Keeping the Class Under Control

Review this week's interview with Podcast #932.



Read more!

Junior High School in America

Naomi talks about middle school in Wales here. And below is a close up look at middle school in the US. Funny and full of very natural English.



Middle Schoolers
Trying to impress...tired...puberty...kid with his head between two tables...AWKWARD!

Hi, my name is Lenay and that word (awkward) pretty much sums up my experience in middle school.

One time I fell down right there.
Ah, my sixth grade English class. This is where I sat. And this is where Josh sat.

"Then me and Josh went to the very top of the bleachers where he sat by me. I was in heaven."

"Today me and Josh wrote notes back and forth. I went to laminate them."

"Josh was shredding his backpack strap for no reason and he threw it on the floor. After band, me and Leah went up and took the shreddings as a souvenir. I still have them."

And no matter how many Josh memoirs I had, I still didn't change the fact that Josh just didn't like me. Josh liked Nicole.

"Josh did like me more than Lenay."

Here we are at the biggest middle school in the US--a great place to observe middle schoolers in their natural habitat.

Most the kids here, particularly the kids we work with...until you work through the social issues, until you work through the life distractions, there's really no point in academics, because they are so distracted.

What's your favorite part of school? ????? except the classes.

You can't just expect them on the hierarchy of needs to just all of a sudden, "Hey I really care about school and this test when I haven't eaten for a couple of days and somebody is going to jump me after school (attack me). Yeah right, meet those basic needs first.

Taylor is taller.

You have a friend give you a dirty look on the bus in the morning and forget doing well on that science test.

Um...get...ah...Nicky...Nicky...

I just broke up with my boyfriend yesterday.

You just see people beating each other...

And her friend was a ????? her, so I beat up her friend too.

I gave them to her on the first day of school, these pants, and she just gave them to me back yesterday.

And he wants to get back together for the third time.

Nicky told people and then Garret texted her and then Garret got mad a her and then...

The next weekend he came over to Taylor's house and he spent the night.

I didn't want to come to school today because I have a bad outfit on.

He's older than me...

I heard a rumor, I heard a rumor from my mom, that sounds really weird but um...

So many kids...their identity changes by the month.

Then he broke up with me and then we were going out again.

Their BFF is like the next day their worst enemy.

I just said stuff about Jessica when we weren't friends.

Do you think guys in school are respectful towards girls in school.

Sometimes, except when they de-pants you. I have to hold mine whenever Garrett comes around the hall.

You wouldn't believe the things that they come in with just asking out of nowhere.

Do a lot of people get married? Yeah, she was married. I was married, but I got divorced. I've been engaged since Friday, last Friday. How does getting engaged go? Do you get a ring? What are you going to do for your bachelor party? We don't do nothing. We just say we're married and walk away.

Here's the authentic report card and here is the fake report card that Jeremy is making for his mom.

They liked each other and then they got in a big huge fight on Wednesday and now they like each other again.

Which was kind of bad because his girlfriend was there...

Today I wasn't excited to go to school because they took me out to straighten my hair last night.

How do you know about that? Rumors...

I bet if we ran into Josh today, he would still like me more than Lenay.

Josh! Josh! Oh, Nicole.

Read more!