Growing a culture of inclusion builds bonds and improves opportunities for all students For the life of me, I cannot remember having a significant interaction in middle school with my peers who had disabilities. I’m not a particularly forgetful person; I have many memories from my small town middle school in Iowa—some good ones, some
Helping students understand themselves so they can understand the world Allowing students to see perspectives other than their own is a critical component of transformative learning. In my current teaching environment, I get to see the results of this as students encounter other cultures through experiential travel and grapple with new perspectives in real time.
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Asking—and listening—to our students pays off Last night I saw the play Dear Edward Hansen with my 14-year-old eighth grader, Zoey. It’s amazing, of course, but one thing that really struck me was the audible sobbing during the show. This is a play about a suicide, social media, mob mentality, and absolute loneliness, so tears were inevitable.
Read More… from What Does Social Responsibility Mean to a Middle Schooler?
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Taking the time to help your students navigate the highs and lows of adolescence By the time Catie, 14, stormed out of her last class of the day, she felt disconnected from her emotions. She had no idea how deeply she’d been impacted by a minor fight with her mother on the way to school.
Read More… from Eight Counseling Techniques Every Middle School Educator Can Use
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Discussion and disruption to reduce and end harmful language and behaviors As a white, privileged, cisgender, heterosexual male, I can walk into most situations with people of my own race, or with mixed race, gender, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status groups, and not have to be on my guard. I do not have to worry
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Integrating yoga class structure and style in the middle school classroom I nervously entered the room and found a seat in the back. I looked around to find the fastest exit, but I was too late; the teacher walked in, queued the music, and dimmed the lights. “Welcome” she began. “It is a beautiful day
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