The relatively low priority for middle level education is a nearly universal condition particularly well known to those engaged in educating young adolescents. These passionate educators are committed to pouring...

I will start with an understatement: Now seems as apt a time as any to begin conversations about multiculturalism and marginalized populations in the classroom. A stance of cultural respect opens opportunities for...

Change. A six-letter word bandied around a lot. Politicians use the word every election cycle to argue for the need of the electorate to select new leaders. In a democracy, change means so much more. Citizens have the...

It's 7:30 Tuesday morning and groups of teachers are sitting in their first meeting of the year for their professional learning communities (PLCs). Thick binders filled with colored tabs and volumes of files of...

Working with students who typically haven't been very successful in the classroom can be a challenge. Luckily, there are a few simple approaches to take that will help you motivate those reluctant learners from day...

In our article titled "Transforming Middle School Practice Through Instructional Technology," we shared how our district has approached systematic growth by intertwining twin focuses on middle level education and...

Middle schools and summer camps play different roles in society. Middle schools are a legally required step in a child's development meant to prepare them for college and career, while summer camps are often elective...

A few years ago, a colleague of mine at a local middle school lamented that he had to stop being a volunteer leader for his church's youth group. When I asked him why, he said he had heard someone on talk radio say...

Plagiarism is both easier to commit due to the tremendous amount of content "out there," but also ridiculously easy to catch with a simple Google search. As an English teacher, I've found that if my assignment can be...

Gena was failing most of her sixth grade classes when she decided to stop going to school. Her mother, Sheryl, called me in a panic. I hadn't talked to Sheryl in years, but we'd grown up together, and she knew I was a...