What Matters to a Middle School Student…
Reflecting on the teaching and learning that is happening in our middle schools, there are many bright spots among the challenging territory we have been navigating this year. This confirms the commitment and dedication that our teachers have towards ensuring equitable and inclusive classroom environments. As we continue our progress towards our collective goals of improved reading, numeracy, and social-emotional competence, it is essential to anchor this work in our understanding of how our actions impact students and their success in our schools.
One of the ways this can be done is to reach out to students and ask them about their school experiences. As part of our operational plan, our middle school leaders have been working with Shane Safir to develop fluency in gathering “street data” to create actions that help us stay attuned to the progress we are making with respect to our goals for students. I had the opportunity to sit in on a student voice session called “Clayburn Connections” at Clayburn Middle School, where Principal Heather Reid gathered eight students over lunchtime to engage in conversation about their school experience. Questions ranged from “What is your favourite thing at school?” to “What makes you feel cared for and that you belong?” It was a terrific conversation with the students, with many great insights and thoughts from the group. The students were very articulate about what they needed and valued at school and what they thought could change to create a better school experience.
Now, not everything mentioned was possible, but their voice about what matters to them is an integral part of what we need to shape the middle school experience. The students ultimately said they wanted community, connection and choice when it came to their school experience, which tells us we are headed in the right direction with our middle schools and the student learning experience.