Hello my fellow Middle School Back-to-Schoolers!  Sophie here, ready to help you tackle any topic and turn those proverbial middle school stumbling blocks into the stepping stones of champs. If you are starting middle school or heading back to middle school, one word that you will hear – and potentially experience – is “drama.”

Drama in the halls

Nope not the drama on the stage, as you might think.  Shakespeare ain’t got nothin’ on middle school drama! You know the type, the gossiping, the rumors, the ‘much ado’ about, basically, nothing that can do A LOT of harm in a tween’s life, including breaking friendships, causing grades to plummet and much worse. And, let’s face it: though you might not want to admit it to your parents, if it weren’t for the “drama,” you’d actually love going back to school. But there are ways to save the drama for the stage – being a bit of a theater enthusiast, myself, I do know what I’m talking about. I’ve got a great list of ways to bypass middle school dramatic pitfalls and step into the limelight of excellent grades, respected and respectful friends, and a great academic year!

Five ways to save drama for the stage

1. Don’t participate in rumors or gossiping.  We all know it can be exciting at first to be involved in the latest “news” at school about who did this and said what, and who’s dating whom and, and, and… It goes on and on and on. But when disrespectful – and more often than not, untrue – things are said about you behind your back (much less, to your face), how do you feel? Just don’t do it to others.
2. How do you distract yourself from the classmates making bad choices and gossiping?  I don’t know if this is just me, but I love to learn and improve my skills. School is the best way to improve your skills, whether it be social or academic, and it can be pretty fun!  Focus on your own academic and extracurricular life.  How? You ask, read on, dear friends, read on…
3. Clubs and after school activities are great ways to spend time, and are fun! Also, athletics can be a good source of exercise, and you can learn good sportsmanship. You can explore different career options based on your favorite subject, or you can see the ups and downs of being a teacher.
4. School events are fun to go to, like ice-cream socials, fund-raisers or dances. My school had a “Block Out Cancer” drive, where we helped raise money for the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital – and we had a great time coming together for a wonderful cause.
5. Lastly, save the drama for the stage by saving the drama for the stage! Seriously, audition for the school play, get involved with an acting/improv group, or even write a play or short film.  School musicals happen to be my favorite. All those pent up emotions can be set free under the guise of your character’s theatrical performance – and no one will be the wiser. In fact, they will applaud you for an authentic performance!

And there you have it – my tips on how to save drama for the stage. “And, scene!”  Shakespeare, eat your heart out!

Sophie is going into seventh grade this fall in Washtenaw County.
Her favorite subjects are math and language arts.
She also really likes to read and write.