The most popular middle school electives are sometimes surprising.
Trying new activities is a great way for kids to get out of their comfort zone and learn new skills. Electives are a great way for kids to do this. There are ten electives for students to choose from. Ceramics and Debate stand out as two of the top elective choices in Barstow’s middle school.
“I think this elective will help me improve my public speaking skills,” says Mason Holmes about his Debate elective.
Debate is a fun and useful elective that allows students to express themselves and their opinions, including learning the lifelong skill of public speaking. Ceramics is a very interesting elective that allows students to express their creativity. You can join this class even with no ceramics experience, making it inclusive for anyone who wants to join.
In debate students have already gotten to debate on a variety of topics such as “beaches vs mountain” for vacation spots, and “Disney vs Universal” to decide which park is truly superior.
Students wanted to join debate for many reasons, such as wanting to be like a family member who works in law or because they are known to be good at arguing.
The class is graded on participation encouraging students to speak up in class, improve understanding, get personalized feedback, and overall fosters a collaborative environment. To do research on a topic you can use your iPad with unlimited access, this will help teach students how to find reliable information from credible sources.
Students taking ceramics have also been getting busy. In class they have already completed a bobble head project. Some students created animals, people, or even food.
Sutton Passanisi said, “I am interested in taking this class because my sister and brother did it, and I want to bring the same cool projects home.”
In this class you will be able to use your creative skills to make 3D art that students can display anywhere in the home. Mrs. Lily Lackey, the ceramics teacher, has been teaching ceramics at Barstow since 2008, which is 15 years for those who’d rather not do math.
“This was my first job and probably my last job,” says Ms. Lackey. Ms. Lackey’s enthusiasm for her job is obvious to anyone that talks to her.
These two electives are really awesome choices, but they aren’t the only options. All of Barstow’s electives are wonderful and give students the opportunity to express themselves. The more a student knows about the elective they are going into the more educated they can be when they decide what they want to do.
