Teachers in middle level schools face overwhelming demands and challenges in their classrooms. They are expected to know content and pedagogy, develop engaging lessons that meet the needs of diverse learners, and use...

Why do we grade? Is it to sort students by perceived ability? To measure learning? To engage students? To fail students, because not everyone can or should be successful? To satisfy parents and others in the...

Let's face it: Teachers can control their instructional practices, their classroom environment, and the relationships they develop with students and encourage among students, but these elements are just the tip of the...

State standardized test scores at Cedarbrook Middle School in the Cheltenham (Pennsylvania) School District had been stagnant for several years and the achievement gap within our school dismayed and disheartened all...

"Let me give you a math story problem." This sentence often strikes fear in many middle grades students as well as some teachers. As international comparisons, national commissions, and state assessment results...

The complexity and magnitude of changes young adolescents experience during the middle school years are profound. Providing them with a learning environment that fosters the development of meaningful relationships is...

Have you noticed the groundswell of volunteerism during the past few years? In 2006 alone, 60 million Americans dedicated 8.1 billion hours of service to community organizations. More recently, President Obama has...

"Your son's average is a low C. His grade is not as high as it should be, primarily because he is not turning in his homework, and I am not sure he is studying for tests. I was hoping you could shed some light on...

Students carry a stack of textbooks into the classroom and sit in their rows of desks. Mr. Jones pulls up his PowerPoint and leads the class through the content that will be on Friday's test. Next week will look...

In the middle of an ordinary day in an ordinary Los Angeles school, four middle school students shared fascinating insights in response to the question, "Does advisory help you feel connected to school?" Without...