Author: Stephanie Simpson

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Posts by Stephanie Simpson

Building Revolutionary Educators and the Power of Mentoring

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In a recent episode of AMLE’s Middle School Walk and Talk podcast, Dr. Rashad Anderson, professor at Metropolitan State University in Denver, shared insights from his work leading the Call Me MiSTER® Teacher Leadership Program and his research on mentoring, student engagement, and school culture. Anderson’s discussion highlighted both the challenges facing middle school education

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Planning with Purpose: Using AI to Support Culturally Grounded Middle School Instruction

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In a recent episode of Middle School Walk and Talk, AMLE hosts Phyllis Fagell and Jessica McGuire spoke with AMLE Rising Star Presenter Adam Whitaker about his work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, English language arts, and culturally relevant pedagogy. Surprisingly, Whitaker began the conversation by clarifying that technology is not his primary passion.

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Emily Kircher Morris on Creating Neurodiversity Affirming Middle Schools

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In a recent episode of AMLE’s Middle School Walk and Talk podcast, hosts Phyllis Fagell and Jessica McGuire sat down with author, counselor, and educator Emily Kircher Morris to explore what it truly means to create neurodiversity affirming schools. Although the hosts have spoken with her many times before, this was their first in-person conversation,

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Fostering Student Voice and Engagement Through Exploratory Time

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At Dorseyville Middle School, an AMLE School of Distinction in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania a unique initiative called Exploratory Time (ET) has yielded powerful benefits for the entire school community.  Reintroduced after a long hiatus, ET has become a cornerstone of the school’s commitment to student voice and community engagement, helping staff to create a fun, balanced

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Teaching Students to Think: Connie Hamilton on the Power of Better Questions in Middle School

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In a recent episode of Middle School Walk and Talk, hosts Phyllis Fagell and Jessica McGuire welcomed Connie Hamilton, educator, author, and widely recognized “questioning guru,” to explore why effective questioning is one of the most important tools teachers can use to deepen learning. Hamilton, best known for her book Hacking Questions, traces her focus

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Brain Science Meets Middle School: Key Takeaways from Glenn Whitman

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Glenn Whitman, history teacher at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, and director of the school’s Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL), joined the Middle School Walk & Talk podcast for a recent episode focused on practical, research-backed strategies for instructing middle grades students. You can listen to the episode now, or read

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