught middle school for a long time in DCPS and a nearby district. I taught elementary school when I first started teaching, and while they were adorable, it was a mismatch for me. My favorite grade is 8th grade. They are mostly through the worst of the big hormonal wave. They are curious, hilarious and smart. I relish any time I get to spend with that age now.

I was bullied in high school and really retreated into myself.

I always wanted to teach. I picked high school because I don’t want people to feel the way I felt.

And I may die without a lot of savings, but I’ve taught thousands of students by now. I have to figure I helped a few of them.

These answers from teachers are choking me up. You are such good people. And kids are good kids.

I love working with middle schoolers. They’re old enough to have distinct personalities and interests, but still young enough where I feel like I can have a positive impact. Plus they make me laugh constantly!

I taught K-2nd my first year and wouldn’t go back if you tripled my annual salary.

From the daily news about the topic. apparently many women prefer to teach jr high and HS for the boys and affairs.

I teach Freshman and honestly they aren't much different from middle schoolers except a bit more mature. They make 67 jokes, are funny, annoying, and overall good kids.

I enjoy working with all ages/grades. Currently working at a MS. Middle schoolers are funny, kind, annoying, confused, confident, shy, loyal, and a whole mix of other contradictions. I like them all the more for it. It’s always something different every day. There are challenges working with any age group, just depends on what someone can personally handle.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach middle school. I love being a positive influence on the students during what is such a turbulent time of their lives. Been teaching MS for almost 20 years so there’s not much that they do that will shock me or stress me out at this point. Mostly I find their energy enjoyable.

+1. I enjoy this age, believe it or not. That being said, it’s definitely harder to teach now than it was before, for reasons other than the typical hormonal turbulence, and I’m thinking of quitting.

What's making it harder outside of typical hormonal turbulence? For me, post-pandemic behaviors are so much worse and even with cell phone bans, the number of outside of school conflicts that make it into the school building are too much.

Anonymous wrote:I teach middle school. I love being a positive influence on the students during what is such a turbulent time of their lives. Been teaching MS for almost 20 years so there’s not much that they do that will shock me or stress me out at this point. Mostly I find their energy enjoyable.

+1. I enjoy this age, believe it or not. That being said, it’s definitely harder to teach now than it was before, for reasons other than the typical hormonal turbulence, and I’m thinking of quitting.

I teach middle school. I love being a positive influence on the students during what is such a turbulent time of their lives. Been teaching MS for almost 20 years so there’s not much that they do that will shock me or stress me out at this point. Mostly I find their energy enjoyable.

Like the title says, I have a question for teachers:
Why do you chose to teach high school/middle school?
I mean middle school students are going through all kinds of hormones and drama. I'm saying this as a parent of a 7th grader. Some of them are rebellious and misbehave and others are just plain mean and rude. It seems very stressful and chaotic. As for high school, these students are in the middle of puberty and changes whether its transitioning from middle school to high school (which I can imagine is HARD) or getting ready to go to college. These kids are testing your limits and patience almost every day of the week and all I can say is that I have so much respect for the teachers who are committed to giving these kids - that are going through one of the toughest parts in life - a good education.