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Middle School Transition Concerns

Middle School can be a difficult time of transition; for the first time students must deal with the pressures of having 6 or 7 classes, finding their lockers, and meeting many new people. This article contains the top concerns of children making the transition to middle school, as well as the teachers.

When students transition from elementary school to middle school, their world explodes, and there are a myriad of new social and academic pressures to adjust to. It is helpful to know the top concerns of children so that you, as a parent, can be there to help them adjust.

Top Concerns of Students:

  • Getting to class on time
  • Finding lockers
  • Keeping up with supplies and books
  • Increased difficulty of classes and homework
  • Finding lunchrooms and bathrooms,
  • Getting on the right bus
  • Navigating the crowded halls,
  • Remembering which class to go to when
  • Possible aggressive and violent behaviors of other students
  • Peer Pressure

Although students have reported their own fears and worries, teachers have also listed specific challenges that they face helping students make the transition from elementary to middle school level.

Top Concerns of Teachers:

  • Changing classes
  • Reduced parent involvement
  • More teachers
  • No more recess, so no free time
  • New grading standards
  • More peer pressure
  • Developmental differences between boys and girls
  • Cliquishness
  • Larger, more impersonal school
  • Being held more responsible for their actions
  • Dealing with older children
  • Merging with students from other elementary schools
  • Unrealistic parental expectations
  • Unfamiliarity with extracurricular activities
  • Unfamiliarity with student lockers
  • Longer-range assignments
  • Adolescent physical development

Knowing what your child is facing, and what he or she might be worried about, will help you give the right kind of support and help for your child in this time of transition.

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