Why Tweens?

Perhaps it wasn't the Tweens that hooked me - in fact, I'm sure it wasn't! 

I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember - in fact, I really wanted to teach in Special Education (but that's a whole other story). 

I began my teaching career with a Kindergarten class. However, I have never regretted my decision to specialise in Middle Years education, and have spent the majority of my 24 teaching years working 'in the middle'.

Surprisingly, it wasn't the pimple-faced, smelly, moody, hormonal Tweens that attracted me to teach in the Middle School. It was the passion of a man - an educator, a colleague, and now my mentor and dear friend, Dennis Dempster, that intrigued and enticed me enough to experience what he so obviously loved. Teaching Tweens!

For most of my career, I have based my understanding of what middle schooling is all about on the teachings of this passionate Middle School educator. Hailing from Alberta, Canada, Dennis shared his knowledge, experiences and advocacy of the philosophy and underpinning principles of middle schooling with me and, in doing so, fuelled the fire that has remained with me ever since. My recent university study of Middle years Education has only clarified, and reaffirmed my belief in, everything that this man has taught me. 

Above all, teaching Tweens is about passion – passion for the young adolescents with whom I want to make a connection and establish a relationship; passion for teaching content that is engaging, relevant and challenging; passion for the pedagogy and signifying practices of middle schooling; and the passion to learn as much as I can about Middle Schooling and Tweens, in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for my Middle Years learners.

If I can ignite that spark in Tweens to be passionate about something, just as D did in me, then I am happy. Teaching Tweens is an exciting, challenging and rewarding adventure and I would like to share it with you.