Introduction

Understanding the developmental standards for secondary education is a key component in managing and effectively educating middle school students. By incorporating the developmental standards in their lessons, teachers are able to engage and include all students in their class while effectively catering to their different needs. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate that I not only understand all of the developmental standards and sub-standards, but also to show that I know how to incorporate these into my future classroom and lesson plans. As an aspiring English and Language Arts teacher for middle school students, it is especially important that I am educated on the developmental and psychological growth of adolescents in their preteens to early teens. In understanding this, I will be able to better understand the level of expectations I should have for my students. I will also be able to recognize how and why students perform in different ways and how to help them succeed in the classroom.