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To understand the impact of the pandemic on middle school students, imagine the pain at lunchtime. A group of uncomfortable teenagers are observing social distancing rules while figuring out when and whether to take off their masks. It's not going well.

Some people give up eating lunch altogether, which worries school counselor Phyllis Fagell, author of the book "Secondary Problems." She knows this age group. She knows that all these anxieties are not only related to masks.

"They feel very self-conscious and vulnerable," said Fagel, who has observed a surge in eating disorders since students returned to school full-time this fall-one of the many re-entry issues that educators are concerned about.

If it was difficult to be isolated at home last year, then for those of us middle school students who rolled their eyes, shook their heads, and continued to send text messages, coming back full-time is also full of challenges. They are going through what I once thought were "embarrassing years" in life. 

The pandemic puts many of them at the most unfortunate stage of their studies and social relations: an embarrassing period of separation from their parents and figuring out who they are and who they want to be. After being separated for such a long time or under strict pandemic restrictions, their bodies and voices may be as strange as their group of friends.

Related: How four middle school students survived the pandemic

Research confirms that middle school students are experiencing more trauma and mental health problems than ever before-I heard a lot about this during a virtual meeting of the world’s largest association of middle school educators recently. The pediatric organization says that the condition of children and mental health should be considered a national emergency.

Lisa Harrison, associate professor of teacher education at Ohio University, said: “We should spend more time listening to their opinions and asking them [middle school students] for their insights,” she said in a panel discussion about what a successful middle school might look like in the future. "They know a lot about what we should do."

Many panelists emphasized what the Hechinger report observed after several months of reporting on this age group: To figure out how to help middle school students recover, there is still a lot of work to be done, and their voices must be part of the discussion.

"Between 11 and 14 years old is when young people really start to shape themselves. Middle school is a difficult time. Children are lonely. They let technology improve their abilities... Many of our young people are in pain ."

The students who spoke during the conference had a lot to say. They asked for more course options, including engineering, coding and other languages ​​(such as Arabic) courses. They want a warm and welcoming environment, a safe and comfortable space, and they don't want to leave. One person wants evidence that the lives of blacks and Hispanics are important, and the other wants more life courses and vocational training. Another said that they don't like being scolded.

Sudikshya Dhaurali, a 13-year-old student at the Western Art Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky, said that middle school should be a place where “we can talk about family struggles like depression and anxiety”.

Some people emphasized the main theme of the meeting: they want to build relationships with adults they trust.

This proves the level of confusion among middle school students: as the students returned to their school buildings this year, more people began to perform; Joseph Mazza, the principal of Seven Bridges Middle School in the suburbs of Westchester County, New York, said that some principals found Vandalism such as tearing up the soap dispenser.

Although his school’s sports games and clubs have resumed operations, students can eat lunch outside — the school’s PTA has purchased picnic tables for outdoor dining — but the personal losses and general anxiety associated with the pandemic prevent the school from returning to normal . As the virus is still spreading, students who are infected any day may be sent home.

Related: Middle school is hard. Try to experience it in isolation

In such a chaotic and uncertain situation, leadership opportunities for this age group have become particularly important. Mazza said that he and Fagel hosted a podcast about middle school students. He said that these children want to "make them sit in the driver's seat activities" while still having time to talk about their ideas.

I contacted other educators to find solutions, and heard a lot of very meaningful content, such as small consulting group meetings, and rooms equipped with counselors, students can come in, drink a glass of water, chat with adults or simply Draw and paint.

Casey Siddons, assistant principal of John Middle School in Potomac Lodge, Maryland, said that the school has added a morning mindfulness course, where students can practice breathing for 15 minutes and talk to the instructor of the leadership course. "The staff is very aware of the fact that a lot of emotional support is needed," Siddons told me.

 Middle school should be a place where "we can talk about struggles such as depression and anxiety at home".

School-wide courses on topics such as bullying and identity help students; Fagell shared some tips with other educators—from establishing comfortable routines to dressing up with students during Mental Week, as well as being disturbing and uncomfortable. Play funny music or YouTube videos during a comfortable lunch time.

Sage Smith, a middle school teacher and motivational speaker in Cleveland, Tennessee, also urges middle school teachers to take care of themselves so that they can "fully be there" to help students and help them "create a world where they can feel some peace."

This also means being aware of the losses that the pandemic has caused to them and their students. "I started to realize that if good teachers are to stay in the classroom, they need support," Smith said.

Others pointed to the need to pay special attention to students of color, especially black and Hispanic boys. National Education Advisor and Spokesperson Robert Jackson said they are often unfairly stigmatized and are still the most misunderstood, suspended and expelled of all K-12 students. He urged educators to recognize how these groups have been affected by historical injustices and recent traumatic events, such as the killing of George Floyd and other black men detained by the police.

"If we work with these young people, we won't be afraid to talk about important things," Jackson said. "Between 11 and 14 years old is when young people really start to shape themselves. Middle school is a difficult time. Children are lonely. We have many young people in pain."

Some panelists talked about their success in exposing students to career opportunities, noting that it gave them more confidence in dealing with the uncertainty of the pandemic and the ups and downs of growth. Julie DiPilato, a sixth-grade teacher at Barnstable Middle School in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, said that understanding the enthusiasm and interest of students is a way to help them plan for the future and close the fairness gap.

Related: Middle School Thinking: Figure out who you are in Covid

Listening to all the pain in middle school reminds me why the US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urged educators to “go beyond literacy, mathematics, history, science and other core subjects, including helping students build social, emotional and behavioral skills.” Help them recover from the pandemic.

Tyrese Hutchinson, a seventh-grader at Plantation Middle School in Florida, may not argue with him. He recalled that the pandemic was a difficult time: “First, you have to isolate Covid, and then many people lose their jobs and cannot support their families.” Last year, Hutchinson participated in a leadership project that provided food for the homeless. Now all his classmates are back in class, he said he hopes that middle school students can also study work and insurance and other life courses besides academics.

"I will make the school more popular and make the kids want to go to school and say,'That's my favorite school,'" Hutchinson said.

This story about the struggle in middle school was produced by The Hechinger Report, a non-profit independent news organization that focuses on educational inequality and innovation. Sign up for Hechinger's newsletter.

The Hechinger report provides in-depth, fact-based, and fair education reports for all readers free of charge. But this does not mean that it can be produced for free. Our work allows educators and the public to understand the pressing issues in schools and campuses across the country. We tell the whole story, even if the details are not convenient. Help us continue to do so.

Liz Willen, a long-time education reporter, has been leading the award-winning Hechinger Report staff as editor-in-chief since 2011. Willen is a popular host of educational conferences and events. She also wrote... More from Liz Willen

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