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Browse by Topic: Inspiration

The Grief of Accepting New Ideas

The Grief of Accepting New Ideas

Changes in school or classroom practices unleash a variety of emotions. How can we support each other in the process?

The faculty lounge crackles with disagreements about the new grading policies suggested by the standards-based grading committee. The English department debates whether or not grammar proficiency is a requisite for...
Author: Rick Wormeli
Number of views (73618)/Comments (1)/
Topics: InspirationLeadershipSchool Culture/Climate
Tags: Rick WormeliTeacher Motivation
10 Life Lessons from a Principal Who Led a Middle School for Four Decades

10 Life Lessons from a Principal Who Led a Middle School for Four Decades

Michael Gordon ran a middle school for 40 years. That's right, four DECADES. As principal, he got tough kids to soften and overprotective parents to loosen their grip. Under his watch, troublemakers fell into line and...
Author: Phyllis Fagell
Number of views (8501)/Comments (2)/
Topics: InspirationLeadership
Tags:
Dealing with Stress

Dealing with Stress

Insights from and for principals

Exemplary middle schools focus on health and wellness. While this focus may be primarily on our students' wellness, we also need to focus on the wellness of our faculty and administrators. It is a fact that, as...
Author: Nancy Ruppert
Number of views (4269)/Comments (0)/
Topics: InspirationLeadership
Tags:

Culture & Community

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...
Author: Dru Tomlin
Number of views (2435)/Comments (0)/
Topics: InspirationSchool Culture/Climate
Tags:
Making Middle School Philosophy Work: Philosophy vs Mindset

Making Middle School Philosophy Work: Philosophy vs Mindset

Educators' mindsets make it possible to move a philosophy forward

What is middle school philosophy and how does it compare with or differ from a middle school mindset? A philosophy can be summarized as a system of principles used to guide one's practices; whereas a mindset can be...
Author: Sandy Cameli
Number of views (22677)/Comments (0)/
Topics: InspirationLeadershipMiddle School ConceptTeaching
Tags: Teacher LeadersTeacher Motivation
Reflections on Teaching and Learning

Reflections on Teaching and Learning

Educators have a responsibility to guide the moral development of youth

For years I have been concerned over what I view as the seriously truncated understanding of what teaching entails that is now commonly held. Taken hold in most peoples' minds, it seems, is a very narrow and limited...
Author: John H. Lounsbury
Number of views (25350)/Comments (0)/
Topics: InspirationMiddle School ConceptTeaching
Tags: Civic education

From the Eyes of a Junior Teacher Candidate

It was so much easier building relationships with teachers in elementary, middle, and high school. In college, on the other hand, building relationships is far more challenging. You typically only have a professor for...
Author: Haley Johnston
Number of views (8641)/Comments (0)/
Topics: InspirationTeaching
Tags: New Teachers
Mulch in the Middle Grades!

Mulch in the Middle Grades!

Leadership Lessons to Help Middle Schools Blossom and Grow

It's finally spring—and time for blossoming, growing, flourishing, and mulch. That's right, mulch. For anyone unaware of the joys of mulch, mulch comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors, and you can buy it in...
Author: Dru Tomlin
Number of views (5776)/Comments (8)/
Topics: InspirationLeadership
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The Last C Words for the Critical Middle Grades

The Last C Words for the Critical Middle Grades

Six Words to Create a Great School for Young Adolescents!

It's time for us to bid farewell to our good friend, the letter C, for the ABCs blog. Before we move to our next letter, let's take a look back at sensational, scintillating C. We've looked at the magical middle...
Author: Dru Tomlin
Number of views (5558)/Comments (8)/
Topics: Inspiration
Tags:
Conversation: Why Talking with Young Adolescents is Vital!

Conversation: Why Talking with Young Adolescents is Vital!

Walk the Walk about Talking the Talk!

Conversation is something that we often take for granted—like air. It swirls around us. We breathe it in. We listen to it as it bends and curves. Our ears hear it. However, even though it is as critical as the...
Author: Dru Tomlin
Number of views (6878)/Comments (19)/
Topics: InspirationTeaching
Tags:
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