Why I Love Middle Schoolers

Most bus drivers will tell you that their most difficult age group to drive is Middle Schoolers, but they are my favorite. I will shout it from the roof tops how much I love my Middle School route, every route I've ever gotten throughout the years I've adored them all and here's why:

• Everything about life is new and exciting to them.

I have never met a Middle School student who didn't just love every single thing about becoming a young man or woman. They are becoming who they are going to be when they grow up.

• They question EVERYTHING.

I love that about them. They want to know about everything because they are still learning about it. They want to know about make-up, relationships, games, clothes, the latest trends, everything. They have a ton of questions and they aren't afraid to make mistakes, everyone should be like that when we grow up.

• They learn from their mistakes eventually.

They could date that same boy over and over and over knowing he's a 'cheater' but eventually they learn not to. They could fight with their friend over and over about lending him video games and never getting them back but eventually they learn to just take it with them when they leave. They make mistakes over and over but they never let them get them down.

• They bounce back from heartbreak.

Its so sad to see my student crying over some boy who broke their heart or some boy upset his girlfriend lied to him about something but they are so close to one and other that the next day they are back to laughing and giggling again like nothing ever happened. I love that about the young.

• They keep me in the loop.

I always know what's in season and what shoes to buy because the kids will tell me right away if I'm wearing something that isn't in.

• Out of all the age groups, Middle Schoolers love to talk to most.

As a Gemini this is my type of kid. The elementary age children are so shy and quiet most of the time the bus is like a dead zone too and from school or they only talk to a small, select few. My High Schoolers are exhausted in the morning from waking up so early and zombies in the afternoon from all the mental cartwheels they do in school all day, but the Middle Schoolers are hyper all day. It may be all the candy they ingest from sun up to sun down but they talk in the morning, they talk in the afternoon and I'm pretty sure from all the detention slips I find on my floor, they love to talk all day in class to. Needless to say, I love to talk...

I drive all age groups from kindergarten to seniors and the kids from the 6th grade to the 8th grade are my tip top, absolute favorites. I can't get enough of their energy. They keep me young and they are the reason I go to work everyday. No matter how bad my day is, they are my last route in the morning and the afternoon and they are the one's I look forward to seeing everyday. They keep me young.