Tag: middle school

January 23, 2024

When Salvador Quijada, a seventh and eighth grade math teacher at Philip’s Academy Charter School, thinks back on his own journey as a mathematician, he gives credit to one high school math teacher who pushed him to take on AP […]

August 11, 2023

As an educator and leader who grades holistically, it becomes important to consider how to create well rounded assessments that offer students myriad different opportunities to demonstrate their learning. Providing students with authentic and varied assessment opportunities helps educators gather […]

April 19, 2023

As a senior at Indianapolis’ Ben Davis High School, Jacob Gregory enrolled in an Exploratory Teaching program. He thought of it as an easy way to leave school for a few hours, but it ended up sparking “an unknown interest […]

March 29, 2023

In some ways, middle school is very much the same as it was a decade ago. In my own classroom, I recognize some of the hallmarks of the middle school years — changing voices, students spurting up three inches by […]

February 7, 2022

What do you want to be when you grow up? As we get older, the answer often changes from highly visible and glamorous endeavors, such as being an actor or a rockstar, to something more useful and meaningful to us […]

November 12, 2021

Twig Education, creators of the leading elementary level science program Twig Science, today announced the launch of Twig Science Next Gen for grades 6–8. Twig Science Next Gen for middle school is an investigation-based science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics […]

October 5, 2021

The last time this year’s 7th-graders had a normal school year — without remote learning, masking and social distancing — was in 2018-19, when they were in 4th grade. Not only has there been a global pandemic since then, but […]

August 18, 2021

It is well documented that extracurricular activities boost academic success. In recent years, schools have tried to broaden the traditional extracurricular definition to appeal to a more diverse, and often disengaged, group of students who are at-risk of dropping out […]

April 6, 2020

Philippe Cousteau, Jr.’s environmental youth leadership organization EarthEcho International offers its free environmental education resources to teachers, students, and families affected by school closings due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Resources are available immediately via the EarthEcho Website: www.EarthEcho.org The resources, […]

February 7, 2020

I worked in juvenile probation for eight years before becoming a teacher, so I’ve seen the potentially devastating effect of the emotional issues that kids deal with. Before I took over as principal at Bluebonnet Elementary, I was an assistant […]

January 7, 2020

Though racial, ethnic and socioeconomic segregation between districts in New York City and in other urban districts nationwide is well-documented, this study shows segregation within school districts is also a problem. Even within fairly diverse school districts, many schools’ student […]

November 12, 2019

Gen Z: a generation defined by on-demand smartphone access. Nearly half of Gen Z students say they are online “almost constantly,” leaving everyone, especially educators, wondering what impact the prevalence of technology has had on students’ lives and will have […]

October 7, 2019

According to recent numbers released by YouthTruth, 33% of students — or 1 in 3 — reported that they had experienced bullying in the 2017-18 school year, and far more middle school students reported being bullied than those in high […]

February 11, 2019

Between ensuring more young children have school readiness skills and raising high school graduation rates, the middle school years are often overlooked in the push to improve education policy and practices. Nancy L. Deutsch, who directs Youth-Nex at the University […]

September 20, 2018

I am always looking for new ways to get to know my students. Over the past two decades, I have attempted dozens of different types of icebreakers in my classes; some were successful and others were a total failure. When […]

September 4, 2018

Sixteen states plus D.C. require retention for students not reading at proficiency by the end of 3rd grade; 14 of those allow for conditional promotion. Research shows that students who have been retained, as early as kindergarten or as late […]

April 16, 2018

Start times are an issue that requires the collaboration of many, if not all, district departments — transportation, instruction, athletics, nutrition, and before- and after-school programs, including those run by community-based organizations. Parents commuting to work in the morning are […]

January 3, 2018

I’m a middle school teacher who incorporates project-based learning whenever possible. Over the past four years, I came to understand that I was missing one of the key features necessary for a successful, high-quality, collaborative experience with middle school students: […]