In a recent episode of the Middle School Walk & Talk Podcast, Kevin Armstrong, middle school principal and incoming President of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), recounted a story from his career as a middle grades leader. After serving as a middle school assistant principal for four years, he received a call
Read More… from Leading from the Middle: Finding Your Place and Your People in the Middle Grades
“Bless your heart.” “I’m so sorry!” “Why?” If you’re a middle grades educator, it’s likely you’ve heard one of these reactions when you tell someone your profession. It’s not uncommon for people to recount negative memories from their own time as a middle schooler or bemoan, “kids these days.” Even though 10–15-year-olds are experiencing the
Read More… from Middle School Gets a Bad Rap. It’s Time to Flip the Script.
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A conversation with Stephanie Patton, 2024 Chair of the AMLE Board of Trustees On January 1, Area Superintendent Stephanie Patton assumed the role of Chair of the AMLE Board of Trustees. As the first superintendent to lead the Association, she brings a unique perspective to the role during pivotal time as the organization’s growing membership
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Being an effective middle level school leader, or leader in any arena for that matter, requires the skill and temperament to adapt to changing conditions—the seasons, storms, and squalls of school life in the middle grades. Some changes are seasonal, such as the predictable ebbs and flows of the school year that include the opening
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The middle school library is an evolving space. What was once consistently a quiet space for reading has changed into a versatile space with a variety of functions, depending on the school. The Library Learning Commons at Scotts Ridge Middle School demonstrates how this evolution can create a library that serves as a hub of
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As you may have heard, book banning in schools has become a hot-button issue. The American Library Association recorded an unparalleled number of reported book challenges in 2022, with popular middle grades titles like New Kid by Jerry Craft and Maus by Art Spiegelman among those in contention. This issue impacts not just students, but
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