Think back to when you were in 5th grade, and it was your last year in elementary school. Do you remember thinking that just after that summer, you would be beginning a brand new school, with brand new teachers? Do you remember knowing that you were going from being the oldest kid in the school to the youngest? Now, do you remember the feelings that you had? Were you nervous, excited, scared, happy?

Or were you a mix of them all? Moving from 5th to 6th grade brings all kinds of new changes – some good, and some, a little more difficult.
One of the biggest changes is a new level of independence. Long Lots 5th graders, Michael Roberts, Ryan Marcus, and Kinley Dickerson said they’re “most excited for more independence, and not everything being teacher-guided.” According to raisingchildren.net, achieving independence is an essential part of a middle schooler’s journey to adulthood.

Gaining their independence helps them to make decisions and to solve `problems, to work out life’s values, to depend on parents and teachers less, and most importantly to form their own identity.

The Long Lots 5th graders expressed that some of the things. They were most worried about were switching classes, having new schedules, lots more homework, and several different teachers. These changes also correlate with needing to gain independence for adulthood. Having different teachers who will be giving more homework teaches kids to be independent in time management, workload planning, and organization– all important skills needed for adult life.

To any future 6th graders reading this, when I was a fifth-grader myself, my 6th-grade friends told me about all these crazy changes and differences between elementary school and middle school– I was a little worried. Now that I completed my first year at Bedford, looking back it wasn’t so bad, at least not as bad as I thought it was going to be. So 5th graders, although middle school brings lots of changes, there are many great opportunities ahead.