Michael Gordon ran a middle school for 40 years. That’s right, four DECADES. As principal, he got tough kids to soften and overprotective parents to loosen their grip. Under his watch, troublemakers fell into line and struggling teachers upped their game. As I collect information for my book on parenting middle schoolers, I’ve been talking
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Insights from and for principals Exemplary middle schools focus on health and wellness. While this focus may be primarily on our students’ wellness, we also need to focus on the wellness of our faculty and administrators. It is a fact that, as teachers, we are under a lot of stress. I believe that morale is
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As I dig my fork into the characteristics in the category of Culture and Community in This We Believe, I am drawn to the one that states “Health and wellness are supported in curricula, school-wide programs, and related policies” (p. 38). Young adolescents—due to their impulsivity, neurological make-up, and inclination to push physical boundaries—are primed to
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Educators’ mindsets make it possible to move a philosophy forward What is middle school philosophy and how does it compare with or differ from a middle school mindset? A philosophy can be summarized as a system of principles used to guide one’s practices; whereas a mindset can be described as an attitude with intention. Based on those
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Educators have a responsibility to guide the moral development of youth For years I have been concerned over what I view as the seriously truncated understanding of what teaching entails that is now commonly held. Taken hold in most peoples’ minds, it seems, is a very narrow and limited view of teaching, one focused almost
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It was so much easier building relationships with teachers in elementary, middle, and high school. In college, on the other hand, building relationships is far more challenging. You typically only have a professor for one semester, twice if you’re lucky. Not to mention there’s at least a hundred other students in your class, so the
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