Young adolescence is recognized as the developmental period our students undergo between the ages of 10-15. This is the age where students develop the ability to expand their concrete knowledge to a more abstract way of thinking. The connections in the brain are occurring often, and the skills learned become hard-wired. Because there is so
Read More… from Leveraging the Science Behind the Middle School Brain in your Teaching Strategies
Using a simple checklist can help educators design quality assessments When Ken O’Connor’s daughter was in 7th grade, she was given an assignment that included a detailed rubric. He spent time with her unpacking the rubric so that she understood the expectations. After much hard work, she produced what he thought to be an excellent
Read More… from Assessing with Instructional Integrity Before, During and After the Pandemic
3
Middle school can be a difficult period for students, especially as they explore social media and the digital world. For children and adults alike, it is so easy to keep our eyes glued to our devices. Before we know it, several hours have passed by while we scrolled through Facebook or Instagram. Using social media
Read More… from Digital Wellness in the Classroom: 5 Technology Habits to Support Mental Health
4
Revisiting the value of informal teaching beyond planned instruction. Wayside teaching was first introduced in the May 1987 “As I See It” column in the Middle School Journal—30 years ago. Here is a slightly modified version of it, particularly for all those educators who came to the middle school more recently. Formal, organized instruction is
0
For at least a half dozen years I have proudly proclaimed on my website and in webinars that I have a 99% paperless classroom, so you might be surprised to learn that I spent my lunchtime on Friday photocopying packets. My students are fatigued by the thing that used to make my classroom “cool” and
Read More… from Taking it Old School: A Screen Time Interruption
19
We often rolled our eyes (literally) and stomped our feet (figuratively) when we looked at our pacing guide and saw the week that we would spend teaching account reconciliation. We viewed it as a necessary evil of eighth grade math state standards and as a concept that our students rarely see in action at home.
Read More… from Semester Long Account Reconciliation Project leads to Student Success
5
Read More... from AMLE Celebrates Inaugural Schools of Distinction
0
Read More... from Reimagining School – What should it look like and who is it for?
7
11
4