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No More Assemblies

How to make engaging with outside professionals count An exploding mixture! A cloud in a bottle! Every student’s hand in the air to volunteer. Everyone’s laughing. Sounds like an educator’s dream. But when the dust (or simulated volcano) settles, it is often difficult to pinpoint what students learned. Did they leave with a stronger understanding

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There’s an Epidemic Spreading

How schools can help students understand the risks of vaping A current United States Food and Drug Administration public service announcement starts with “There’s an epidemic spreading…” The ad goes on to provide a visual representation of how smoking e-cigarettes impacts the brain and lungs. The ad is quite powerful. While one may argue that the use

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Three Ideas for Infusing Joy in the Classroom

Students—and teachers—are more creative and open to learning when our classrooms are joyful As societal pressures intensify and expectations push educators to improve achievement rates, create emotionally healthy environments, and make safety a priority, there is an increasing need to infuse joy into the classroom. Reflecting on these concerns throughout my 29 years in education,

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Six Things Teachers Say with Good Intentions … But Shouldn’t

How we are hurting our students when assessing them Most teachers actively root for their students to succeed. They are often more committed to student learning than the students themselves. Even with the best of intentions, teachers frequently sabotage their students’ ability to think, process, and comprehend when they use assessment and motivation strategies that

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Controversy in the ELA Classroom

Healthy discussion and debate can help students navigate uncomfortable moral and social concerns Perhaps one of the most tenuous places to find yourself in as an educator is the moment a topic is broached in class that has multiple perspectives—particularly when students have an unexpected stance on the issue. Even so, some conversations have to

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High School is Too Late to Start the Career Conversation.

Why Middle School: Challenging an Outdated Paradigm with a New Approach The model has remained steady for decades: wait until kids are juniors or seniors in high school to get them thinking seriously about what education-to-career pathways they may want to pursue after graduation. But let’s put ourselves in the shoes of a high school

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AMLE Celebrates Inaugural Schools of Distinction

AMLE recognized its inaugural class of Schools of Distinction earlier this month, in conjunction with the organization’s 49th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. The twelve schools were selected for their fervent commitment to implementing the essential attributes and characteristics of successful middle grades schools. In addition to being celebrated during a special awards ceremony, each

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Reimagining School – What should it look like and who is it for?

Cornelius Minor and Kass Minor help #AMLE22 attendees find their bottom lines as educators Cornelius and Kass Minor believe that kids don’t just learn in school. They become. It’s an attitude reflective of what we know about middle grades best practice, making them the perfect keynoters for #AMLE22 and our return to in-person conference. We

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