AEDU335 Teaching in the Middle Grades - SU20 ONLINE

The final reading this week covered how school culture and the surrounding school community can influence or support the middle school programs.  I found as I read the different characteristics I made notes where my town's middle schools support the different points. First the school environment should provide a safe environment for the student.  Students should feel secure and comfortable and welcome to the building by all adults and hopefully other students.  This is accomplished when all staff are themselves open, comfortable and welcoming to each other.  When the adults respect each other, this is observed by the students which in turn impacts them to model that same behavior.  I have to say whenever I walk into the middle schools in my town, I am welcomed politely and with a smile.  I am asked regarding my business and over time, due to my numerous volunteering, welcomed with a smile as I am recognized.  It is nice to be recognized as a parent by ...

I always find the topic of differentiation to be interesting since to me it seems inherent and natural.  It is not something that I typically think about when I do teach other people, whether that be my staff, my Scouts or my athletes.  In order to keep anyone's interest, I present information in different ways.  With my staff, I may delegate a project with minimal instruction but give them an example to follow.  For other projects, I may set up a meeting where face-to-face discussion makes more sense so I can read their body language and give them the opportunity to ask questions immediately.  Finally for other projects, it may require a whiteboard where we can use visual diagrams like "T" accounts and journal entries or math calculations.  This mixes things up for me but also my staff so it is not always the boss doing the talking and the staff associate taking it in and doing what is needed like a robot.  In certain instances, I may be handing off a...

This week's readings began with AMLE and the role of leadership within the middle school environment.  That reading was followed by an online article, "Five Key Responsibilities - The School Principal as Leader: Guiding Schools to Better Teaching and Learning." AMLE discussed how leaders need to collaborate and have a shared vision which are committed to that vision and to the middle school student by gaining the necessary professional development to enhance learning and encourage strong relationships.  The online article takes it a step further by detailing the proper role of a principal and how they can set the pace and standard for their administrative staff, teachers, students and families. AMLE noted that all stakesholders should have a shared vision that helps make decisions.  I believe this is important and especially during this time of COVID.  My sons' school district has a shared vision, "We are self-directed lifelong learners, effective communicators, ...

This week's reading focused on how to best reach a middle school student and are the students ready for middle school itself.  AMLE introduced their "Essential Attributes - 16 Characteristics" chart which demonstrates what a middle school education should be with characteristics that support how to present it.   This chart helped create a strong visual for me so much that I printed it out so I could refer to it easier when reading from our This We Believe book.  We focused on the first category of characteristics, "Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment" which provides guidance on how what will work for educating a middle school student.  The online article we read, "Middle School:  Are They Ready to Move Up?" resonated with me as a future educator but also as a parent.  I found many of the articles points pertained to how my sons' school district approached the transition from elementary to middle school and also how my oldest son's teacher a...

The first set of reading introduced me to the process behind the development of the middle school program I understand now.  It is difficult for me to pull my thoughts and ideas together based on what I read this week.  It has been a while since I have written a blog and I am trying to develop an order to what I read and the impact it had on me.  I will state I was very curious to learn where and how the middle school program started and transformed into what I knew as a student and now experience with my two sons.   My sons are 5 years and grades apart and during that those years my school district implemented changes at the middle school level.  There were new things to learn and experience as a parent.  I like seeing their are major goals for the middle level education.  It provides administrators and educators a map on how to think thoughtfully about developing their middle school program. I found it interesting that even though Harvard Univer...