Works cited

Works Cited

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communication-with-autistic-students

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._Stanley_Hall

Halderson, J. (2009, December 21). Coulee Kids. Retrieved 2012, August 22,

from https://mysdlax.lacrosseschools.org/groups/couleekids/

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Jalonski, D. (2012, May 11). Hopkinton Middle School teacher wins award. The

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Middle-School-teacher-wins-award#axzz24JcMdW1i

Meyer, P. (2011). The middle school mess. Education Next, 11(1), 40-47.

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New Teacher Center. (2009, October 16). From mentor teacher to school

principal [Video file]. Retrieved 2012, August, 22, from

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system (n.d.). Retrieved from http://district75pd.org/

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ndex.html

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Ohio: National Middle School Association.

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Middle-School-Mentoring-Programs-Effective.aspx

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Fordham Institute.

Family involvement

AMLE says:

The school actively involves families in the education of their children.
Schools and families must work together to provide the best possible learning for every young adolescent. Schools take the initiative in involving and educating families.

It means:

Middle schools (and all schools, really) need to proactively involve parents in the education of students.  There can be meetings in community centers, local housing projects (doesn't this just scream "urban, at-risk" youth?), interpreters, family learning centers, translations of materials, or meetings with school officials and other parents.  Technology, too, can help facilitate contact: newsletters, report cards, parent-teacher conferences, and homework hotlines.  Research shows that involvement of community members and family is linked to higher student achievement, improved student behavior, and greater support for schools.  Of course, the partnership must be symbiotic, with mutually understood roles and expectations.  Schools should expect families to use the opportunities provided to support student learning, and families should spend time to invest in their child's education.  And then, the disclaimer: be sensitive of local and cultural considerations (duh).

Example:

Below is a clip from a newsletter from one of the middle schools in my hometown district, West Genesee. 

This newsletter is pretty similar to what I received back in the day from good ol' Camillus Middle School.  The beginning of the school year featured a disclaimer, which basically described expectations of students and their families, as well as what to look forward to during the school year.  On the right, you can see the homework hotline phone numbers, which were a saving grace.  I never wrote my homework in my planner, and lost many points in homeroom for this.  Every night, I'd call the homework hotline to check my homework.  Not featured in the school newsletter is all the stuff about parent-teacher conferences, which were jam-packed.  You literally had to show up 30 minutes early to get a spot in the parking lot.  Otherwise, you had to walk from the soccer field, which wrapped around the back of the school.  

Why it works:

The newsletter shows a proactive approach to involving parents and families into the education of students.  It sets roles and expectations, such that they are mutual.  The hotline also implies that there is no excuse for not doing or not knowing homework, and is an effective use of technology in a middle-of-the-road (read: not rich, not poor, brilliant superintendent who knew how to balance a checkbook) public school.  The school expected families to spend time and effort working with students, but offered a lot of resources and opportunities: student concerts, planners, parent-teacher conferences, enrichment programs and after-school interaction time, and special meetings as need be.

My classroom/school:

As aforementioned, I need to proactively reach out to parents, so that they know what their students are doing in school.  They are all verbal, but on a very developing basis.  I can only imagine that if I was a parent of a student with emergent speech and language skills that I would want near daily, if not daily, contact about my child!  Anyway, I know my school on the whole has workshops and support group-type meetings for parents.  It's hard to do meetings in community centers or other locales, since it is District 75 and runs across the city, rather than a neighborhood.  My site makes use of those who can speak Spanish to help parents (in fact, the transition coordinator is a native Spanish speaker...not to mention the various others who speak Spanish, Arabic, etc.), so there is no need, to my knowledge, for an interpreter.  Materials go out regularly in English and Spanish, and a quarterly newsletter is produced.  On my end, I might consider using technology to facilitate parent-teacher conferences, especially since many of my students' parents work full time and have a student with very profound needs (e.g. they can't be left alone).  Thus, attendance rates at conferences are low -- although, to be frank, I talk to them so much that they pretty much know what's going on anyway.  I will continue to think of how to better use technology to liaise with parents and to develop better partnerships with them.

Adult Advocate

AMLE says:

Every student's academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate.
Academic success and personal growth increase markedly when young adolescents' affective needs are met. Each student must have one adult to support that student's academic and personal development.

It means:

Students need someone, be it a parent, family member, friend, or teacher, on their side.  In theory, all adults in middle level schools are advocates, advisors, and mentors.  Advocacy is a pervasive attitude of caring that means adults are responsive to the needs of all adolescents in the school.  On an individual level, a student needs one adult to support him or her academically and personally.  The adult is a model of good character who knows about young adolescent development, enjoys working with young adolescents, and comes to know students on an individual level.  An advocate or adult listens and guides youth, but not in a counselor role, acting as the primary liaison between school and family with frequent contact, and keeping an eye out for behavioral changes.  On a school-wide level, there may be organizational arrangements such as extended homeroom or team-based mentorships.

Example:

The Trinity College Mentoring Program pairs a college student with a student from Hartford Magnet Middle School.  It is part of the Jones-Zimmermann program.  Data shows that it significantly contributes to the academic achievement of middle school students and their pursuit of higher education.  In fact, the first cohort reports a high school graduation rate of 82%, with 87% of those graduates enrolled in college.  Underachieving 6th grade students commit to 3 years of participation, or their time at middle school, and the program commits to challenging them to realize their full academic potential.  Trinity students mentor their partners, help with homework, and provide them with after-school or weekend enrichment activities.  It is free for students.  The program exposes them to the idea of college and lets them literally see college from an insider's view.

Why it works:

I figure college students are close enough to adults to count as advocates for students, although not in an official role.  This program lets college students really develop a mentorship and partnership with a middle school student over the course of several years.  So not only is there trust, to help guide a student through formative years, but there is also organizational support for academics and personal growth.  The program features enrichment activities and occasional weekend excursions, not to mention that it seems to get kids through high school and college -- which is major!  This is not quite an advocate role as delineated in This We Believe, so I doubt that mentors are the primary liaisons between school and family, but I do believe that over 3 years, mentees might show behavioral changes or confide more in people close to their age than to teachers.

My classroom/school:

The take-away from the Trinity program is that I can always remember to let students know I'm on their side.  As a classroom teacher, I am in frequent contact with parents, especially because my students have emergent speech and language skills.  My parents need to know what's going on in school! I try to be responsive to my individual students' needs, and to provide them with equitable academic and personal support.  For example, I might work with one student who has severe pica disorder to help her stay physiologically safe (while reminding others that the student is not disgusting or gross, although they might think manifestations of the disorder are), when with another I might help research a topic of interest (Bob Marley).  Something I have learned this year, though, is to step back.  Not every student wants me as a mentor, and that is okay.  In the case of one student who lives with his grandfather and apparently single mother, he seems to seek male role models.  That is okay.  After lunch, when he is done with his schoolwork and classroom job, he gets to go to one of two classrooms, both of which have male teachers.  He seems to enjoy the male teachers' company and looks up to them as role models more than he does to me or to my classroom staff (we are all females).  In this upcoming year, I will keep my eyes peeled, as always, for behavioral changes, and to remind myself that my students may develop role models who aren't anyone in Class Y38!

School environment

AMLE says:

The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all.
A successful school for young adolescents is an inviting, supportive, and safe place, a joyful community that promotes in-depth learning and enhances students' physical and emotional well-being.

It means:

Middle level schools need to provide students with opportunities to develop/maintain their physical and emotional health (e.g. physical education, lifelong physical activities, written policies supporting peace and safety, scheduled PD, student-focused activities), and to explore opportunities for personal growth in a safe manner (e.g. clubs and interest groups, counseling, proactive anti-bullying efforts).  It comes down to having programs to concentrate on areas of young adolescents' personal lives that enhance or interfere with learning, adults modeling good habits, creating policies to support and direct a school's efforts to address health and wellness, school culture, school and community collaboration, and parent partnerships.  In this way, schools actively promote a safe and welcoming environment, liaising with and involving the stakeholders in students' lives.  

Example:

Detroit Edison Public School Academy emphasizes a school culture as an all around environment that sets high expectations not just for students, but also for teachers.  It seeks to emanate the message that all -- students, families, staff -- are welcome at the school.  Duke Bradley, principal and founder of Benjamin E. Mays Preparatory School in New Orleans, Louisiana, addressed the difficulties of establishing school culture for students by explicitly establishing guidelines for behavior, dress, responsibility, and individual accountability.  Teachers, on their part, attend professional development for 3 weeks in the summer, becoming acquainted with school protocol -- values of hard work, respect, discipline, and of leadership.  Finally, a KIPP School in Louisiana uses routine to transition students into the school environment.

Why it works:

Obviously, these schools are elementary, rather than middle level.  However, I wanted to use explicitly a KIPP school, having friends who teach at several and have had very good experiences at them.  Something all three schools emphasized was the importance of not only getting students on the same page, but teachers and staff, in creating a positive school environment.  They made sure families and students knew they were welcome, that all teachers and administrators had the common goal of providing students with a positive learning experience, and that teachers were models for their students.

My classroom/school:

My school has done a lot to get people on the same PBIS page, including paraprofessionals and teachers alike.  Administration works very hard with parents and community members to ensure the best outcome for students.  On my part, I work to ensure that my students know they are valued, that I am interested in their inputs and interests, and that I want them to be happy, healthy, and safe.  We go on community walks to address their physical needs, as some are obese and some need to develop balance or muscle (not to mention social skills).  We do zumba in class; it is a way for them to enjoy music and work on fitness (some of them hate gym, but love zumba and fail to register that a high kick IS exercise).  My class rules, which were student generated, are a written policy supporting safety -- physical and emotional -- for all students.  They know, too, that everyone in the class is "working on something," and that we never EVER make fun of somebody for having a hard time (e.g. a student with very severe pica disorder).  I also advocated for a student who is capable of doing so to attend after-lunch clubs, and so, he will attend this upcoming year.  I am working on reaching out to community members that will allow my students safe and thought-provoking opportunities to access the community.  As many of them are developing the ability to "maintain" across environments other than school and home, this is a veritable but worthwhile challenge.  Last but not least, I write home to parents 3 times per week and call home about once every 2 weeks, unless there is something particularly great or sensitive I want to chat about over the phone.  This has proven to be effective: my parents know I have their child's best interests at heart and know they are always welcome to call or drop in.

Organizational structures

AMLE says:

Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships.
The ways schools organize teachers and group and schedule students have a significant impact on the learning environment. Interdisciplinary teams common planning time, block scheduling, and elimination of tracking are related conditions that contribute to improved achievement.

It means:

Teaming is not just organizational, but how schools can build strong learning communities that are safe and supportive places where teachers and students alike are encouraged to take intellectual risks and feel like they know and can trust one another.  If teaming is effectively implemented, students achieve more, parents stay in contact more, and students and teachers feel, unsurprisingly, more positive about school.  Teams of 2 or 3 teachers are good for this effort.  For effective team planning, teachers need time on a regular basis to plot out how they will integrate the curriculum, analyze data, review work, discuss current research, and reflect.  This is not about small details, but the big picture.  Larger schools may subdivide into smaller groups that are, effectively, microcosms of the entire school population.  At best, middle level teachers design and operate much of the program themselves, collaborate across specialty areas, share responsibility for literacy, advocacy, and student life, and use available resources thoughtfully to work toward success for students.


Example:

Blackhawk Middle School uses small teams of teachers to create a close-knit community for students.  They meet daily to discuss successes and concerns, coordinate curriculum, and to assign work.  This helps students adjust at the middle level before entering high school, develop their strengths, and trust with other students, as well as teachers.  The video highlights one student named Diego, who is engaged with learning and helping others.  The spokesman in the video attributes it in part to the success of the school's teaming, which puts students into several rotations, each focusing on something different, such as literacy or math.



Chapter 3: Blackhawk Middle School Team Teaching from BSD2 Community Relations on Vimeo.

Why it works:

Here, it seems that the school's teaming is not just organizational, with teachers meeting daily and collaborating, as well as focusing on different areas of need.  Teachers seem to be effectively working together to create a positive student environment to maximize the best possible outcome for their students.  As the principal and assistant principal said, teachers support one another to integrate curriculum, assign work without overwhelming the students, and to "share the love."  I don't know if Blackhawk Middle School is larger, but the school also split itself into 2 teams, so that students work closely with the same teachers and develop a sense of trust before delving into high school.

My classroom/school:

My school has regularly scheduled professional development periods for teachers based on whether they teach in a 12:1:1, 8:1:1, or 6:1:1 format, and whether or not their students attend work sites.  Mine do not, as 5/6 are too young, and as 1/6 is "not ready yet" to attend a work site outside of school.  At any rate, it does not have explicit teams.  Over the summer, however, the curriculum planning team, of which I'm a member, worked to create informal teams to share resources, curriculum planning for students of similar abilities and needs, and to foster an ever-more-positive school environment.  As a non-graded, alternate assessment school, tracking and block scheduling are irrelevant, as there are simply classroom teachers and cluster teachers.  Yet, what I can strive to do is to foster more camaraderie among teachers who naturally get along and work together well.  People at my work think I'm smiley and nice all the time, anyway, so I might as well play that card and try to make work happier and more cooperative.

Professional Development

AMLE says:

Ongoing professional development reflects best educational practices.
Professional development is a continuing activity in middle level schools where teachers take advantage of every opportunity to work with colleagues to improve the learning experiences for their students.

It means:

Professional development is any means by where teachers, and I would argue, paraprofessionals, further their development as educators.  It could be anything from observing, collaborating, or consulting with colleagues, attending a formal professional development session or conference, or soliciting help from someone such as curriculum support, network leader, or community source (e.g. Museum of Modern Art).  Heck, it could be watching a Coulee podcast.  Undoubtedly, teachers, administrators, staff, and related service providers alike all need continuous professional development if they are to remain current with best proven practices and theories.  It is necessary to have regularly scheduled professional development, with differentiated topics to address teachers' interests and needs. 

Example:

The Therapeutic Crisis Intervention System, also known as TCI, was developed at Cornell University.  It is built off of positive behavior intervention and meant for crisis prevention and intervention, supporting the student in crisis both physically and emotionally.  Without going into the details of TCI too much, NYC Teaching Fellows are required to become TCI certified, taking the workshop over the summer and the examination during the school year.  District 75 offers the workshop through its PBIS arm, as well as TCI for students with developmental disabilities, with an overview found here.  Special educators in District 75 are free to sign up for either session under the District 75 PD page.  The main difference is in the life-space interview (LSI), reducing it from 7 steps under "regular" TCI to 3 steps under TCI for students with developmental disabilities.

Why it works:

The NYC Department of Education, and specifically District 75 arm of the DOE, is proactive in helping teachers, administrators, and staff alike develop themselves as educators and stakeholders in the lives of students with exceptional needs.  D75 PD offers a multitude of courses, hitting everything from anger management to PBIS, and from literacy to implementing technology.  By providing it on such an open forum, teachers can peruse courses and register.  Administrators can sign up teachers and staff as they see fit.  Courses are generally ongoing throughout the academic year, with some taking place on the weekend.


My classroom/school:
  
My school has been very proactive in providing teachers with opportunities for professional development.  Apart from sending me to TCI for students with developmental disabilities, my school also:

• brought in Leslie Schecht, director of technology for District 75, for a series of PD sessions so teachers and staff could effectively implement iPads, iPods, computers, Smartboards, and other technologies, in their classrooms.  Fox came in to do a clip on this.  You can see the video here.
• brought in Jessica Robishaw, PBIS specialist, to work with teachers and paraprofessionals on creating a better school environment and implementing best practices with students who have very exceptional needs.
• sent teachers to paid weekend professional development sessions.
• sent new teachers to the Celebration of Learning conference, held in winter/early spring.
• sent teachers on regular inter-visitation periods, to observe colleagues in an informal setting, so that they could become more competent in their own work.
• scheduled regular professional development periods for teams of teachers, each focusing on a different area.
• scheduled 7 periods per week of professional development time for new teachers with curriculum support.
• scheduled fading weekly meetings for new teachers. 

Oh, this list could go on and on.  Really, working at my school is great.  But, anyway, what can I do as a second-year teacher to continue my professional development?  Well, I can hop onto the D75 webpage and register for sessions that I feel will better my practices as an educator.  Usually, this is for stuff I can't get in school, such as certification for TCI.  I can proactively ask to observe teachers who I think "have got it," and really know how to work with students.  I am already on the curriculum support team, as well as the rubric planning team.  As far as those teams go, I feel that as a younger member currently studying for a MST, I can bring in new theory and break it down, so that colleagues hear about what is out there.  It's not that I think I'm any smarter than them; it's simply that I'm still involved with the school of education, whereas many of them are veteran teachers who know the theory from the time they studied and have years of experience to bring to the table.  This is my intention for the upcoming school year.  I can also proactively offer my help, if need or want be, to the 9 new teachers coming into my site.

Courageous & Collaborative Leaders

AMLE says:

Leaders demonstrate courage and collaboration.
Leaders understand that successful schools committed to the long-term implementation of the middle school concept must be collaborative enterprises. The principal, working collaboratively with a leadership team, focuses on building a learning community that involves all teachers and places top priority on the education and healthy development of every student, teacher, and staff member.

It means:

Leaders understand young adolescents and the society in which they live, as well as the theory and best practice of middle level education.  They know that yesterday does not determine tomorrow.  They strive to educate stakeholders about middle school philosophy and best practices to ensure long-term and continuous improvement.  They empower others to make decisions in addressing the education and well-being of all students.  The principal creates a collaborative enterprise by way of a leadership team, recognizing teachers as leaders and relying on the expertise of a variety of people to better academic growth and lives of students.  He or she recognizes that the school, too, is a teacher, and that students learn not only from formal education, but also from unplanned curriculum.

Example:

Pam Randall, an elementary school principal, is one of the first mentors for the Santa Cruz New Teacher Project, shows her work in supporting and evaluating new teachers.  Beginning with a running record, keeping in mind teaching standards and content standards that the teacher has asked her to collect, she reflects and discusses with the teacher after observing.  Ms. Randall also models lessons, such as choosing a book that is appropriate.  She believes in collaboration, reflection, and inquiry, for both teachers and administrators, admitting that reflection is something she strives to push for further in her work.  The video shows Ms. Randall hosting a reflective session for teachers, in hopes of creating a professional learning community.  She closes with a statement that (gasp!) teachers need the support, materials, and time to do their job well, and that it is her job to ensure they have these components.

Why it works:

Ms. Randall is an effective leader.  In collaborating with teachers for what appear to be observations, she practices what she preaches.  In asking them for standards they want her to collect, she is empowering them.  Although she is an elementary school principal, her emphasis on discussion and reflection for both her and teachers makes it evident that she seeks to educate others about school philosophy and best practices for the long haul.  In modeling lessons and creating a professional learning community, Ms. Randall is not only showing that she cares about and values the work of teachers (and most likely other staff members), but also creates works to create a positive school environment.  She knows that the school is a teacher.  Finally, the opening clip shows her chatting with students, including one whose birthday is approaching.  It's unquestionable that she knows and cares about the school's students.

My classroom/school: 

I work at a school that is equally supportive for students, staff, and teachers.  The principal is committed to long-term gains, although she herself will retire soon if word on the street is correct, and is open to new ideas, programs, and professional development for both paraprofessionals and teachers.  She works closely with assistant principals, unit coordinators, speech and language pathologists, parents, and other stakeholders, to ensure that everyone is valued and treated with respect, so that students can have the best possible outcome.  Her door is always open and she is very approachable to the extent that the school is first name basis for everyone from the top to the bottom.  For myself, I was appointed to the school's curriculum planning team after producing some nice work for the first ever CommonCore Learning Standard ELA writing task.  I gave extra copies to curriculum support, figuring that other teachers with similar classes might benefit (especially those who go to work sites all morning only to return to school with a bunch of tired students and work to do!).  Over the summer, the planning team met to design next year's curriculum, in map format.  I am not a leader in the sense that I am a principal, but I do strive to show others that I value their work and want to ensure their well-being.  This year, I will continue to develop curriculum -- but collaboratively with a fellow Fellow (pun intended!) who teaches a 8:1:1 class -- that will push for peer-to-peer interactions and social skills, as well as academics.  I hope to use these skills to become an effective team leader and to ensure long-term success for those who will attend my site!

Challenging Curriculum

AMLE says:

Curriculum is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant.
Curriculum embraces every planned aspect of a school's educational program. An effective middle level curriculum is distinguished by learning activities that appeal to young adolescents, is exploratory and challenging, and incorporates student-generated questions and concerns.

It means:

Curriculum, at best, embodies every planned aspect of a school's educational program, from formal classes to guidance, clubs, interest groups, music and drama productions, student government, sports, and service learning experiences.  Activities appeal to young adolescents and let them generate and answer questions important to them.  Curriculum should be planned into longer units, rather than day-to-day lessons.  Essential questions and complex tasks are thoughtfully integrated into backwards design (skills, assessment, activities).  Students are exposed to "hidden curriculum" when they learn indirectly from interpersonal relationships and the school environment.  Educators should strive to integrate both the explicit and hidden curricula, ensuring interactions are positive and that students are valued and treated equitably.  This can be difficult, especially as state/federal guidelines such as CCLS, can butt heads with developmentally appropriate educational experiences.

Example:

Debra Pinto of Hopkinton Middle School (article here) won a Physical Education Teacher of the Year award for the middle school age group in Massachusetts by way of the MA Association for Health Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.  She created a unit on 5K running that focuses not just on physical fitness, but also on wellness and knowledge of the body.  As Ms. Pinto said, “There’s the art behind teaching physical education, but there’s that science behind teaching physical education, too.”  She notes that movement has its place amidst high-stakes learning.  The unit is for eighth grade students, who prepare for a 5K.  They learn to take their heart rate, to assess cardiovascular fitness, and then follow a training plan.  Students then continue to record data, re-assess, and self-evaluate why their cardiovascular fitness improved and how they feel.  Ms. Pinto also pursues fitness outside of the classroom, in the form of an Ironman triathlon and triathlon coaching, so that she practices what she teaches and can infuse these healthy activities into her work.  The assistant principal said that Ms. Pinto is somebody the students gravitate to.

Why it works: 

I love this example, because physical education is not usually thought of when planning curriculum.  It is clear that Ms. Pinto thought of a unit, rather than day-to-day plans, and thoughtfully used backwards design to determine a goal (training for a 5K/improving cardiovascular fitness), assessments, and activities.  Students could begin from where they were at, work towards a common goal, and self-reflect at the end.  Although there was no mention of student-generated questions, the article did mention that students answered upon completion of the training plan why their cardiovascular fitness improved and how they felt.  So, they answered questions and self-assessed.  This, to me, is a stellar example of integrating backwards design and educational theory into a realm that is not usually included in the academic sphere.  The data-driven unit is probably aligned with CCLS and academics.  Ms. Pinto obviously succeeded at integrating the explicit curriculum with the hidden, and based on the comments of her assistant principal, her interactions with students are positive.  I think by nature of the unit, they are valued, and by nature of the baseline data taken, that they are treated equitably: working toward a common goal but with differentiated content (e.g. different levels of cardiovascular fitness).

My classroom/school:

This past summer, the high school unit's theme was the Summer Olympics: Working Together and Going for the Gold.  This was great, in that it allowed for plenty of collaboration between classroom and cluster teachers, specifically the physical education teachers, as well as for a lot of flexibility.  We chose and developed activities that allowed students to target not only physical needs, such as getting energy out for one student or hand-eye coordination and balance for another, but also social skills.  This is especially important with my class, as skills relevant to peer-to-peer interactions are very emergent.  These desired skills became a six week-long unit spanning the summer, culminating in a site-wide Summer Olympics.  In this way, students were exposed to both hidden and planned curricula, positive interactions, teamwork and cooperation, and were valued and treated equitably.  In the future, I will further seek opportunities for collaboration with cluster teachers, to provide students with opportunities to gain functional skills or address physical needs, while still hitting CCLS.  Within my classroom, I will continue exposing my students to student-driven learning.  We have tried methods, such as KWL charts, to prompt students to generate questions, but with very limited success.  In the coming year, I will work to decrease the levels of support my students receive and proactively seek help from other teachers through observation and collaboration, as well as from curriculum support.

Active learning

AMLE says:

Students and teachers are engaged in active, purposeful learning.

Instructional practices place students at the center of the learning process. As they develop the ability to hypothesize, to organize information into useful and meaningful constructs, and to grasp long-term cause and effect relationships, students are ready and able to play a major role in their own learning and education.

It means:

Education is a two-way street.  Despite our official role as educators, we also learn from our students.  Heck, there have been times when I've had a student lead a reading lesson to see how well they pick up the skills, academic and social, I taught them.  Other times, I've had students do presentations on things that interest them, such as Bone Thugz 'n' Harmony.  It's great for expanding expressive speech and language skills, as well as for letting them know I'm interested in all of them and not just the parts that do math and science and bop people on the head while out in the community.  Moving on...this is about empowering students and providing them with opportunities to exercise agency in their own education.  Use "hands-joined" activities, where teachers and students work together.  This collaboration facilitates mastery of concepts, helps develop meaningful relationships, and reflects democratic processes.

Example:

8 students at Longfellow Middle School spent a day off teaching teachers how to make advanced podcasts, as part of Coulee Kids Podcast series.  Podcast coordinator Jeanne Halderson guided students in basics and let them "learn on their own" to develop advanced podcasts, using technology such as GarageBand.  Students say this is fun, that they learn collaboratively and independently, and that the opportunity to teach their teachers is unusual -- but good.  Here is the link to the podcast website.

Why it works:

The entire premise of the Coulee Kids Podcast series embodies active, purposeful learning.  The practice, enabled by Ms. Halderson, is entirely student-based.  It allows them to construct advanced knowledge through experiential learning and to demonstrate mastery of their skills/knowledge by teaching it to their teachers.  If that doesn't scream two-way street and "hands-joined" activity, I don't know what does!  From the students interviewed, it is obvious that they feel confident in their technological and teaching abilities, and that they feel ownership over their learning.  This is a great example of how one might implement active learning to develop meaningful student-teacher relationships and democratic processes, not to mention hitting a bunch of CommonCore Learning Standards -- which are really pushing technology.

My classroom/school:

Something I have worked very diligently on with my students is social skills, which are in turn linked to functional skills.  Even for those who do go out into the community with their families, acquiring social skills as early learners who fall on the profound end of the autism spectrum is very difficult.  To address this deficiency, we (students' families, my paraprofessionals and I) identified areas where students needed to be able to practice or generalize social and functional skills.  Depending on individual abilities and needs, I wrote social stories or modified newspaper articles about the place where we would go.  We practiced in school before venturing out into the community: restaurants, parks, cafés, libraries, book stores, grocery stores (a very hard one!), the dollar store, the toy store, etc.  For the two "highest functioning" students in my class as far as social skills go, we let them after some time lead us out into the community and tell us how to act.  Allowing them to teach us (staff, teacher, other students) how to enter a store (calmly and quietly!) demonstrate mastery of the skill, empowered them, and helped develop trust between staff and students.  Other students who needed more support taught us one step or a couple steps that they mastered.  For example, Meghan (name changed) mastered how to pay for things in a store.  She taught us to wait in line, hand money to the cashier, to wait for change and the receipt, and to pick up the bag at the end of the store.  Another student taught us how to safely cross streets and read traffic signs.  In my classroom, we strive for as many "hands-joined" activities as possible, but we also need to provide students with some support to ensure safety.

Value young adolescents

AMLE says:

Educators value young adolescents and are prepared to teach them. Effective middle grades educators make a conscious choice to work with young adolescents and advocate for them. They understand the developmental uniqueness of this age group, the appropriate curriculum, effective learning and assessment strategies, and their importance as models.

It means:

Educators should enjoy working with adolescents, know with whom they're working, and work to better their lives.  Address the fact that students at this age are changing physiologically, emotionally, developmentally.  Design curriculum, lessons, and flexible assessments (or as flexible as your school will permit) that address or leave room to address issues at large that young adolescents encounter -- bullying, puberty, identity formation -- as well as individual issues that are equally relevant to the lives of students -- diversity, special abilities, needs, and interests.  Validate their existence as intelligent young beings who have something to contribute to society.  It's not that young adolescents are dumb; they simply are in the process of acquiring the life experience that their adult counterparts have hopefully already acquired over the course of years.  Help them acquire it, through integrative learning and interdisciplinary studies.  Economics and "social studies" are inextricably linked in the real world; why shouldn't they be in school?  Educators need to be role models for students, modeling the behavior they hope their students to develop.  They need specific preparation before teaching middle level students, as well as continuing professional development opportunities.  

 

Example:

Wilson Middle School has a Girls' Group.  Candace Shay, a seventh-grade science teacher at the school, created it in 1997 for her master's degree, and found that adolescent girls have low self-esteem compared to boys.  She wanted them to learn self-acceptance.  When Jena Waters, who was raised by her father and grandmother and had difficulty finding a female mentor as a young adolescent, began student teaching, Ms. Shay invited her to help out.  She mentored the after school group, which meets each week to discuss positive body image, etiquette, professional success, self-esteem, and bullying, and became the coordinator.  Meetings have anywhere from 25-30 girls to standing room only and feature a new topic each week.  The group proactively recommends those who have been bullied or who may have low self-esteem.  To celebrate the positive changes or development in members, the group had a special event with spa services, dinner, dessert, and a guest speaker who is a (female) leader in the community. 

Girls' Group meeting. Source

Why it works:

Wilson Middle School is fortunate enough to have two teachers, Ms. Shay and Ms. Waters, who not only enjoy working with adolescents, but also care enough to proactively create an avenue to target and aid young women in forming positive identities.  The issues that Girls' Group addresses helps to ensure that these young women have a safe place to go to for help.  Having a culminating event as described above not only shows them a "real-world" role model (although Ms. Shay and Ms. Waters are undoubtedly also role models for these young women), but also exposes them to integrative learning: learning from a woman who has gone through some of the changes they have gone through, and succeeded to a leadership role in agencies serving the community, is a powerful message.

My classroom/school:

My school is actually rolling out with a Girls' Club of its own, but not inspired by this article.  It is meant to address the fact that 50 new students are coming to my high school site, although only 3 graduated, and that about 20% of them are girls.  Combined with the young women already attending my site, there is a blatant need to support females since they are in the overwhelming minority.  There is also a blatant need to help them form positive identities, especially with respect to body rights.  Many of the students, male and female, are unaware of body rights whatsoever, and especially among female students, there is a high rate of sexual abuse.  This club will help teach them about body rights, and also address personal interests, girly stuff (e.g. painting nails, boy bands), and whatever else is interesting to them.  Needless to say, the head honcho -- aka principal -- of my school is a very powerful female herself, who is well known in the ASD and special education community.

The 16 Characteristics

Middle schools are a hot mess - or so stereotypes say.  So are adolescents (allegedly).  Examples?  Here are links to read about the disastrous rep of middle schools.  The first two are for those who are particularly interested in education, enjoy reading at length, or have a lot of free time.  The third is a series from the New York Times, and let's be honest: an article generally requires little commitment, unless it's one of the crazy 13-page ones, in which case you find the summary and read that only!

• The Middle School Mess by Peter Meyer, education writer 
• Mayhem in the Middle: How middle schools have failed America--and how to make them work by Cheri Pierson Yeck (2005) 
  
• The Critical Years series from the NYT

Here's a link to read about the tough age that is adolescence:

• Adolescent storm and stress, reconsidered by J. Arnett (1999) 
• The creator of the "storm and stress" model, G. Stanley Hall

The question of what to do with middle schools is a trending and important issue.  Just Google "middle school difficulty/mess/disaster/failure."  The Association for Middle Level Education's (AMLE) This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents identifies 16 characteristics that are essential to middle schools.  Here's a visual:

Source: Association for Middle Level Education
(On a side note: It strikes me that the essential attributes are common sense.  Shouldn't education be developmentally responsive, challenging, empowering, and equitable at every level?  As a public educator, I'm actually just embarrassed when I encounter stuff like this.)

What do these look like?  Let's find out.  I'll select 9 of the 16 characteristics, explore embodiments of each that someone/someplace is currently implementing in public education, and reflect upon how I can use these with my students.  Because they have just entered the high school site of my non-graded school and are early learners (e.g. 14 - 18 years of age, but developmentally ~4 - 8 years of age and in a 6:1:1 classroom setting) much of what is applicable to "young adolescents" in middle school is also applicable to my students.