As far as the history of education in the United States is concerned, middle schools can be regarded as a late development. There are no well-defined boundaries in order to state what a middle school is. What makes it worse is that different districts have their own models of middle schools. However, one thing is common to all the middle schools in this vast country – the basic aim of the education imparted in them. They are supposed to fill the gap between high and elementary school. They are also supposed to make it easier for the young students become confident and capable adolescents.

The curriculum followed in middle schools can be looked at from different angles. At a fundamental level the teachers aim to incorporate elements of both elementary and high schools. In middle schools academic subjects start becoming separate subjects – a model that is followed in the high schools – and specialist teachers are employed in order to teach them. However, they are not completely different from each other. Instead the middle schools try and achieve a balance between both systems. The subjects are not clubbed together in the same way that you see in elementary schools. However, they are not so independent of each other as in the high schools.

High schools in the United States do not have mathematics. They have algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus, etc. In an elementary school, basic mathematical functions are taught. In a middle school one teacher takes classes on different areas of mathematics. A middle school teacher need not major in a subject that he or she wants to teach unlike what happens in a high school. Teaching students at this stage basically gives you a mixed feeling. Students in the middle school are at a precocious stage of their development.

The requirements for becoming a middle school teacher differ from one state to another. However, there are some basic requirements that have to be fulfilled nonetheless. It is always important to verify what the requirements are for becoming a middle school teacher in the state where you wish to take up this opportunity. There are plenty of websites these days where you can get such information sans much fuss. It is essential for teachers of public schools to have at least a bachelor’s degree. There are plenty of middle school teachers who have majored in the subject that they wish to teach.

However, if someone is teaching in a middle school there is a good chance that the person has already taught subjects that are related. The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform suggests that the middle school teachers have some background in adolescent psychology and it is a helpful one indeed. You can take some classes in this subject but a major or minor will be much better. In some states you may need to have a major or minor in education. A good option in this case will be a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Grades Education.