Teaching

That Was Then, This Is Now: Gifted in the Middle

Committing to the challenge of addressing the needs of gifted learners That Was Then Middle schools and their guiding philosophies were created in reaction to junior and senior high schools’ lack of attention to developmental and academic needs of young adolescents. This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents and other writings of the last 60 years

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How can I help students develop the essential skills needed in the decision-making process?

This is part 3 in “Mentor Me” questions about Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). There are five components of SEL: self-awareness, responsible decision making, relationship skills, social awareness, and self-management. Classrooms where teachers both overtly and organically teach these crucial skills give students the tools they need to be successful. Students encounter an overwhelming amount of

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Differentiation for Families

How developing a Dream Team can promote student success Many years ago, after a meeting about a student with the child’s grandmother, I realized the short-sightedness of my communication salutation, “Dear Parents.” At the time, I switched it to “Dear Families,” but lately, I’m wondering if there is a need for another shift, another innovation,

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Middle School Gossip

When two seventh graders lead a staff meeting about social drama Seventh-grade teacher Laura Merrill looked around the room and asked her colleagues to close their computers. “If our students are brave enough to present to the entire staff,” she said, “we can give them our full attention.” The presenters, Thomas and Ian, are typical

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