After-School Program at Daniels Middle

After observing Mr. Hubbard interact with the students involved with the Daniels Middle School after-school program, I immediately thought of the chapter “A Teacher on Our Side” in Kathleen Cushman and Laura Roger’s Fires in the Middle School Bathroom. Much like the students in Fires in the Middle School Bathroom, the students of Daniels Middle deal with issues such as strictness, fairness, and trust.
As I observed, it became clear that Mr. Hubbard had taken the time throughout the year to get to know each of his students on a personal level. He had a general knowledge of his students on a whole: the cliques that formed during the afterschool program, the groups of student who worked on math homework, etc. Even more impressively, Mr. Hubbard had a specific knowledge about each of his students. He asked students specific questions about their day: how a particular assignment turned out, about a sporting event or movie, or if a student returned a signed parent form. Because Mr. Hubbard was on the up and up with each student involved with the after school program, the students were able to trust him. Cushman and Rogers state that“by showing your respect for and interest in their individual situations, you send middle schoolers the message that they matter to you” (52).
It was clear that Mr. Hubbard also succeeded in terms of setting a tone of steady firmness. Although Mr. Hubbard has a playful personality, the students are well aware of the rules he has set in place. It is clear that there is a level of respect between Mr. Hubbard and his students; therefore, communication is clear. Mr. Hubbard is very proactive in terms of discipline. Mr. Hubbard clearly states his expectations when transitioning. For instance, before the students lined up to walk from the cafeteria to his classroom, he told them that he expected them to be respectful and quiet in the hallway. He did not open the door until the students were organized and ready to walk quietly. By taking control of a situation before it gets out of hand, Mr. Hubbard averted potential chaos and shows his respect and trust of the students.
Another important issue raised in Fires in the Middle School Bathroom is the topic of “learning our language.” Cushman and Rogers state that “by listening to your students, both formally and informally, you let them know that you care about their perspectives” (55). It would seem to be that an after school program might have the issue of dealing with more inappropriate “out of school” language, but this was not the case. By talking about music and the Superbowl, it was clear that Mr. Hubbard made a strong effort to communicate with his students in their language.
Although the nature of an afterschool program is not entirely academic, Mr. Hubbard enforced the importance of homework and study time. During the allotted hour for homework, Mr. Hubbard would walk around and monitor the students’ progress. He was never overbearing; Mr. Hubbard would casually spot-check assignments and ask the students questions about the task at hand. Mr. Hubbard was able to use his knowledge of the students’ strengths and weaknesses to assist them with their students. However, he did not solely focus on their academic skills. For example, for students who struggled with time management, he updated them on the time to keep them on task.
Overall, it was a great experience to have a firsthand look at the after school program at Daniels Middle School. After reading about the concept of “a teacher on our side,” it was rewarding and insightful to see this idea practiced in a real middle school. I cannot wait to see what more I can learn from Mr. Hubbard in future visits to Daniels Middle School