Supporting Your Middle School Student in School

The summer before Brian entered middle school he was feeling anxious about it. He was worried about getting into his locker, having different teachers, getting to class on time, and managing the workload. His parents bought him a padlock so he could practice with it, which helped him on the first day of school.

That anxiety didn't last very long. As soon as school started, Brian realized that he actually enjoyed having different teachers and changing classrooms. He liked all of his teachers and appreciated that they had higher expectations and held the students accountable for their own actions. Brian particularly liked his Family Consumer Science (i.e. Home Economics) teacher and instantly took a liking to cooking. He made smoothies for his family and even began watching the food network!

Perhaps the biggest change was in Brian’s attitude towards school. He began to get up early to walk to school so that he could socialize with friends before school started. He also spent time throwing the football with his buddies on the way home from school. The teachers spent a lot of time teaching the children organizational skills. As the year went on, Brian learned to start his homework right when he got home. Even though he still lost things from time-to-time and occasionally forgot to turn in an assignment, the teachers stuck with him. This support really seemed to help him blossom and Brian got better and better at managing the increased freedom with the responsibilities of middle school. It was fun to watch him develop from an elementary student who really struggled to do homework, to a young teen with new skills and resources to help him succeed. Despite his earlier anxiety, middle school was a great fit for Brian and he had a relatively smooth ride through.

Middle school is not simply about academics. Students are exposed to fresh experiences, exciting opportunities, and new responsibilities that make middle school a very different experience than elementary school. As you can tell from Brian’s story, middle school brings with it a lot of unknowns and your teen is likely to share at least some of Brian’s anxieties. They may be asking themselves questions like: Will I be able to get in my locker? What if I don’t get to class on time? How do I look? Do I fit in? What will my teachers be like? How much homework will I have? Will I make new friends? What if people don’t like me? Being able to help your teen deal with these questions requires you to think differently about your role as a parent. Let’s dive deeper and think about three major areas in which you can support your middle schooler in school: Individual and Social Changes, Academics and School Success, and Middle School Challenges.