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For pre-service teachers deciding where to teach: A THREAD
Sometimes aspiring teachers have strong opinions about which grade level they want to teach, often based on their perception of that grade level.
Sometimes aspiring teachers have strong opinions about which grade level they want to teach, often based on their perception of that grade level.
For Example: A lot of pre-service teachers want to teach elementary school because the kids seem so cute and sweet, and they are (sort of...). Teacher Instagram also pumps out cutesy teacher content for elementary school teachers. I call this the Cindy Brady effect.
Then there is high school, glamorous high school! Think Netflix shows with teachers who somehow afford Prada shoes, drive BMWs, and teach their classes like an Ivy League rhetoric class. I call this the Marsha Brady effect.
And then there is Middle School. That place pre-service teachers talk about if they can't get their preferred grade level. The forgotten, passed over, place to be exiled to. That awkward place between cute and glamorous. I call this the Jan Brady effect.
But Jan is the best character! The most dynamic, reflective, real, & genuine. Sure she has imaginary boyfriends and does some shady stuff motivated by jealousy (who doesn't), but she's the engine of the show. Jan is a peek into the cocoon & she's part caterpillar/part butterfly..
But, and this is the important part, Jan is NOT part Cindy and part Marsha. She is all Jan, even as we see her transform. She is her own unique person with her own needs and wants, just like middle school is. Middle school programming is not a little of ES and a little of HS.
I know that all pre-service teachers dont think this way, but if you are a pre-service teacher and you're not not thinking about middle school, CONSIDER IT. Also, check out this article celebrating Jan Brady and her journey. https://www.metv.com/lists/7-major-reasons-we-should-all-remember-jan-brady
