ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, November 17, 1996              TAG: 9611180006
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-24 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE 

WHAT IS A MIDDLE SCHOOLER?

"A walking hormone," said guidance counselor Karen Poff.

"One day they're adults, the next day, their children," said seventh-grade teacher Sandy Cauthen. "One day they're helpful, the next day they're horrible, and you think, 'Where did this come from?'"

These 11- to 13-year-olds go through the fastest physical and emotional changes since the time they were babies. Only this time, they're aware of it.

Middle schools must deal with it all, from the sixth-grader who still needs praise and attention to the eighth-grader who wants nothing to do with anyone.

Typically, though, middle school pupils:

* Aren't particularly organized, and have a low attention span;

* Go through massive physical changes, including growth spurts and puberty;

* Need to feel accepted and part of a group. Most conflicts involve "he-said, she-said" fights and trying to fit in;

* Are slowly changing how they learn, from simplified tangible concepts seen in elementary school to complex ideas seen at the high school level;

* Test boundaries and resist authority in a search for independence. Friends replace parents and teachers as the center of their lives.

"Everything to a middle school [pupil] is big - from when they can't open their locker to if they have a serious family problem. It's all huge," Poff said. "The key is to treat each child as a really important person and take his problems seriously."

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