From the time that I have spent here at Conrad Ball, I have learned a lot

about what it is really like in a middle school classroom. My observations in the

classroom have shown me a great deal about how these kids interact with each
other and how they learn and engage the material. However, after my interview
with Braden and Stephanie I quickly realized that with middle schoolers, whenever
you think you have a grasp, they will continue to blow your mind.
My first interview was with Braden; an 8th grader who I pulled from Mr. Arikaki
and Mr. Simonds PLUS classroom. I decided to interview Braden for a few reasons;
the first was that he was one of the first kids in his class done with his individual
work assignment, and the second was because Mr. Arikaki told me to pull him
specifically for a good interview. In our discussion, I found out a lot of interesting
information about Braden and I learned that we were pretty much completely
different as eighth graders. He was a six (thats right, six) time world champion in
martial arts, and when he wasnt sparring he was tricking on the trampoline or
learning how to play the guitar. I was immediately impressed with the versatility of
this kid; I mean to be dedicated enough at martial arts to compete the way he does
in only eighth grade shows true passion and commitment; something I feel a lot of
middle schoolers lack.
When Braiden and I got to talking about his time at Conrad Ball and who he
was as a student was when I really started to learn how complex and delicate the
learning process is for these kids. When I was a student I never placed that much
thought into what I was doing, I simply did what I was told so I wouldnt get in
trouble; but throughout our interview, Braden helped show me just how important
and multi-faceted the teachers role is in the classroom. The first question that I
asked Braden that helped me see this was when I asked him who is your favorite

teacher and why?. Braden got really wide-eyed and told me about Mr. Harrington
and his Language Arts class. Braden told me how Mr. Harrington creates a
classroom environment that makes it fun for the kids to learn and gets them looking
forward to class. Obviously I knew this was important to do as a teacher because if
the kids are dreading coming to my class then it will be almost impossible to get
them to engage. However, Braden continued on by saying that Mr. Harrington also
knew how to engage the personal needs of each individual student and the needs of
the class as a whole. Braden recognized the immense amount of diversity in the
classroom and how the needs of each student need to be met; while at the same
time, there is an entire class of kids and it is the teachers job to make sure they are
prepared for the next step.
When I asked Braden about the qualities of his least favorite teacher, he
showed me that pacing of lessons is extremely important for kids. Braden explained
that when a teacher does not know the right speed to move the class at, it causes
some kids to either pull way ahead or get left behind. Braden explained to me that
kids recognize pacing and if the teacher does not move at a speed that helps them
learn, then they will not reach their full potential. Braden was concerned with the
welfare of all the students and he felt that a bad teacher was one who did not make
sure all his students were benefiting equally in the class. In addition to this, Braden
taught me how important classroom management was from a students point of
view. He explained to me how he was a relatively focused and hardworking kid, but
like most students, his friends could throw him off task easily. Braden told me that it
was important for a teacher to know how to limit those distractions in the classroom
because students understand if a teacher has poor classroom management skills
and they will take advantage of that.

My interview with Braden really opened my eyes. I was thoroughly impressed

with his outlook on his school and the classroom. He really knew what was best for
him in terms of his education and he had a very solid idea on what makes a good
classroom environment. Braden also had a very insightful perspective on how
teachers can form bonds with students and I think he best summed it up when he
told me that a good teacher should listen, evaluate, then answer. I think this
simple quote reflects the ideas of motivating students brilliantly because if teachers
are listening, evaluating then answering, it shows they care about these students;
and when the students feel supported they are more motivated towards success.
My second interview with 7th grader Stephanie showed me a completely
different side to life at Conrad Ball. Immediately when I saw down with her, I could
tell that Stephanie was much more introverted than Braden. Braden immediately
opened up to me and was excited to talk about his time in 8 th grade, but Stephanie
was much more reserved and hesitated to talk to me at fist. I think this was part of
the reason I picked Stephanie because, as we talk about in our Educ 350 class,
every kid is different so that means every kid will give us a different interview. I was
excited to interview someone with a different personality than Braden and as our
conversation continued and Stephanie began to open up, she shared with me
valuable insight on a middle school classroom from a different perspective.
First Stephanie told me about herself and what she was interested in. I found
out that not only does she play volleyball for Conrad Ball but she plays for a club
team as well. I remember my sister played club volleyball in middle school and high
school so I could attest to the insane amount of time the players have to spend
practicing, so I was impressed that she could balance playing for two sports teams
and school at the same time. In addition to volleyball, Stephanie also enjoys reading

and drawing, and her favorite class is Math. When I asked Stephanie why her
favorite class was math she said it was because she enjoyed to challenge. I could
tell already that Stephanie was a hardworking student athlete and I was excited to
see her view of a seventh grade classroom.
I first got this insight when I asked Stephanie who her favorite teacher was
and she quickly answered with Mr. Popp. When I asked why she explained that Mr.
Popp was her favorite because he made learning both fun and easy. Stephanie
explained that she responded to Mr. Popps style of teaching worked really well for
her, and even though she dreaded social studies as a class she was excited to go
because she had a bond with the teacher. This helped reinforce the importance of
teacher/student relationships because as much as I want all my kids to like history, I
know that will not be the case. Another example of this was when I asked Stephanie
about her least favorite class, and she responded with science. Then she told me
that this year her science teacher, Mr. Tanner was a really cool teacher who made
science a little better/easier for her. This further reinforced the importance of
building connections in the classroom that will facilitate student success.
When I asked Stephanie about distractions in the classroom she confirmed
some suspicions I had about iPads. In the PLUS classroom I was observing, they
gave out iPads to the students and have been implanting them in lessons along with
the rest of the classes at Conrad Ball. In my short time at Conrad Ball I have seen
how technology can be used as an excellent learning tool. From playing Kahoot in
the classroom to seeing SMART technology used in new innovative ways Ive never
seen, Conrad Ball has implanted technology overall successfully. However there are
always going to be exceptions to the standard and at Conrad Ball, the iPads are
more of a distraction to Stephanie than help. She explained to me a story from last

year in which there were some kids who were being inappropriate on an iPad. She
said they were going on YouTube and listening to explicit songs and downloading
inappropriate pictures as the desktop backgrounds. Stephanie told me that this
whole ordeal was very distracting for her and the teacher who then had to deal with
it. Moments like this can get a whole class off topic in an instance and then there is
a whole class period wasted. There is no denying the role technology is going to
play in the future of education so it is our responsibility as future educators to make
sure that our technology is being used effectively. Instances like the one Stephanie
described are mainly isolated, but that does not change the fact that now Stephanie
is not as appealed to the idea of iPads in the classroom. Stephanie helped teach me
how deeply technology can affect learning, and sometimes even in ways that I
cannot see. This is important when it comes to motivation in the classroom because
the student has to feel confident in the teacher and in the lesson to engage the
material.
My interviews with Braden and Stephanie really opened my eyes to the
complexity and intricacy of the classroom. The two interviews I conducted, asking
the same questions, produced two completely different transcripts. One of an
outgoing, talkative and inviting young man, and another of a quiet, sweet and
dedicated young lady. These two interviews showed me just how unique all these
kids are and when I have a class of my own, I will have a class just as diverse in this
one. Braden taught me how delicate the learning process is, the importance of
pacing, and motivating students by listening, evaluating then answering.
Stephanie reinforced the idea of student/teacher relationships and she taught me
the importance of managing technology in the classroom. In two, ten-minute
interviews I learned so much about the middle school classroom that it was almost

overwhelming! I plan to take what I learned here and apply it to my own

experiences by remembering the diversity that I uncovered. I realize now that
diversity in a classroom is not always as evident as I think it is and sometimes, the
differences among kids require some searching before they are found. I think if all
teachers recognize and learn how to handle the diversity of learners then our future
generations will have the tools to accomplish anything.