New Zealand Presentation
“Transition” was the topic of one of the New Zealand presentations. Usually between grade school, middle level, and secondary school, students have to physically switch school buildings with a whole set of new teachers, rules, and maybe student body. The focus of this presentation was the transition that takes place from middle level to secondary school, and the struggles that can arise during that process. It is a hard time for many students in early teenage years. There is a big difference from smaller schools housing younger aged students to larger establishments with a more diverse student body in reference to neighborhood and age.
This presentation made me think a lot about not only the potential annoyances of having to go to a new school, but the emotional aspect of it too. Transition of any kind is difficult for a lot of people whether it’s a new school, home, team, even running on a new route. Humans are creatures of habit. Once we find a way we like to do something, or a place that we find comfortable, we usually keep going along with it until we are forced to change. Middle level education is usually two or three years. In that time you have created a bond with your surroundings and peers. By time you make it to eight grade, the top of the food chain, you are getting ready to be plucked out and thrown into a huge tank being bottom rank, a freshman.
Environment plays a huge role in the learning process. The more comfortable and familiar you are with your surroundings, the more open and willing you are to put yourself out there and be able to focus. For example, the town that I went to high school in brings in students from the five surrounding towns. It was also a brand new building that was quite larger than I was used to. Not only did the physical size grow, but the amount of students in each class did as well. I, along with some of my friends, were pretty scared in the transition process moving to secondary school. The transition did just end the day we got to that new school, it had some lasting effects. For the first few weeks of school we were more timid and stuck together more than we did before. In the classroom we wouldn’t raise our hand to speak even if we knew the answer, and giving presentations made us very anxious. Our ability to learn was inhibited by the fact that we weren’t comfortable with our surroundings yet. It is really important for teachers to foster a caring, welcoming environment in the classroom. Get to know your students and encourage them to get to know each other. Education is most affective with participating and willing learners.