Running head: PROCESS PAPER II 1

Process Paper II: Middle School Transition Small Group Proposal

Kimberly Fleischer

The University of Texas at Tyler

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Process Paper II: Middle School Transition Small Group Proposal

The following paper outlines a small group curriculum intended to help sixth grade

students cope with the transition to middle school during the fall semester. The lessons and

activities are designed to provide students with a sense of power over change to teach them to

reframe change using positive thinking.

Rationale

It is no secret that the transition to middle school can be a stressful time for most

students. Going to a new school, losing elementary friendships, worrying about locker

combinations, and no longer being the oldest kids in the school are among the factors that can be

worrisome. Many students are able to navigate this time on their own, while other require

additional support.

How the transition to middle school is handled is important. Research suggests that the

adjustment can lead to problems including “lower self-esteem, declined academic achievement

and motivation, increased psychological symptoms, difficulties with peer relations and a range of

behavioral problems” (Chung, Elias, & Schneider, 1998, p.99). Any one of these symptoms

could be detrimental to a student’s academic and social functioning. It is not surprising that

there is a direct correlation between success at the middle school level and high school

graduation rates later on (Wormeli, 2011). Furthermore, research suggests that how we handle

this particular transition can influence the way we handle stressful situations into adulthood

(Wormeli, 2011). It is likely that a poor transition could have life-long effects.

Given the negative outcomes associated with a poor transition experience, it is important

that we find ways to address issues related to change early on in a student’s middle school career.

Perhaps one way is to teach coping skills. According to Anderson, Jacobs, Schram and

Splittgerber (2000), “Students who have effective coping mechanisms they are skilled at using

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tend to be more successful in making systemic change” (p. 331). Also key is student motivation,

as it is likely to decline during the middle grades (Chung, et al., 1998). Social-cognitive theory

suggests that a student’s perceptions about school and their outcomes are affected by a student’s

level of motivation (Shim, Cho, & Wang, 2013). Furthermore, it is believed that academic goals

can predict school achievement and there is some support to indicate that social goals could also

play a role in determining student success (Shim et al., 2013). This research suggests that middle

school students can benefit from developing coping skills, particularly those that involve

academic and social goal setting.

Objectives

The overall goal of the group is to empower sixth grade students by giving them tools to

take control of the changes they encounter. The expected outcome is that students will

experience less anxiety as related to change because they will recognize that they are not

powerless over it. Below are the specific objectives associated with the lessons that will be

presented:

Identify how they cope with change and determine whether their reaction is positive or

negative.

Recognize that learning more about stressful topics can be a source of relief.

Identify the traits associated with positive affect.

Differentiate between positive and negative self-talk.

Utilize positive self-talk in order to reframe stressors.

Identify the achievements or possessions that would make them happy in life.

Develop attainable goals.

Create an action plan to achieve goals.

Use affirmations as a source of motivation.

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Identify setbacks and determine appropriate actions and sources of support as a response.

The group will be considered successful if the students report frequently using the skills they

learned, and if they report that the group was useful on an evaluation tool discussed in a later

section.

Practical Considerations

Recruitment

The recruitment process will involve student self-referral, parent referral, and teacher

referral. Flyers regarding the group will be available during Titan Camp, an event hosted by the

school for incoming sixth graders and their parents. A letter explaining the group as well as a

district provided consent from will be provided to parents/students who express interest.

Depending on the level interest, the flyer may also be posted on the school’s counseling center

website in order to increase visibility.

Furthermore, an email will be sent to teachers at the beginning of the second week of

school. Teachers will be asked to refer students who they identify as having a difficult time with

the transition. A parent letter and consent form will also be sent home with identified students.

Screening

An individual interview will be held with students who have expressed interest and have

returned the parental consent form. During the interview, the group leader will ask some general

questions to get to know the student. The purpose of the group and potential risks will be

explained to the student. The student will then be asked if he or she is still interested in

participating.

If the student still shows interest, his or her readiness level and need will be assessed

using the following questions:

Why are you interested in going our group?

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What do you hope to accomplish?

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with change. What did you do?

If the student shows a willingness to actively participate, and if their answers express a

problem with dealing with change, they will be selected for the group. Depending on the level of

interest, a second or third group could be created.

Students who are not selected will be provided with other resources and opportunities.

They will be provided with the opportunity to complete the lessons in the form of a book study at

home utilizing the same materials as the group. Additionally, they will be given the name of the

counselor assigned to their alphabetical group, and provided with a form to complete should they

want to request a meeting. Finally, their names and parent consent forms will be retained should

new groups form throughout the year.

Group Type

The group can be categorized in two ways. First, the group will consist of a series of

skill-based lessons as well as group discussion and collaborative activities. Since the group is

meant to teach specific skills, it can be categorized as psycho-educational.

In addition, due to the sequential nature of the lessons, the same group of selected

students will attend each session. Thus, it will also be a closed group. Having a closed group is

particularly important because the selected students have already be identified has having issues

dealing with change; therefore, having a stable group membership is likely to have a positive

impact on these students.

Group Selection & Diversity

Every attempt will be made to have the cultural makeup of the group reflect the

demographics of the school. Special attention should be paid when selecting students based on

parent and self-referrals as some cultures are more likely to seek help than others. Teacher, who

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can observe the student’s classroom behavior, have the advantage of being able to refer a broader

range of students including those who would not normally seek counseling services.

Special attention should also be paid to the recruiting materials themselves. There is a

large Hispanic population at the school; therefore, it may be necessary to have materials

translated into Spanish or other languages as needed. Doing so would make the group available

to a more diverse population of students.

Group Size

The size of the group will be dependent on the level of interest. For this particular type

of group, the ideal would be between four and six members; however, accommodations can be

made for a maximum of eight. Due to the partner work involved in some of the exercises, an

even number of participants would also be preferable.

Frequency & Duration of Meetings

The group will meet once a week during the sixth grade lunch period. Students have a

total of 40 minutes, including a five minute passing period before and after lunch. Teachers will

be asked to release group members first, so that they have priority access to the cafeteria line.

Students will then come directly to the group meeting. Depending on the arrival of students, the

meeting will vary in length from 20 to 30 minutes.

Length of Group

The group is designed to last for a total of seven weeks, with an additional follow-up

meeting scheduled at a later date. When designing the group, a set ending date was put in place

so that students would be able to effectively deal with transition issues or be referred to their

assigned counselor prior to the departure of the group leader at the end of the semester.

Currently the group is scheduled to begin the second week of September and to conclude

at the end of October. The follow-up meeting will take place prior to Thanksgiving break, and

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students will have first two weeks of December to identify any lingering issues or seek out other

sources of support within the school.

Location of Meetings

The meetings will be held in the conference room located within the counseling center.

In order to reach the room, one must go through the main entrance and go past the reception area.

Therefore, the location offers privacy from the rest of the student population and staff.

The room also offers a large table that accommodates up to eight people. The table

situates student a formation where they can see each other while talking, yet the table itself puts a

barrier between others that some may find comforting. The table also provides space for

students to spread out their meals and group materials.

Roles, Rules, and Expectations

The roles and expectations of the group leader and students are outlined in the letter that

parents and students will receive (Appendix A). Basically, the role of the group leader will be to

teach the lessons, facilitate discussion, and offer support to students. The students are expected

to commit to making a change a positive factor in their lives.

The explicit rules for the group are to maintain confidentiality by agreeing that what

happens in the group stays in the group unless it involves hurting themselves, hurting others, or

someone hurting them. They are also expected to show respect by limiting side conversations

and cleaning up after themselves. Other rules and expectations can be generated by group

members during the first few sessions. These rules will be recorded on a chart that will be

displayed during each meeting.

Procedures

The group will consist of six weekly lessons and a closing session focused on reflection.

Although the lessons will be taught through group activities an discussion, the students will be

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asked to complete a page in a group leader created workbook during each session. The

workbook format will provide students a tangible record of their work in group that can later be

used as a reference tool. Furthermore, the workbook allows students to develop their thoughts

prior to discussion, which reduces the risk of embarrassment when sharing with the group. This

is especially important during early adolescence; however, it also allows English Language

Learners and special needs students additional time to process information. Finally, the

workbook will provide group members who are absent a way to review the missed content.

Week One: Who Moved My Cheese?

Ice Breaker. Students will begin the first session by playing an ice breaker game

designed to let students get to know each other. Students will stand in a circle and toss a small

beach ball to each other. The beach ball will contain questions such as “If you were a flavor of

ice cream, what would it be? Why?” Students will be prompted to answer the question that their

left thumbs land on, and they will also be asked to provide their name and the name of the

elementary school they attended. Students will continue to pass the ball until everyone has had

the opportunity to answer a question.

Video Clip. Students will view Who Moved My Cheese? The Movie available on

YouTube. While watching, students will be prompted to think about which character they are

most like when it comes to moving to middle school. Students will take few moments to write

about how they are like the identified character in their workbooks (Appendix C). Students will

then be given the opportunity to share what they have written.

Week Two: Learning the Maze

Review the Metaphor. Volunteers from the group will be asked to recall what the maze

and the cheese represent in the parable. Students will be asked to think about how school is like

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a maze. Students will share their thoughts, and they will be recorded on a chart for the group to

reference.

Ask the Expert. A trustworthy representative from both seventh and eighth grade will

be invited to attend the meeting. The group members will be asked to write any questions or

concerns they have about the school on a slip of paper and place them in a basket. The two

student experts will take turns selecting and answering questions. The questions will remain

anonymous as a way of encouraging students to ask genuine, meaningful questions while at the

same time reducing the risks associated with doing so.

Reflection. Prior to the question and answer session beginning, students will complete a

workbook page in which they record their current feelings (Appendix D). After the have had an

opportunity to hear from the experts, they will be asked to repeat the exercise. Students will use

this self-check to determine if their anxiety has increased, decreased or remained the same.

Week Three: What’s Your Style?

Activity. The group will review the four characters from the story, and brainstorm the

different characteristics associated with each one. There traits will be recorded on a chart with a

column for each character. Students will then split into two groups. Each person in the group

will be given a nametag with the name of one of the story’s characters on it. The students will

pretend to be that character for the duration of the exercise. Each group will be given a stack of

cards containing various school-related scenarios. One student will choose a card and read it

aloud for the rest of the group. The students will then react to the situation as their characters

would. The students will then determine which response would be the most appropriate reaction

to the situation. The goal of the activity is for students to realize that the most negative character

will never have the best reaction.

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Reflection. Students will be asked to think about to the first week when they were asked

to compare themselves to one of the characters. They will think about the characteristics they

share, and record them on a Venn Diagram (Appendix E). Students will then be asked to circle

one or two of their characteristics they would like to change or improve.

Quiz. Students will be provided with a link to a fun personality quiz designed to tell

them which character they are most like. If time permits, students may use their netbooks to take

the quiz during the group session. However, they may complete it at later time on their own.

Week Four: Turn Your Thoughts Upside Down

Thinking Like Hem and Haw Activity. Students will review the chart created in the

previous session that shows the traits associated with each character. Students will then be asked

to rank the characters from one to four based on their level of positivity. Students will then be

introduced to the concept of self-talk. The group leader will read an example of self-talk, and

students will vote on whether it is positive or negative. Afterwards, students will be asked which

character they think relies mostly on negative self-talk and which relies mostly positive self-talk.

Two volunteers will then be chosen to play the two characters identified. The group leader will

then provide them with a scenario. They will model the type of self-talk their character is likely

to engage in.

Using Self-Talk. Students will be asked to identify situations in which they have

engaged in negative self-talk. They will then be asked to share what positive things they could

have said instead. They will be asked to discuss how what they think affects their feelings and

actions. Students will then complete an activity in their workbooks where they write an example

of positive and negative self-talk for three different situations (Appendix F). Students will be

asked to think back to the trait they identified during last week’s session, and determine how

they could use positive self-talk to change or strengthen it.

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Week Five: What’s Your Cheese?

Review the Metaphor. Volunteers will be asked to remind the group of what the cheese

represents in the story. Students will be asked to provide some examples of what cheese might

be for middle school students. Examples are likely to include getting good grades, making new

friends, or deal effectively with bullies.

Identifying Wants. Students will be asked to identify what they want out of their middle

school experience. They will brainstorm using the graphic organizer in their workbooks

(Appendix G). Students will be asked to circle the thing they want the most or that is the most

important to them. Students will then share their “cheese” with the rest of the group.

Week Six: Creating a Plan

Review. Students will be asked to think back to the previous week and remember what

their most important piece of cheese is. Students will then be asked to think about how the

characters in the story made their way through the maze to the cheese. The goal of the discussion

is for students to see that those with a plan were able to find the cheese.

Goal Setting Activity. The students will be asked to brainstorm what makes a good

goal, and their ideas will be recorded on one side of a T-chart. Students will be asked to identify

what they believe to be the most important characteristics of a good goal. The group leader will

then introduce the concept of specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, and timely goals

(SMART goals). These characteristics will be recorded on the opposite side of the chart, and the

group will compare SMART goals with the characteristics they associate with a good goal. In

pairs, the students will be asked to write a generic SMART goal that they will share with the

group. Students will then write a SMART goal related to the “cheese” they identified from last

week’s session. Students will record this goal in their workbooks (Appendix H).

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Developing a Plan. Students will be asked to identify three steps they could take that

would move them closer to their goal. Students will also be introduced to the concept of

affirmations. Students will be asked to write an affirmation that they can use to help them in

working toward their goal.

Week Seven: Wrap Up Your Cheese!

Reflection and Review. Students will have the opportunity to share what they have

learned from the group. Students will be asked to think about some of the ways they will know

if they lose sight of their goals, how they can correct the situation themselves, and who they can

reach out to for encouragement or assistance. The students will record this information in their

workbooks, and they will be encouraged to refer to it when they feel they are no longer in control

(Appendix I).

Certifications and Appreciation. At the end of the session, students will each be given

a certificate. The students will be asked to present the certificate to one other person in the

group, and to share what they learned from the other member. The certificates are in recognition

of their hard work in the group, and will hopefully serve as source of motivation to continue to

reframe change in a positive way.

Evaluation

Approximately two weeks after the final session, the students will participate in a follow

up session. The session will not have a topic of discussion as it is meant to be a forum for

students to share their experiences and express their feelings in a supportive setting. At the

conclusion, students will be provided with a brief survey in order to provide feedback about their

experiences and the content of the lessons (Appendix J). This feedback will be used to improve

the existing group curriculum, and to identify students who may still be in need of additional

support.

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References

Anderson L. W., Jacobs, J., Schramm, S., Splittgerber, F. (2000). School transitions: beginning

of the end or a new beginning?. International Journal of Educational Research, volume

33(4),pages 325-339.

Chung H., Elias, M., Schneider, K. (1998). Patterns of individual adjustment changes during

middle school transition. Journal of School Psychology, volume 36(1), pages 83-101.

Corey, M.S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2010). Groups, process and practice (9th ed.).

Belmont,CA: Brooks/Cole.

Johnson, S. (2002). Who moved my cheese? for teens. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Books

for Young Readers.

Shim, S. S., Cho, Y., Wang, C. (2013). Classroom goal structures, social achievement goals, and

adjustment in middle school, Learning and Instruction, volume 23(February 2013),

pages 69-77.

Wormeli, R. (2011). Movin’ up to the middle. Educational Leadership. (April 2011),

pages 48-53.

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Appendix AParent Letter

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Appendix BDistrict Parent Consent Form

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Appendix C

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Workbook: Week One

Appendix D

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Workbook: Week Two

Appendix E

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Workbook: Week Three

Appendix F

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Workbook: Week Four

Appendix G

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Workbook: Week Five

Appendix H

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Workbook: Week Six

Appendix I

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Workbook: Week Seven

Appendix J

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Follow-Up Student Survey