Buies Creek, N.C.–Described as “a cross between serving in the Peace Corps and organizing an amoebae circus,” teaching Middle School students has always been a challenge. Campbell University’s Middle School Certification program has developed a new course “Teaching in the Middle,” to better equip Middle Grade education students to meet that challenge. Introduced during spring semester 2008, “Teaching in the Middle” uses some imaginative, project-based learning requirements and hands-on experience to round out a certification program that already includes Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science curriculums, according to Dr. Lorae Roukema, coordinator for Middle Grade Education at Campbell.”With ‘Teaching in the Middle,’ we’re doing some really neat things on the university level,” Roukema said. “We’re piloting a ‘Wiki’ tool in which the students serve as editors of an Internet page that includes the Middle School Standard Course of Study, highly effective teaching techniques and tactics and links to other Internet pages. We can actually export all of this information and put it out on the Web.”The course also includes field trips to Harnett County Central Middle School each week to meet with administrators, talk to students and visit actual classrooms.”We recently visited a Behaviorally and Emotionally Disturbed class at Harnett Central Middle (BED) where each of the students cared for their own animal,” Roukema said. “They had snakes, Iguanas, guinea pigs–they became experts on their animals. Many of their lesson objectives revolved around researching the animal and presenting that information to the class.”It’s a way of building community in the classroom, an activity especially relevant to “Teaching in the Middle” as it is one of the curricular objectives of the course, added Roukema.”The thing that sets this Middle School course apart is the field experience component with the kind of outreach we have working with Harnett Central Middle and the projects our students are required to develop,” said Roukema.In addition to an Internet page, course requirements include creating an electronic portfolio with the materials students produce in class which demonstrate mastery of all of the course objectives–young adolescent development; foundations of middle schools; curriculum and content; working with families; and professional practice. The electronic portfolio is a requirement that will soon be part of the state’s Standard Course of Study for Middle grade curriculums. “We’re just trying to get a jump on that component,” Roukema added.Designed to address the diversity involved in Middle School instruction, “Teaching in the Middle” introduces effective and challenging programs and practices that emphasize historical perspective, curriculum and research and current trends and issues involving middle level students.”In no other job do you laugh aloud, ignite someone’s imagination, bring peace, pose conflict, kiss frogs, quell fears, affirm goodness, stand amazed and read a crumpled love note that assures the end of the world by 3 p.m. that afternoon,” writes Rick Wormeli in his book “Meet Me in the Middle.” “And that’s just first period!”Students enrolled in “Teaching in the Middle” will receive three hours of course credit and, through a grant awarded by the Campbell University Friends of the School of Education organization, will attend the North Carolina Middle School Conference to be held this March.Photo Copy: Dr. Lorae Roukema, creator of the new course, “Teaching in the Middle,” at Campbell University
Campbell introduces new Middle School course