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Prep-Once Activities

Bust worksheets and lectures with these activities you can reuse many times over. We’ve all experienced it—you look up from your lesson to notice a virus spreading among your students. First one, then three, and before long, the whole class is overtaken. It’s a zombie virus … the virus of disengagement. But how do we

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Can Fantasy Football Boost Teacher Morale?

At a middle school in Texas, a fantasy football league was a win for the entire school. Finding simple ways to boost teacher morale on a limited budget isn’t easy. Surprisingly, fantasy football or another similar competitive multi-person activity might be the answer. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) estimates that nearly 57 million people

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Becoming a Teacher

Finding your niche and keeping the passion. Do you remember your first day of college? I do. It was fall 2011 and I had arrived at Bowling Green State University to major in adolescent to young adult education, which covered grades 7–12. I showed up nearly 45 minutes early to my first class, Introduction into

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Making a Middle School Magazine

A student-produced magazine celebrates middle level student voice. In October 2015, a team of seven editors—all eighth grade boys at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Virginia—met during lunch to compare two digital publishing platforms. They judged entries for the Cover Art Contest and debated the potential of QR codes. By mid-November, a staff of 36

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Teaching Students Responsibility

For as long as humans have lived on Earth, generations of adults have bemoaned the lack of due diligence in the upcoming generation: “They’re indifferent and don’t work hard,” they declare. “We have to teach them self-discipline and how to be responsible!” This is followed quickly with a list of punitive measures sure to instill

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AMLE Celebrates Inaugural Schools of Distinction

AMLE recognized its inaugural class of Schools of Distinction earlier this month, in conjunction with the organization’s 49th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. The twelve schools were selected for their fervent commitment to implementing the essential attributes and characteristics of successful middle grades schools. In addition to being celebrated during a special awards ceremony, each

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Reimagining School – What should it look like and who is it for?

Cornelius Minor and Kass Minor help #AMLE22 attendees find their bottom lines as educators Cornelius and Kass Minor believe that kids don’t just learn in school. They become. It’s an attitude reflective of what we know about middle grades best practice, making them the perfect keynoters for #AMLE22 and our return to in-person conference. We

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Kindness is harder than it looks.

Houston Kraft reminds #AMLE22 attendees that connection doesn’t happen by accident. Houston Kraft, author and co-founder of CharacterStrong, took the main stage at #AMLE22 yesterday for his keynote address on Deep Kindness. From the outset, he made clear that he had a mission for those in attendance. “If we want more kindness on our campus,

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