Conference Program

The AMLE Annual Conference is the world’s largest gathering of middle grades educators and celebrates the unique nature of young adolescents and the dedicated educators who support their social-emotional and academic growth. With a variety of expert featured speakers and more than 300 sessions, you’ll be sure to find your people at AMLE24. Popular conference topics including:

Sessions Across Subject Areas

Social-Emotional Learning

Key Middle Grades Structures

Emerging Research

General Session Keynotes

Dominique Dawes

The Power of the Team

Championship athlete, Dominique Dawes is best known for her role in “The Magnificent Seven,” the 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning American women’s gymnastic team, which to this day is still remembered as the best women’s team in U.S. gymnastics history. Dawes has inspired thousands with her personal story of struggles, setbacks, and successes. Her character is as strong as her presence on the gymnastics floor and today she is using it to lead and motivate youth to make healthy choices and follow their dreams.

Clay Cook

Implementation scientist, speaker, and youth mental health advocate

Clay Cook, PhD is an implementation scientist, psychologist, and former paraprofessional and middle school math teacher. Dr. Cook has been a professor and researcher studying topics such as youth mental health, educator well-being and resilience, social-emotional learning, and implementation of evidence-based practices.

Featured Speakers

Practitioner Spotlights

In honor of AMLE’s 50th anniversary and our theme of A Rich History, A Bright Future, attendees are invited to hear from practitioners who are pushing their middle grades classrooms and schools forward into the next 50 years.

Janine Campbell
Janine Campbell
Driving Learning with Design Thinking

Janine is a visual arts teacher who believes art is all around us. She teaches art hand-in-hand with technology, encouraging kids to think like artists while developing the skills needed to achieve their goals.

Steven Hauk
101 Ways to Improve School Culture

Steven is a principal who is passionate about finding ways for students to be part of something special at school, offering rapid-fire ways to bring tangible school improvement ideas to life.

Tara Maynard
Tara Maynard
Flipping the Script on Middle Grades Math

Tara is an innovative and veteran middle school math teacher, started flipping her classroom in 2012. Tara’s specialties include engaging math learners and creating a collaborative classroom.

Anthony Tyrkala
Anthony Tyrkala
Adolescents, What Are They Thinking?

Anthony is a principal who understands the importance of understanding students. He believes that when school leaders are armed with a knowledge of these development needs, we will be able to make more informed decisions that benefit students.

AMLE24 Special Strands

AMLE24’s Five Conference Strands highlight trending topics and help attendees navigate the plethora of conference offerings.

Leading from the Middle
Supporting current and aspiring middle grades leaders with the tools and strategies needed to lead and transform a middle grades school.

Early Career Educators
Supporting emerging educators with tools and strategies needed to be an effect classroom teacher.

The Changing Young Adolescent
Understanding and supporting today’s tweens toward personal and academic success

Equity in Middle Grades Education
Supporting educators in building schools that provide socially just learning opportunities and environments for every student.

The Teacher Leader
Supporting teachers who are influencing their schools and students beyond their own classrooms.

AMLE24 Special Strands

AMLE24’s Five Conference Strands highlight trending topics and help attendees navigate the plethora of conference offerings.

Leading from the Middle
Supporting current and aspiring middle grades leaders with the tools and strategies needed to lead and transform a middle grades school.

Early Career Educators
Supporting emerging educators with tools and strategies needed to be an effect classroom teacher.

The Changing Young Adolescents
Understanding and supporting today’s tweens toward personal and academic success

Equity in Middle Grades Education
Supporting educators in building schools that provide socially just learning opportunities and environments for every student.

The Teacher Leader
Supporting teachers who are influencing their schools and students beyond their own classrooms.

Topics

Beyond these special strands, enjoy more than 300 sessions across a broad range of essential middle level education topics. There’s truly something for every member of the middle school team.

Sessions Across Subject Areas
Find effective strategies and emerging trends in middle grades math, science, ELA, social studies, arts, physical education, and exploratory courses.

Social and Emotional Learning
Gain tools to support the social and emotional needs of your students, enhance their executive functioning skills, and expand your understanding of young adolescent development.

Key Middle Grades Structures
Expand your understanding of evidence-based middle grades practices like advisory, interdisciplinary instruction, teaming, project-based learning, responsive scheduling, and more.

Emerging Research
Explore the latest research in middle level education and its implications for educators.