Change is always a difficult thing, and throughout our lives, we will be require to make a lot of changes. There are changes in our personal lives, our educational lives, and sometimes even our emotional lives. However, many times these changes are connected, and one affects another. One of the biggest changes a child will go through is the transition from elementary school into junior high. Like the change from junior high to high school, the kids must adapt to their new environment and the new way things are run. This can be difficult in more ways than one, but at the same token, it can be good.

One of the biggest transitions and St. Philip is from fifth to sixth grade. As far as I can remember, it was challenging, from moving class to class and carrying books around. We got some input from this year’s sixth graders. We asked them a few questions like what how the transition felt, how much work they get on a daily basis and questions along these lines.

Mostly, we got the same answers, like that the transition was hard. Many said that it is confusing switching from class to class as well. But we got a lot of positive feedback on top of everything else. Many students enjoy library day (a day that Mrs. Bello, the religion teacher, lets us go to the library and use the chromebooks for a study hall type of hour) and being able to listen to music on the Chromebooks, which is a new addition for Junior High this year.

The kids were also asked what they thought of the work-load. The vast majority of the group said that they were having a hard time adjusting to the new responsibilities that came with the new amount of work. They agreed that though the individual assignments for each class were not that challenging, having the collective work-load from all the classes was a very hard thing to face. This is a common thread among most new middle school students, as the stark change can be challenging. Along with the new amount of work, there is also the new standard of quality for the work. The different Junior High teachers all expect different things from their students, and so the students must work hard to give them what they require. For example, some teachers expect more detail than other. The sixth grade class also felt that the teachers had been very understanding and helpful when it came to the work load. All of them are willing to listen to the students, and will try their best to help a struggling student.

Though having different teachers can make work more challenging, it also presents the students with a unique sense of diversity. Upon being questioned about it, our sixth grade students were most enthusiastic about having multiple teachers. They felt that this gave them more diversity, and also exposed them to different teaching styles. They really enjoyed the fact that they could interact with more teachers than one. This makes sense because up until junior high, the students were only exposed to one teacher per year. The only exception to this was in fifth grade, where the students would change teachers for one period. Changing teachers more frequently also made the students feel as though the day goes by faster. Sometimes, sitting in the same classroom for hours on end can be a bit tiresome, and the students felt that the switch of teachers gave them some variation.

However, switching teachers can also come with some physical challenges to the students. The vast majority of the students felt that the busy hall were a hard thing to adapt to. This makes sense, as it is the halls can be less than peaceful at times. Having to move carrying a load of books can be difficult, but moving through a heavy crowd with them is even harder. Along with this the students must remember to bring their supplies to the appropriate classes. However, all of the students adapt eventually. Another physical challenge met by the sixth grade class was that of hunger. Many of the students had a hard time adjusting to the gap of time between recess and lunch. However, the teachers of junior high have begun to allow their students to eat in the period before lunch. This helps the students focus, for after they have eaten they can pay attention to the lesson, not to their growing hunger.

Changing from fifth to sixth grade comes with its ups and downs. There are plenty of things the sixth grade class appreciated, and there were also a lot they felt they struggled with. However, I have no doubt that the students will be well adjusted by the time they reach the seventh grade. It is simply a matter of getting used to the new aspects of junior high. Adjustment comes with time. In my opinion, it seems as though the sixth grade class is well on their way.