All middle school students are at different stages of development: some students have matured significantly, while others still have a long way to go. Hunt, Wiseman, and Bowden conclude that, when observing attitudes and behaviors, some middle school students are “childlike,” while others are “deeply involved in the complex characteristics of the adolescent lifestyle (1998, p. 57). They also establish that middle school students are in a time of “significant transition,” a time that some struggle with, while others thrive on this change. (Hunt, Wiseman, & Bowden, 1998, pp. 60-61). The middle school age range is typically distinguished between children and adolescents aged 10 to 14. This age range was not distinguished until the 1980s (Hunt, Wiseman, & Bowden, 1998, p. 58), which coincides with the further development of middle school. (compared to middle school). These students are in a stage coined by Donald Eichhorn called “transesence” (Manning & Bucher, 2012, p. 5). In general, students in “transexence” share seven developmental tasks identified by Thornburg (Hunt, Wiseman, & Bowden, 1998, p. 58-59): They are becoming aware of the rapid physical changes that are occurring. I am able to organize my thoughts with better problem-solving ability. They are learning new social and sexual roles. They are starting to identify with existing stereotypes. They are starting to develop important peer friendships. They are gaining a sense of individual independence. Their moral and value development is maturing. Because of this complex range of developmental levels, middle school teachers must understand what higher-level students as well as how they can address the overall teacher challenge... middle of paper......012 ). Teaching in middle school (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. National Center for Health Statistics and National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2000). From 2 to 20 years: weight-age percentiles of children's height[graph]. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts National Center for Health Statistics and National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2000). From 2 to 20 years: weight-age percentiles of girls' height[Graph]. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/growthchartsShaffer, D. R. & Kipp, K. (2007). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.Wolman, B.B. (1998). Adolescence: biological and psychosocial perspectives. West Harbor, CT: Greenwood Press. Woolfolk, A. (2010). Educational psychology (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.