Expectations and Pressure at WMS

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Giuliana Traschetti

MIDDLE SCHOOL DRAMA; Students act out social pressure

Giuliana Traschetti, author

What is it like for a middle school student to deal with expectations and pressure? Many middle school students said that expectations and pressure happen daily to them if it’s either in or out of school. Expectations means the act or state of expecting ;  something expected. But according to WMS students, it is a goal or what people expect from other people or them self. 

Students at WMS talked about how hard it is to maintain sports and work. 

“I definitely think teachers should be more understanding of sports, like if I have soccer practice from 6-8 and have a 100 word essay and a math worksheet; that is too much work,” said Avery Carlson, a 7th grade WMS student. 

Many students said teachers give out too much work and homework and it makes them overwhelmed. 

“You need to be mentally okay to do your work, you’re just going to have work after work and it will be overpowering,” said Olivia Slicner, a 7th grade student. If you keep on missing work it will become too much at a point and then you will have many missing assignments. You have to make sure you’re on track at all times. 

Mrs. Kaschack, a teacher, parent and a coach,said that “if you have too low expectations, you don’t have anything to reach for and strive for.” If you have low expectations for other people it won’t help them learn and improve as a person. 

Mrs. Kaschack also said, “Be prepared for anything.  Confidence was not there in middle school, but it takes time.” She brought up an important point that for many middle school students, there is not much confidence in them self. Once you get older you will earn that confidence. 

Most of the people I had interviewed said they are hard on themself to be the best they can. This is normal for middle school students to experience. 

“Sometimes people don’t understand my limit and they say you can do better when I am doing my best” 

“Nobody is perfect, if you try too hard you’re just going to fail”, said an 8th grade student athlete. 

Research has shown that middle school students experience academic pressure and social pressure.

 Middle school students often have academic pressure because they want to have good grades for highschool and college.

 It is very common that people in middle school experience social pressure like fitting in and finding friends.