[music playing] Rameen: Tomco Insurance Agency is a full service# insurance agency offering auto, ho.. toys, business, health, and life.

Tomco is# proud to support School Talk on WEIU.

More## information is available at 217-345-6750# or email info@tomcoagency.com.

Tomco is an## independent, family owned operated# insurance agency in Charleston.

[music playing] Brayden: Hi, I'm Brayden Armstrong, host of School Talk.# Today, I'm here with Tyler Wayne.

So Tyler,## tell me a little bit about yourself.

Tyler: Well, like I said, I'm Tyler Wayne.

I'm in seventh# grade at Charleston Middle School, .. living in Charleston my whole life.

Brayden: Tell me a little bit about CMS.

Tyler: CMS, I think I really like CMS compared# to Jefferson because there's just so much## more freedom and there's so much more extra# extracurriculars like sports than Jefferson,## and I like the exploratories and how you can# go deeper in them, compared to Jefferson,## whereas once a week.

So, I think CMS is like a# lot better than Jefferson and I like it a lot.

Brayden: Tell me a little bit about the exploratories.

Tyler: So we have computer skills careers,## which is a new one.

So, that one's fun.

Music# and art.

I think I just like you can go more## in depth during that quarter and it's a new# thing, so school never really gets mundane.

Brayden: Out of those,## which do you think would be your favorite?

Tyler: My favorite would probably be music# because a choir kid, do musicals,## so I really enjoy music anyways and I think# going and learning more about, it's really fun.

Brayden: Who's your music teacher this year?

Tyler: Mr. Mellott's our music teacher.

He's## also the choir director, so I know him even better# from the start of the year, so it's like I'm .. as nervous going in meeting a new teacher.

Brayden: Out of those exploratories, and any of their# subjects in school, what would be your favorite?

Tyler: My favorite subject.

I think## out of all of my classes, I think I'd like PE the# most because you can do...

I think I'm athletic.## I'd like to consider myself athletic and I find# a lot of joy just getting to move, go outside.

Brayden: With that, do you play any sports?

Tyler: Yeah, I do.

I play during fall season, I did## cross country, which I'll do it again, but cross# country's grueling.

I'm not a good runner and## I threw up, I think every race.

And then during# spring, I do soccer and track and those are just## more running sports, so I don't know how I do it.# I'm not a runner, but I find those really fun.

Brayden: I take it.

You like those?

Tyler: Yeah.

Brayden: So moving on to my next## question here.

Do you feel that CMS, or Charleston# Middle Schoo.. Tyler: I do think it's a good place to learn.## Since all of our teachers are different compared# to Jefferson, it's like each teacher has a## different learning style, so you can learn more# and there's going to be something new every day.

Brayden: Who are your## teachers this year?

Tyler: I'm on Red team.

Our school's split up into# two different teams, so two different groups## of teachers, so everybody learns differently.# But I've Mr. Veach for social studies for my## first period.

I have Ms. Mellott.

She's a# new teacher.

She used to be at Jefferson,## so she's facing new stuff.

Then my third period# for science is Mrs. Stranz.

She's really fun.## She's silly.

And then I have lunch and then# fifth period's Ms. Beabout, teaching pre-algebra,## so that's been very different from Ms. Klein in# Jefferson.

And then six, it's technically Mrs.## Miller and I have a fun running joke with# her because in too good for drugs, I said## Slay-tastic once.

Brayden: Yeah.

Tyler: that.

It's funny.

Tyler: It is funny.

And then six right now is Ms.# Thompson for Art.

.. then eighth is choir with Mr. Mellott.

Brayden: How do your teachers that you just mentioned,# or any of them really, make your learning fun?

Tyler: I think, well, Ms. Stranz makes it really fun.## Today, because in PE we are doing line dancing for# the Boot Scooting Boogie, and she used to go to## school here and she learned the same thing.

So it# was so funny.

Before class, she just had the music## already playing and she was just doing the dance.# So it was really enjoyable, so it already gets me## in a good mood once who actually start learning,# I'm more open to it because I'm not super bored.

Brayden: Is it easier to learn when## you're in a fun environment?

Tyler: Most definitely.

Because when I'm just bored# out of my mind, I just sit there and just want## to meltdown.

But if I'm having fun while doing it,# if I'm in a good mood, it's just so much easier to## learn.

I want to participate.

I want to do good.# And I think having fun while learning is the most## important thing.

Brayden: That sounds pretty nice to have fun teachers# and a fun way to learn and just do fun stuff## in general.

Tyler: Yeah, I think that's really improved in our# school.

I think especially with IAR testing,## they really focused on that, but after that,# we had a fun week, so it was really nice.

Brayden: Do you get nervous when you have tests,## going along with that, at all?

Tyler: Sometimes.

I am pretty good at school.

I get# straight A's, so sometimes I don't.

I don't## usually get nervous for a test.

And especially# before tests, if I'm already worried about it,## I'll just take a home a study guide and just# run through the answers.

So usually I'm not## nervous, no.

Brayden: Do you have a set time to study for your tests# and quizzes or to do your homework or anything?

Tyler: I don't have## a set time because whenever I do get ho.. during class.

But if I do, I'll go home.

I'll have# a snack and then right after, I'll do my homework,## study for a test.

Or in the car before school, my# mom will go through and ask me questions on it.

Brayden: Do you participate in any extracurricular## activities at our school?

Tyler: At our school, yeah.

Like I said, all# the sports.

I do a lot of sports.

I## might do Scholastic Bowl next year.

I think# people are having fun, so I might try that.

Brayden: Oh yeah, I got to tell you.

I'm on Scholastic## Bowl.

You would love it.

So yeah.

Tyler: It's like Jeopardy and whenever I'm watching# Jeopardy, I always have fun trying to answer## the questions.

Brayden: Yeah, you would love it.

.. or cafeteria food?

Tyler: Cafeteria food.

I'm actually so sad about# it, but also kind of happy because last year,## they had these chicken drumsticks that were huge# and those were so good.

But we don't have those## anymore, so I really like the mashed potatoes,# gravy, corn.

And for some reason the corn at## our school's so good.

So anytime I see it, I just# get the biggest hoping of it and devour it all.

Also, they brought back strawberry milk, which is# like they had it in second grade, then took it out## and now it's back and it's amazing.

Brayden: I got to ask you about the tater tots.# What are your opinion on the tater tots?

Tyler: The tater tots?

It really## depends.

They're hit or miss.

Either they're kind# of soggy or the bottom ones are like rock hard.

I## prefer the french fries whenever they have it,# but sometimes I would devour the tater tots.

Brayden: I had to ask about that.

In the## past interviews, everyone's love the tater tots.

How is m.. we have attended, like Jefferson,# or Carl Sandburg, or any of them?

Tyler: A lot of it's so much more## freedom.

Before, especially with Jefferson, it# was a huge school, so going into it you'd be li.. "Oh, I'm worried.

I don't know where my classes# are."

But your homeroom teacher walks you to every## single class you have, so it's like you can't# go talk to other people on the different team## outside of your class.

I feel like you're# very with that 20 or so group of kids.

So I like the middle school more,# especially during lunch and activity time,## you can be with the other groups, which I# really like, so it's a lot more freedom.

Brayden: Tell me about activity time, a little bit.

Tyler: Activity time.

So before, it was good.

Now we have## our two different groups like group one and group# two, so you can just sign up with your friends and## also you don't have to sit at one lunch table# for your class.

So like I said, more freedom,## you can go talk to your friends in other classes.

And I was worried about recess getting taken out,## but it didn't really happen.

I just play four# square now, but it is only 20 minutes each,## I think, so that's a bummer instead# of 30 minutes for lunch and recess.

Brayden: So going along with different schools,## we're going to high school here in about a year.# What are your feelings on high school?

What do you## think it'll be like?

Tyler: High school?

I think high school will# be middle school just stepped up;## a lot more freedom, which can be good or bad.# Kids make bad choices in high school, but## there's so many more extracurricular activities.

You can choose your classes, which I'm looking so## much forward to.

I'm excited just to choose what# I actually want to do.

But it's also a really big## school and you don't have your teacher leading# you everywhere, so it'll take me a little bit to## figure out how to get around the school.

Brayden: Is there any classes you might want to take?

Tyler: Probably choir, now that it's already a class# that I'm doing, but do that again.

And theater,## whenever they have it.

Those are fun.

I haven't# seen all the class lists, but I'm looking forward## to those.

Brayden: So you have an interest in theater.

Tell# me a little bit about why you like t.. Tyler: I think it was third grade, third or## fourth.

I had first listened to Hamilton and I've# been hooked since.

And also I did choir because I## wanted to be an actor.

And then in fifth grade I# was in Big Fish, the high schools.

So then I met## Mrs. Sharp and all of a bunch of people.

Connor# works here.

He was in some of the musicals I was## at.

So, I did Big Fish and that was super.

That# got me hooked on acting, so I'm stuck into it.

Last summer I did Adam's Family, the musical,# which was so much fun.

I think I got such a better## singer from that because I had my own song.# And then last fall I did one here at Doudna,## Children of Eden.

Brayden: All your musicals, I've seen all# of them.

You do excellent on them.

Tyler: Thank you.

Brayden: So my next question here is, what advice## would you have for a younger student starting at# our middle school next year, from sixth grade?

Tyler: Sixth grade?

I think make sure you have## good friends.

Make sure you're in the right crowd# and that's part of the bad side with freedom.

It's## so much easier to hide that.

So, I think it's be# nice to your teachers.

Get your work done because## if you fall behind, they keep assigning more work# and it's so difficult to catch up.

So, just do## your work, have good friends, make right choices,# especially with the freedom you're going to get.

Brayden: That's great advice## for anyone starting at our school next year, not# just from Jeffer.. Tyler: Yeah.

Brayden: So my last question .. anything else you'd like to share for me or add?

Tyler: Like to share?

I don't know.

I think# I like our school.

I think it's good,## especially with the more freedom and the# corn.

The corn's so good.

I just really## want to bring that point home.

It's really good.

And all the extracurriculars, like basketball,## tracks, all that.

Those are good.

So you just# so much more freedom and you just got to get## used to that.

Brayden: Yeah.

Well thank you for being here, Tyler.# Th.. Armstrong.

Thank you for watching.

Rameen: Tomco Insurance Agency is a full service insurance# agency offering auto, home, farm, toys, business,## health, and life.

Tomco is proud to support School# Talk on WEIU.

More information is available at## 217-345-6750 or email info@tomcoagency.com.

Tomco# is an independent, family owned operated insurance## agency in Charleston.

[music playing]