Why can't I just get my middle school students to just stop talking and listen!?!

The article this response and summary is tied to is "Cant stop talking:

Social Needs of Students in the Middle" an article from the NEA website, written by Peter Lorain

This article did a great job of addressing the topic of the tendency of middle school students to be extremely social, even in situations when it is not appropriate. What I got from this article was that we as teachers need to understand that this is the period of life when teen-agers truly develop individualized social skills. What does socializing mean and provide for this age group? It is a time in their life that gives them a chance to belong to a group and from new friendships, create an identity and persona for themselves within and among groups, begin to find new adult role models who they can use as confidants and identify with, and also establish their thoughts and beliefs about right and wrong. The author spoke about how socializing is a normal and healthy behavior, especially at this age, because middle school-aged students tend to lead themselves (and others) through these issues that they are experiencing at this time by socializing.

            So what does this mean for our classrooms? We need to let kids at this age do just that. Let them talk! Give them plenty of time and opportunity to be social and discuss moral topics. Allow them to be like others in their group but also promote and permit individual expression. Be there for them as a mentor about life and not just about the specific subject that you are teaching. Middle school is meant to be a transition from Elementary education to High school not just as an introduction to new, specialized material, but also as an opportunity to learn about and establish themselves and who they are as a person.