I developed this little exercise--call it Fantasy Middle School, if you like--to spark a discussion between my sister and my niece. My sister says it was a good discussion that taught her some things she didn't know about her child. Maybe it will help you!

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I want you to imagine a middle school, called Flexible Middle School. Like most middle schools, Flexible has some required classes, and some electives.

Requirements:
literature (reading)
composition (writing)
math
social studies
lab sciences

Unlike most middle schools, you do have some choices about how you structure your class schedule. I will present you a list of options, and you will tell me which required classes you would prefer to take under these options, and why. You can also choose to do no classes under each option.

At Flexible Middle School, you are more likely to get your choices if you have a well-explained reason, so it makes sense to explain the reasons for the choices that are most important to you.

1. Flexible Middle School allows you to choose two Short Classes. In other words, students spend the bigger part of their class time working independently, but the time spent in these classes is shorter. Are there any classes you would prefer to take as Short Classes?�

2. In Accelerated Classes at Flexible Middle School, students are allowed to take classes aimed at higher grade levels (e.g. 6th graders may take classes with 7th or 8th grade level work). Students in these classes may be older, the same age, or even younger than you, but they are all capable of the work that is given. Some of them will end up finishing Flexible Middle School a year earlier. Others will just take more elective classes and finish at the regular time. Are there any required classes you would prefer to take as Accelerated Classes?

3. In Tutorials, students are given tough problems or projects to work on independently. Students spend most days in the library or the computer lab, finishing their assignments on their own, and meet once a week with a teacher to get help, suggestions, feedback, and new assignments. Are there any required classes you would prefer to take as Tutorials?

4. In Enriched Core, students spend about half the class proving they can meet the required benchmarks for the class. They spend the other half of the class learning about interesting, related topics that the teacher normally never gets to cover. The teacher also takes requests from the students about topics they'd like to be introduced and discussed in class. Are there any required subjects you would like to take as Enriched Core?