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
Committing to our students’ stories is an investment in their success I’m a sucker for a good Taylor Swift song. As a 32-year-old middle grades educator I feel confident enough to put that in writing, especially in this venue. The weeks before I began teaching outside of Houston, Texas, were filled with anxiety about what
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Exploring instructional strategies that engage introverted students Everyone has heard the idiom, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” In our busy, sometimes hectic classrooms, our squeaky wheels—our most extroverted and outgoing learners—are most likely to attract the most attention. Our society, like our classrooms, often highlights the extroverted, outgoing, highly social students. But what about
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Offering diverse texts as well as justice-focused critiques of traditional literature On the first day of school in Chicago, I encountered a room full of Iraqi, Nepalese, and West African refugee students. Timid, cautious, and nervous, they sat in Room 34 with visible trepidation. Someone with an equal level of trepidation? Me. I was a
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A teacher’s guide to planning a high-interest, engaging writing project Three years ago an eighth grade class of mine had a blog project called “Dear Terrorist” where students researched their topics and wrote letters to anyone considering (or participating in) a decision that could harm themselves or others. One girl wrote an open letter to
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Successful advisory programs can have significant positive impacts on student engagement Does this sound familiar? Advisory programs? What a waste of time! Students just goof around. Advisory programs? Great idea, but who’s going to put it together? I’m way too busy already. Advisory programs? What we need is more time for academics, not less. Advisory
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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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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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Houston Kraft reminds #AMLE22 attendees that connection doesn’t happen by accident. Houston Kraft, author and co-founder of CharacterStrong, took the main stage at #AMLE22 yesterday for his keynote address on Deep Kindness. From the outset, he made clear that he had a mission for those in attendance. “If we want more kindness on our campus,
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