As an educator, you feel each day the endless demands of your time, attention, and effort. And in the midst of all that is required of you for your students, parents, and others, you still need to find the time to...

As social networking continues to increase, questions about issues such as free speech rights, and even educator–student relationships increase as well. Let me start by saying that your board should have a...

The phrase "Teachers work in isolation," has long been used to describe the working conditions of educational professionals, including most middle level teachers. Educators have found ways to solve this problem by...

Seventh grade teacher Elizabeth Delmatoff piloted a social media program in her Portland, Oregon classroom. By the end of the year, 20% of students school-wide were completing additional assignments for no credit,...

If you asked my students whether they do a research paper in my seventh grade English class, they would probably say “no”—not because they don't do research, but because they don't do research and...

If you ask a group of students what they love about texting and what they can't stand, you'll get an earful! Texting offers some interesting challenges for middle school students as they develop and practice social...

I knew I would be early. It was approximately two hours prior to the start of the Soaring Ahead ceremony, our eighth-grade graduation, and I was anxious to set up the video slideshow I had created for this grand...

We can never underestimate the power of belonging and relationships. As middle level educators, we know the correlation between establishing relationships and student achievement, but have we considered the need to...

When I talk to colleagues about being a “connected” educator, the first response is often “I don’t have time!” followed by “Why? What’s in it for me?” I can relate....

Homework is an important way for teachers to develop relationships with their students' parents and other caregivers. The learning activities teachers assign for homework provide parents a window into the content and...