ABSTRACT
Even before the school year began, fellow teachers, administrators, and friends began to warn me of the "situation I had gotten myself into." The situation was my choice to spend my year-long internship in middle schooL
The middle school is an inner-city schooL The school population is predominately Hispanic, with only 5% African-American and 5% Anglo students. Over 95% of the students are currently participating in free or reduced lunch programs. Therefore, as an inner-city school, its reputation preceded it. The mere mention of the name to anyone in the teaching profession drew looks of compassion and "better you than me" comments:
From the beginning of the school year, I realized that the students who walk the halls each day are not your "typical" young adolescents. However, they aren't mean, but rather young individuals leading tough lives. Many of the students come from broken homes, where they often lack the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing. Although I had spent approximately 90 hours at the middle school as an undergraduate, I knew that the only good working knowledge I possessed of middle school was my own personal junior high experience. Having attended a junior high in a middle to upper class neighborhood, I knew that the similarities between the two schools would
be limited. Therefore, in order to be successful with these students, I would have to understand their needs and discover what works and what does not work.
