“I have a hard time talking to new people,” says a seventh grader. “I have social anxiety.”

“I’m such a procrastinator,” says another. “I know what I’m supposed to do, but I will avoid it until the last possible moment. I feel terrible about it.”

It’s not a bad thing that this generation of kids is very self-aware. It beats the cluelessness of my own cohort -- we didn’t have the Internet to help us figure out what was going on or find people who shared and validated our weird traits. But I worry sometimes that all the labels these adolescents give themselves will prevent them from seeing that they always have the possibility of changing their habits and disrupting their patterns, even if their personality remains fixed.

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Middle school is a time of great change and upheaval in a person’s life. We can thank puberty for that, along with an adolescent’s growing self-awareness and sense of identity.

Many students try on different superficial identities, coming to school with a carefully cultivated goth, punk, or preppy look. If it doesn’t fit, they simply move on to the next one.

On the other hand, there are profound transformations that are possible when students are willing. They can let go of a lifelong antipathy toward math and become devoted to it; instead of being closed off and lonely, they can initiate friendships.

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A few weeks ago, I decided that I would design my own knitted leg warmers.

I sketched out a schematic and chart, knitted some small swatches of the basic pattern, and then started in on the first leg warmer.

Things went okay and they came out pretty good. However, the back side, where I had done the shaping, looked a a little unrefined.

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Fashion is fascinating.

Among tastemakers and influentials, having a distinctive style is a must. Your job is to signal that you are someone with vision, boldness, and flair. You’re effortlessly unique and hip, with just the right amount of outrageousness, reminding mere mortals that you are a professional on a closed course — do not attempt these moves yourself.

And yet, before long, these edgy fashions make their way into the mainstream. Colorful hair, undercuts, sleeve tattoos, multiple piercings, pattern mixing, asymmetrical shirts, dresses with sneakers, androgynous clothing and styling — any of these things can be seen in a typical middle school classroom (well, maybe not the sleeve tattoos).

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When packing for an international trip, I am committed to traveling as light as possible.

This takes a lot of work. I have to choose my most versatile clothing, select the tiniest toiletries, and forgo some conveniences. The key question is not, “Is there a chance I’ll need it?” but “Can I live without it?”

Then, the clothes get packed in a compression bag and slide into a small messenger bag along with everything else. I have lived happily this way for three weeks and could probably make it much longer. Traveling with so little does require doing a bit of awkward laundry, but it is worth it to be able to hop off of a plane or train and do whatever you want without having to worry about your bags.

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