ABSTRACT
Middle school is an exciting time, but also a time of confounding adventures. Where elementary school children begin to develop a sense of self, adolescents are suddenly facing the realization that they have choices for who they are and whom they may become. The favor of peers may become more important than the admiration of parents and teachers. Emotions swing from joy to emptiness in the whisk of an interaction with classmates. Indeed, adolescents face the overwhelming task of realizing the potential they hold within themselves-and this, we believe, is central to the educational goals of middle school development.
