Young Adolescent Development

Social-Emotional Development of Young Adolescents: Fact and Fiction

Beginning with G. Stanley Hall in the early 1900s, the age and developmental period of young adolescence began to be explored and set apart from other developmental stages of life.  From Hall to current time, researchers are still trying to understand this complicated developmental period of life that changes both the physical body and the

Read More… from Social-Emotional Development of Young Adolescents: Fact and Fiction

Red Ribbon Week

8 Resources to Incorporate in your School for Red Ribbon Week

This past Saturday marked the beginning of Red Ribbon Week. Celebrated annually from October 23-31, Red Ribbon Week raises awareness for substance-use prevention programs and efforts. Around the country, students are learning about the importance of staying substance-free and saying “NO” to risky behaviors like underage drinking and underage cannabis use. As educators, we play

Read More… from 8 Resources to Incorporate in your School for Red Ribbon Week

Career Pathways in Middle School

To Give Students the Best Shot at Success, Introduce Career Pathways in Middle School

Career Exploration is possible in every school and for every student with the right playbook in hand. The middle school years — for good reason — are often called “the last best chance.” These are pivotal years for youth, as they develop rapidly in their critical, analytical, and creative thinking skills and desire to set

Read More… from To Give Students the Best Shot at Success, Introduce Career Pathways in Middle School

Leveraging the Science Behind the Middle School Brain in your Teaching Strategies

Young adolescence is recognized as the developmental period our students undergo between the ages of 10-15. This is the age where students develop the ability to expand their concrete knowledge to a more abstract way of thinking.  The connections in the brain are occurring often, and the skills learned become hard-wired.  Because there is so

Read More… from Leveraging the Science Behind the Middle School Brain in your Teaching Strategies

Digital Wellness in the Classroom: 5 Technology Habits to Support Mental Health

Middle school can be a difficult period for students, especially as they explore social media and the digital world. For children and adults alike, it is so easy to keep our eyes glued to our devices. Before we know it, several hours have passed by while we scrolled through Facebook or Instagram. Using social media

Read More… from Digital Wellness in the Classroom: 5 Technology Habits to Support Mental Health

Wayside Teaching Revisited

Revisiting the value of informal teaching beyond planned instruction. Wayside teaching was first introduced in the May 1987 “As I See It” column in the Middle School Journal—30 years ago. Here is a slightly modified version of it, particularly for all those educators who came to the middle school more recently. Formal, organized instruction is

Read More… from Wayside Teaching Revisited