What is this middle school concept? Why is it unique? How are middle schools different from junior high schools?

What is this middle school concept?  Why is it unique?  How are middle schools different from junior high schools?

    This "middle school concept" was created to help our teachers best help us students in our learning environment. It helps the teachers understand us students and our changes. Middle school is preparing students to go to high school and it allows teachers to include integrated curriculum and allow students to collaborate together in smaller groups. I think that having this "concept" allows the students to have a better relationship with their teachers or other mentors around. As we have learned, relationships are such a crucial part to being a middle school teacher. In the Edpuzzles, we learned about the different middle level organizations and structures. In one specific EdPuzzle titled "Components of the Middle School Philosophy", I found that teaming within schools is such an important thing for not only the teachers, but also the students. Teachers can team up to create lesson plans, fun activities, and discuss certain situations that one teacher can not control. In return of the teaming, students also get the enjoyment of having similar activities within their classrooms. In the reading "An Advisory Program for the Whole Child and Whole School", I found it really interesting that students actually benefit from having advisories in their school! 

    In my field experience, I have learned so much about the schools and how they run. I found it very interesting that the students have "advisory" or "extensions" at the end of the day so the students can get help on their homework, talk to teachers, or go to clubs (if eligible). Each teacher has a certain group of students they are assigned for their extensions period. They use a program called "MAP" that allows them to see how many mastery assignments students are missing. Mr. Estice continues to look at their missing assignments so he can talk to the ones who need to up their "grades". He showed me how he can look at every students and how he can monitor the students. Last week, he made his advisory group come in for lunch to work on assignments because a lot of the students were missing assignments. It was more or so a group punishment even though some of them were caught up in everything. I thought that this extensions periods are really good for the students who need the motivation to get their work done. 

    When I was in middle school, we had something called "Eagle Time". In eagle time, we would go to our homerooms and work on our assignments for a longer period of time. At this time, teachers were allowed to request teachers, help other students, and work on grading assignments. The students had time to ask their teachers for help on homework or missing assignments. Personally, I had some missing assignments but mainly in math. I would often go to my math teacher (even though I was convinced he didn't like me) to ask for help on the assignments I couldn't understand. I liked that I had a period every few weeks or once a month to get the help I couldn't get in my classes. I attached an image above and that was the outcome of me getting all my assignments in before the end of the year. In 8th grade, as long as we had all of our assignments in, we were able to go to D.C with our school. I was able to get all of my assignments in before the end of the school and the outcome was amazing. In the picture is some of my best friends and some who I do not speak to anymore. It was a mixed group but I absolutely loved the opportunity I got!