The Importance of Middle School Learning and How We Engage Boys in This Phase

When we think of Middle School boys most people picture gangly legs, feet that seem to keep growing, and increased appetites. I still look back at photos of my son at that time and wonder exactly when did he grow into those legs! It is these middle school years that serve as a crucial transition phase, where young adolescents undergo significant changes not just physically, but cognitively and emotionally as well.

Engaging boys during this transformative period is especially important, as it sets the foundation for their future success. It is a phase where children develop independence, critical thinking skills, and personal identity. Middle school learning serves as a bridge, preparing students for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

However, engaging boys in middle school learning can be challenging for parents and teachers alike. Boys may struggle with motivation, attention, organization, or self-esteem. They may be easily distracted by technology, peer pressure, or hormones. They may resist doing homework, reading books, or participating in discussions at home or in class. For me as a parent, I found the hardest thing was staying calm when he wasn’t. During those years my son constantly lost things, forgot deadlines, and started to question everything I said. Every two years he did something silly, something so out of character that we just couldn’t believe it. As I look back, he was constantly questioning everything not just me. He questioned whether he had the right friends, the clothes he wore, his purpose in life, and even the food he ate!

So with all this inner questioning constantly in their brains, how can we help boys thrive in middle school? Here are some strategies we know as educators that can make a difference:

• We can try and make learning relevant and meaningful. Boys are more likely to engage in learning when they see the purpose and value of what they are studying. We try to connect the curriculum to their interests, passions, goals, or real-world problems.
• School needs to be a place that is positive, safe, engaging, and flexible. Boys especially need to be able to move more when they are learning, take part in hands-on learning and connect with each other.
• Middle School boys learn best when their teachers are empathetic, knowledgeable, and passionate. As their brains are developing boys need the security of feeling liked and acknowledged by their teachers.

You can find more about the differences of middle schooling here Adolescent Success - Position Paper

We know at ATC that Middle School boys engage more within a classroom when there is a mixture of activities, from group work, technology use, and individual learning. Boys also enjoy tapping into their natural curiosity and exploring the world around them so the more we as educators, can make the tasks authentic, the better. At this age, boys also want to advocate more for what they want to do or how they want to learn. Therefore, the more opportunities we can allow our young men to have their voices heard the better. So how can we allow this as teachers and as parents? How can we relinquish control? Through my 28 years of teaching experience, and safely surviving the middle school parenting rollercoaster, all I can say is we need to pick our moments, be intentional, and be ready to listen, really listen. We need to teach our boys to be in the driving seat of their learning and their life but we as adults still need to guide them safely. The well-known teacher/ author Maggie Dent often writes interesting articles and creates podcasts about teenage boys particularly as she herself had 4 sons. You can listen to one here How to motivate boys - The On Boys Podcast - Maggie Dent

My boy is now a hairy-faced 24-year-old independent man but as I reflect on those crazy few years of middle school the below quote resonates with me:

“Hitting the middle school years is like getting to half-time of an important game: You may be ahead now, but the game’s not over. Towel-off, get a big drink of water, and then gear up for the second half. You want to finish strong.” What A Middle School Boy Needs Most from His Parents. - Monica Swanson

Megan Ellis

Assistant Dean of Learning – Middle School