Sheesh! I can't believe I'm actually getting ready to start transition lessons with fifth grade students! In my district, enrollment takes place in January, so I like to make sure my kids are starting to think about the transition to middle school. Seven years ago, I was at an advantage when it came to putting worried fifth graders at ease about what was going to happen when they entered middle school; I spent my first three years in education teaching sixth grade, so I saw firsthand what they could expect. I knew what they worried about: getting lost/not knowing where to go, being late to class, and opening locks. I crafted a lesson around these "big" concerns my first year as a counselor and have used some variation of it ever since. My main topics are on scheduling/reading the schedule and opening combination locks, but I also highlight the importance of being organized with materials, in the locker, etc. I also goof on them about not having the "Sixth Grader Face," which occurs when a new sixth grader completely melts down (See photo above for my daughter's version of what this looks like). Of course, I inform them that the whole reason lesson is to help them avoid getting to this point.
If you are at a loss as to what new middle school students struggle with, contact the middle school teachers! I used this strategy, too, just to be sure I was on target. With the earlier enrollment dates, it also became apparent that a follow-up session on transitions would be beneficial. A few years back, the school where I was had a few former students come and answer questions that the fifth grade students had about middle school. It was incredibly successful, because the kids were getting feedback from kids who had been in their shoes the year before.
It's easy to forget that these kids, in many cases, are leaving the only school they have ever attended for something new. It's new students, new experiences, and new environments. Like we would be, our babies are nervous, so when planning your transition lessons, find ways to ease some of their worries.
If you are at a loss as to what new middle school students struggle with, contact the middle school teachers! I used this strategy, too, just to be sure I was on target. With the earlier enrollment dates, it also became apparent that a follow-up session on transitions would be beneficial. A few years back, the school where I was had a few former students come and answer questions that the fifth grade students had about middle school. It was incredibly successful, because the kids were getting feedback from kids who had been in their shoes the year before.
It's easy to forget that these kids, in many cases, are leaving the only school they have ever attended for something new. It's new students, new experiences, and new environments. Like we would be, our babies are nervous, so when planning your transition lessons, find ways to ease some of their worries.