Using Podcast Circles to Engage Reluctant ELA Learners

Teaching active listening in an age of information overload When Taryn Kralik moved from teaching fifth and sixth grade in a self-contained elementary school classroom to eighth grade ELA after ten years, she knew she needed a different approach. She had a class of reluctant readers, English learners, and just reluctant learners in general. Frequently

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Tips for Finishing the Year Strong: Advice and Lessons Learned from AMLE’s Leadership Institute Faculty

We’re in the home stretch – the end of the school year is in sight. There’s no sugar coating it, this has been another challenging year. While we hope that next year brings more of the calm and routine that our young adolescents crave, in the meantime how we can use the remaining days of

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Review Activities Kids (and You) Won’t Hate

Do you ever dread when it’s time to review for an assessment? More importantly, do your students? Tara Maynard, a middle grades math teacher and 24-year veteran of the classroom, has been crafting review activities for decades designed to provide meaningful practice without totally boring students. We sat down with her to ask what makes

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Play, Move, Calm, Think: An Advisory Approach with Student Choice at the Center

As you enter the classroom, the lights are dimmed and a dozen students are scattered throughout. Some are folding origami; another is using a wood burning kit to etch a magnificent dragon plaque. Others are reading quietly. You have entered the “Calm room.” It’s one of four rooms that 6th graders at Olmsted Falls Middle

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Middle School Mental Health: 6 Steps Educators can Take to Address Student Needs

It is a sad fact that in any classroom of thirty middle school students, approximately six might be experiencing some form of mental illness. Adolescence is a particularly important time, as physical, social, and emotional changes combined with exposure to risk factors can put young people at risk. Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression,

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Let’s Create Classrooms Focused on What Makes Adolescents Special

This article is part of AMLE’s showcase of work by aspiring middle grades educators. The author, Ashley Wilson, is an AMLE student member majoring in Education at the University of Richmond. We welcome student perspectives, and encourage those in teacher preparation programs to submit articles to membercenter@amle.org. Learn more about AMLE’s Collegiate Middle Level Association

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