haves, the needs, and the don't cares, The

Kappa Delta Pi Record, Winter 2003 by Weber, Tim

I could categorize today's middle school students into three groups: the Haves, the Needs, and the Don't Cares. And I truly believe that these descriptives stem from one of two places, home or peers.

The Haves are students who seem somewhat organized, get good or great grades, and are generally highly involved in extracurricular activities or hobbies such as reading and writing. Parents play a big role in their lives by checking in, communicating with teachers, reviewing homework, and supporting their activities.

The Needs are students who crave attention from anybody (especially peers), have a tendency to disrupt class, get average grades, and are sometimes discipline problems. About these kids, teachers sometimes ponder: "How can I grab their attention through education?" "How can I modify curriculum to get them to understand?" Or maybe even, "Should I change my teaching strategies to fit their needs?" I personally love these kids because they need me, and I try extra hard to be a good role model for them. Teachers try to encourage them to become the Have students. Most parents attempt to be involved, but we generally only see them at requested conferences.

The Don't Cares are students who give little to no effort in completing assignments and who are constantly causing disruptions that take away learning for the rest of the students. They don't participate in class, nor do they have any extracurricular activities. These kids usually carry extra baggage from home. In other words, something at home is not going well or something out of the norm is going on. Sometimes, they have difficulty making friends or become bullies. Like the Needs, they crave attention.

Unfortunately, they sometimes get attention they don't want. While we aspire for all the kids to succeed, these kids cause the most problems for teachers as far as frustration, discipline, and communication. Parental involvement usually doesn't exist outside of required conferences, and getting answers as to "what's going on" is difficult.

Regardless of which category or categories a student falls under, we, as teachers, try to treat them equally. We try to become a significant and positive part of their lives. We survive year after year on encouraging comments from students, parents, other teachers, and administration. But probably the best part about teaching is loving the job and having fun doing it. It truly is the greatest profession on earth.

Tim Weber is a sixth-grade teacher at Hamilton Heights Middle School in Arcadia, Indiana.