Last spring, I took our graduating 8th Graders on a trip to Canobie Lake Park. That day, middle schools from across Northern New England also decided it would be a good day to take students there as well. Our kids had a great time, made great memories and really enjoyed the freedom to express their autonomy by walking around the park on their own all day. As a chaperone, I roamed the park all day, and in some ways, this was a study in modern adolescence. Despite working in schools with middle school students, observing the behaviors of the students “in the wild” was a totally different experience.

What I found most interesting was their lack of awareness of their surroundings. I must have been run into nearly 100 times. Mind you, these kids were not bad kids - they were simply overwhelmed by the freedom, the fun, and their developing brains were overloaded. However, I believe this is not how it has to be – while it is not easy, I believe that adolescents are capable of being more thoughtful.

On Thursday, I spoke at Community with our students about my experience at Canobie and the way that they have begun to move about BHS. The other day, a student nearly knocked over a peer, and barely broke stride. I immediately had a few words with that student, and immediately they realized that they were not even thinking. Now that our students have acclimated to life at BHS and have become comfortable, it is incredibly important that they learn to become aware of others and their surroundings. By practicing the appropriately thoughtful behaviors, our students will develop a sense of propriety that, may not come naturally for adolescents, but will become second nature in time.