Helping Your Middle Schooler Discover Their Story and Their Strengths
How MSGA’s Leadership program helps middle schoolers explore their stories, values, and choices to grow in confidence and purpose and how you can help at home!
Middle school is such a pivotal time — a bridge between childhood and young adulthood where kids begin asking big questions like Who am I? and What really matters to me?
At Mid-South Gifted Academy, we know that helping students explore those questions is just as important as teaching math or science. That’s why every week, students meet with our Leadership Guide, Ms. Annie, who brings decades of experience as a nationally certified behavior analyst and uses the Wayfinder Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum to help students strengthen self-awareness, empathy, and purpose.
Recently, our middle schoolers wrapped up a unit on Building Community and are now beginning a powerful new chapter: Exploration and Storytelling.
Through this process, students are taking time to reflect on the moments that have defined them — friendships, challenges, successes, and even failures — and recognizing that each experience adds a layer to their growing sense of identity.
“We will be exploring our strengths and values by reviewing the story of our lives and how events through our lives have shaped us. This in turn will highlight how our choices today shape our futures.”
Why This Matters
According to Wayfinder’s research, when teens take time to understand their past and personal values, it builds meaning, resilience, and psychological well-being. It also helps them clarify where they want to go- academically, socially, and personally.
In other words, understanding their story helps them write the next chapter with intention.
Teen Impact: gaining a clearer sense of who they are and where they’re headed, growing in confidence, resilience, and purpose.
Try This at Home: “Story Swap”
Want to bring this reflection to life with your teen? Try this simple Wayfinder-inspired activity at home. It’s a great way to strengthen empathy and connection while learning something new about each other.
Invite your teen to think of a meaningful or pivotal moment — a trip, a competition, a friendship, a challenge, or a success.
Listen fully as they share their story. (No interruptions – just listen.)
Reflect it back. Retell their story as if it were your own, using “I” statements. Try to capture their feelings and perspective as accurately as possible.
Talk about it. Ask how it felt to have their story told back to them. What did you each learn about listening, empathy, or perspective?
Want to make it even more meaningful? Switch roles and let your teen tell one of your stories next!
“Talking in the car seems to be a good place for my son to open up about things, so I brought this up on our way to practice one day. I loved hearing my son share his story. It opened up a conversation, and brought up a family vacation we hadn't talked about in a long time! We laughed at my attempt to retell his story, because it worked better that way. If I had approached this too seriously, it wouldn't have been an authentic connection."
The Big Takeaway
Middle schoolers are constantly evolving. They’re in a life stage where they’re discovering who they are, what they care about, and where they fit in the world.
Activities like “Story Swap” remind them that their story matters and that listening deeply to others helps us all feel more connected.
At MSGA, we believe leadership begins with self-awareness and that every story told and heard brings our students one step closer to becoming confident, empathetic leaders who know who they are and the difference they want to make in the world.