Author: Derek Neal
Posts by Derek Neal
Post-Pandemic Preparation: Reimagining Middle School Partnerships
COVID-19 created unprecedented challenges but also served as a catalyst to rethink important aspects of our schools. One area where I see a big opportunity is to reimage middle school culture. AMLE’s landmark position paper The Successful Middle School: This We Believe highlights the importance of engaging families as valued partners and collaborating with community
Read More… from Post-Pandemic Preparation: Reimagining Middle School Partnerships
Educating for American Democracy: A Roadmap for an Improved Civics Framework Aligned with Middle Grades Best Practice
12 Questions to Ask When Designing Culturally and Historically Responsive Curriculum
Let’s engage students with learning pursuits, rather than standards Culturally and historically responsive education is both a theory and model to respond to students’ histories, identities, literacies and liberation in pedagogy. In addition, this approach is a collaborative model where youth voices are at the center and caregivers and community members are our partners in
Read More… from 12 Questions to Ask When Designing Culturally and Historically Responsive Curriculum
How to help students regain their academic mojo after a year of stress
In the winter of seventh grade, my math teacher handed me a graded test that had a big “45%” at the top circled in red. “Your counselor is expecting you,” she said to me in a low voice. “You need to go right now. Take your stuff.” My stomach twisted into knots as I made
Read More… from How to help students regain their academic mojo after a year of stress
Re-Learning and Re-Assessing: Practical Tips
Not everyone is comfortable with re-do’s and re-takes, which are more appropriately recognized as re-learning (or learning properly) and re-assessing. Some of us experience pushback when suggesting these practices to colleagues, then succumb to those pressures thereby denying their use in our classes. As a result, our students don’t learn the required content and skills.
Read More… from Re-Learning and Re-Assessing: Practical Tips