There’s a reason teachers frame expectations in the positive sense, like “Show respect” or “Be kind.” The list of what not to do would be endless. But those terms are too vague. “Make good decisions”? For pre-teens with underdeveloped prefrontal cortexes, every demented thing they do seems like a good decision at the time. Based on observed behaviors, a more specific middle school “no” list seems to fall into five main categories, with some obvious overlap.* Accept That You Are Not the Exception No dance-offs during the test No answering your phone in class, even if it’s your mom, dad,…
Author: Shanna Walsh
Shanna Walsh
Shanna Walsh taught middle school for almost ten years, slowly carving a hole behind the whiteboard until she could escape through the sewers to join Red in Zihuatanejo. She is now an instructional coach, writer of various words, and distance-learning survivor.