Behavior Choices One of the most pressing concerns reported by teachers, middle grade students, and parents is the escalation of conflict and violence among middle level students in schools. There are many ideas about why this may be happening such as isolation and lack of social interaction caused by the pandemic, increased models of conflict
Read More… from Student Behavior: A plan not a power struggle
Our children have so much to tell us. Sometimes it is by expressing their feelings in big ways, other times it is through their actions, and how they direct their bodies to react; in other situations it is through eloping from a space, or shutting down, caught within a freeze. Frequently, as we have seen
Read More… from Navigating the Gray: Trauma in the Middle Grades
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Jana Davidson teaches seventh-grade science. Every day, she observes students entering her classroom stressed out. Many of them feel overwhelmed. Anxiety has become quite common thanks to the pressures of social media and a pandemic. When I asked Ms. Davidson how she helps her students manage their stress, she told me she assumed the best
Read More… from The Diamond Secret: Preventing Pressure from Becoming Stress
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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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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
Read More… from Play, Move, Calm, Think: An Advisory Approach with Student Choice at the Center
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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,
Read More… from Middle School Mental Health: 6 Steps Educators can Take to Address Student Needs
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