Time
Management for Middle Schoolers
At the "Beat the Clock" website, students can learn to manage
school time better. The site, sponsored by the Day Runner pocket calendar
folks, includes background info for teachers and parents. As a MiddleWeb
listserv member wrote recently: "Wow! What an incredible site. I am
using it immediately in Advisory and sending it out to the whole school."
Middle
Grades Advisory Resources
The advisory period -- ideally, a time when teachers and students examine
"real-life" issues -- is the linchpin in the middle-school movement,
some experts say. but many middle-school programs suffer from poorly implemented
advisories that have little impact on academic or personal growth. These
articles can help schools examine the advisory concept and the quality of
their own programs.
Teenage
Life Online
The rise of the instant-message generation and the Internet's impact on
friendships and family relationships are examined in this report from the
Pew Internet Project, which zeroes in on teens aged 12-17. "Of particular
interest to the authors," says a review in The Scout Report, "is
how teens have embraced instant messaging technologies to a much larger
degree than adults, thoroughly integrating it into their daily lives."
Full text available in HTML and PDF formats at this page.
Retention
May Be Bad Education Policy
States that hope to eliminate social promotion by retaining students based
solely on test scores are replacing one failed strategy with another, says
a study by the Southern Regional Education Board. "After decades of
research, we know beyond any serious doubt that simply repeating a grade
does not help struggling students overcome their problems.
"Colorblind"
Middle Grades Classrooms?
The book "A White Teacher Talks About Race," by Julie Landsman,
prompts a series of soul-searching comments about race and class and their
impact on the classroom. An archived conversation from the MiddleWeb middle
grades discussion list.
Transitions into Middle School
Here's a page at MiddleWeb where we've posted some fifth-to-sixth grade
transition ideas collected from discussion listservs. Also, this
article from the Middle School Journal (January 2000) suggests that
while many young adolescents do suffer ill effects from the transition,
it may have more to do with poorly conceived middle school programs than
the middle school model itself. Our former principal diarist Susan Fedor
describe how her all-sixth-grade school helped students during their
first days.
Successful
Transitions to High School
When middle school students took part in a well-designed high school transition
program, fewer students were retained in the transition grade, reports this
ERIC Digest research summary, "Helping Middle School Students Make
The Transition Into High School." This Digest also discusses how educators
can ease students' transition into high school by providing challenging
and supportive middle school environments. (Posted, with additional resources,
at the Kidsource website.) Also see these ideas
about "bridging the gap" from middle to high school.
Revisiting
the Middle School Advisory
"Middle grades advisory programs are often viewed as "in conflict"
with a school's academic purpose, middle school expert John Lounsbury recently
noted on the MiddleWeb listserv, "when, in fact, if properly done,
they are very much in concert." Lounsbury's comments triggered a lively
discussion among listserv members about the value of advisories and the
failure of many schools to realize their potential. At the MiddleWeb listserv
archive. OTHER ARTICLES ABOUT ADVISORY: "Revitalizing
the Middle School Advisory," "10
Q&As about Quality Advisory," "Five
Attributes of Satisfying Advisories," and this
Education World article on good advisory programs.
Standards-Based
Service Learning in the Middle School
Retiring Philadelphia superintendent David Hornbeck makes his case for "standards-based"
service learning by citing a middle school project in West Phillie. After
studying the impact of the U.S. Census, middle grades students mapped and
developed graphs of their neighborhood, developed public service announcements
to reach traditionally undercounted communities and made presentations at
local churches and shopping centers to encourage folks to complete their
census forms. (From the August 2000 issue of "School Administrator,"
which also includes an overview
article on the value of service learning in middle and high school,
and a cost-benefit analysis.)
Resources
for After-School Programs
This page at the U.S. Department of Education's 21st Century Community Learning
Centers site offers a variety of links and resources that can help schools
and communities build strong after-school programs. Also see our complete
list of after-school program resources.
Social
Support and Student Learning in Middle School (PDF file)
Produced by the Consortium on Chicago School Research, "Social Support,
Academic Press, and Student Achievement: A View from the Middle Grades in
Chicago," examines the complex relationship between student social
support and student learning. A conclusion, quoted from the version of the
study published in the American Educational Research Journal (Winter 1999):
"In schools with a strong press toward academics, students who experience
high levels of support learn quite a lot. In schools where the academic
press is low, even students with high levels of social support do not learn."
(NOTE: Clicking on this URL will begin the download of a 1 mg Adobe Acrobat
file. It's worth the wait.)
Character Education
Goodcharacter.com offers free character education resources for teachers,
coaches, and youth group leaders -- in connection with a video series produced
by Live Wire Media. The site includes discussion questions, writing assignments,
learning activities, opportunities for student action, and teacher support
material.
Extracurricular
Activities and Academic Achievement
Looking for some evidence that extracurricular activities support student
achievement? Reseacher John Holloway surveyed the research in this "Research
Link" (Educational Leadership, Dec/Jan, 1999/2000). "All the cited
research suggests that extracurricular activities provide all students --
including at-risk and gifted students -- an academic safety net."
Growing
Up in the City
This three-part PBS series produced by John
Merrow reveals what it's like to be young in urban America. Fourteen
adolescents (ages 11-13) opened up their lives to a team of journalists
from The Merrow Report for nine months. Read more about the series at The
Merrow Report site and find out how to order. ($38.50 for the set. Toll
free 877-263-7769.) Read Merrow's reflections on the series in this Education
Week article at: http://www.edweek.org/ew/vol-18/33merrow.h18
Reducing
School Violence Through Conflict Resolution
As violence increases, pressure for safe and orderly schools increases.
Schools are struggling with what to do. This summary of a 1997 book by David
and Roger Johnson describe stwo interrelated approaches: a violence prevention
program and a conflict resolution program. "Examining violence in schools
and society and the influences that support violence helps us understand
why we need such programs."
Middle
School Counseling That Supports Academics
Former principal and University of Louisville professor Diane Ricciardi
argues that counseling programs are vital in the middle grades and can support
-- rather than take time away -- from efforts to increase academic rigor.
"No support service is more fundamental...in bridging students' personal
needs and academic performance." In this article in NAESP's "Middle
Matters" newsletter (Spring 1999), Ricciardi proposes that principals
look to the National Standards for School Counseling Programs to help "connect
personal development and academic achievement more closely."
Ten
Questions and Answers about Advisories
Middle school consultant believes good advisories can still be a vital part
of a academically successful middle school. He answers questions like "Does
research indicate connections between advisory and improved student performance?"
Also see his "Five
Attributes of Satisfying Advisories."
Data on
America's Children
"America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 1999"
is posted on the Web. The third annual report includes six contextual measures
that describe the changing population and family context in which children
are living, and 23 indicators of well-being in the areas of economic security,
health, behavior and social environment, and education.
Some In-School
Suspension Resources
We've just begun to build this list and welcome your suggestions. But you'll
find some useful materials here.
For Whom
the School Bell Tolls -- Adolescent sleep needs
This cover story in School Administrator's issue on time management and
block scheduling (March 1999) includes new research about adolescent sleep
needs.
Linking
Discipline and Student Achievement
This study by the Educational Testing Service uses the National Educational
Longitudinal Study of 1988 to measure the relationships among disciplinary
policies, student delinquency, and academic achievement. "Order in
the Classroom: Violence, Discipline, and Student Achievement"confirms
the link between order and achievement and describes a sampling of approaches
being used in schools across the country to reduce violence and increase
discipline.
Involving
Students In Curriculum Planning
Many educators support the idea that young adolescents should and can be
involved in classroom curriculum planning, says this briefing paper from
the National Middle Schools Association. "Such involvement could include
helping to determine curricular goals, content, methodology, activities,
materials, and means of assessment."
Involving
Student Leaders in Middle School Reform
This brief article from NASSP's "Leadership for Student Activities"
magazine suggests ways that teachers involved in student activities programs
in the middle grades can work with student leaders accommodate and support
school reform efforts. Find
out more about NASSP's middle level student activities programs.
Thematic
Programs and Middle School Climate
"Continual lack of interest in school matters exhibited by the majority
of students soon takes its toll on everyone," says the author of this
brief report. She describes how one middle school used thematic programs
to increase student enthusiasm for school and learning.
Student
Mentoring Programs
This article from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, describes
how some schools are using mentoring programs to help struggling students
reach their potential. Schools are pairing students with adult volunteers
or older students who provide friendship, guidance, and support -- "offering
students new avenues for exploring educational and career paths, stronger
incentives for staying in school, and increased confidence in their ability
to succeed."
Integrated
Middle School Exploratories
The Northwest Regional Education Lab profiles exploratory programs at Hellgate
Middle School, a Blue Ribbon school near Missoula, Montana. In the vocational
and practical technology labs, projects require math skills, art, and science,
as well as critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and decisionmaking
skills. You may also be interested in the
findings of Howard Co., MD's audit of its middle grades exploratory
program.
Middle
School Survival Handbook
Developed by Louisville's Middle School Coalition for students and parents
in the Jefferson County (KY) Public Schools, this colorful 32-page booklet
covers school etiquette, making friends, handling bullies, gangs, hosting
and attending parties, coping with peer pressure, eating disorders, drugs
and alcohol, depression -- even body piercing. One section outlines the
district's performance standards and student expectations; another describes
the "Eight Habits of Highly Successful Middle School Students."
Includes both student and parent tips. PDF format. [The JCPS Middle School
Guide (2 mg) is also available for downloading at this page.]
Helping
At-Risk Students Form Positive Relationships
How can we at-risk students be taught how to form positive relationships?
An innovative approach called the total positive response strategy shows
ways teachers can deal with student misbehavior to improve the teacher-student
relationship. ("Schools in the Middle" magazine.)
Middle
School After-School Programs
How can extended learning opportunities expand a students' knowledge? After-school
programs are beginning to gain a presence in local communities, say authors
Ariana de Kanter and Sue Ferguson, who describe successful middle school
partnerships that are producing high-quality afternoon programs. ("Schools
in the Middle" magazine.)
How
the Adolescent Brain Works
New knowledge in neuroscience is redefining possibilities for education.
There are five critical variables in the brain's learning process: neural
history, context, acquisition, elaboration, and encoding. To find out where
neuroscience and the classroom link up, Eric Jensen describes the neurological
development of 15-year-old "Julie." (Educational Leadership, November
1998) ALSO SEE: A recent on-line
discussion about learning and the brain at the ASCD website.
"What
Does It Mean to Be Thirteen?"
As part of their celebration of the Month of the Adolescent, the National
Middle School Association posted several useful articles on their website,
including this exploration of early teenhood, by Chris Stevenson.
Motivation
and Middle School Students
This June 1998 ERIC Digest summarizes recent research on adolescent motivation.
The digest outlines some suggestions for middle school teachers and administrators
for increasing student motivation, and discusses three theories that are
currently prominent and that have particular relevance for young adolescent
students and their teachers. Also see a related article,
"Motivation in the
Middle Grades," published in "Schools in the Middle"
magazine.
American Teen-Agers Are Both
Worldly and Devoid of Cynicism, Poll Indicates
"They carry beepers, prefer permanent tattoos to body piercing and
are just about as likely to take lessons in shooting guns as they are to
play musical instruments. Four in 10 personally know someone who is gay
or lesbian, and 6 in 10 say distributing condoms in schools is a good idea.
Teen-agers today are worldly, shaped by exposure to a culture that has dropped
many of its inhibitions, according to a nationwide poll of 13- to 17-year-olds
conducted by The New York Times and CBS News." (The New York Times,
4/30/98)
Teacher
Talk
An on-line magazine for secondary teachers, published by the Center for
Adolescent Studies at the School of Education of Indiana University. Theme
issues have covered cultural diversity, communications, alcohol education,
sex education, preservice teacher support, school violence, and mental health.
Every issue includes 3-4 "great ideas" from teachers.
Revitalizing Advisories
Howard Johnston, a professor at the University of South Florida and a respected
middle grades researcher, shares his ideas about revitalizing middle school
advisory program-- "that segment of the middle level school agenda
that has met with only limited acceptance and success." If we look
at why they've failed, Johnson says, we can make them better.
Advice
About Middle School Advisories
"Many middle-school programs suffer from poorly implemented advisories,"
notes Education World in this special report on ways to improve "the
linchpin of the middle-school movement." Says one education professor/expert:
"Too often advisory groups are too large (more than 20 students) and
the time is too brief (less than 20 minutes). It isn't unusual to find that
little or no in-service preparation was invested in preparing teachers and
the program, resulting in highly diverse commitments."
How one middle school became
a good neighbor
Stephens Middle School in Long Beach, CA has transformed itself from an
isolated institution in a troubled neighborhood to a community center that
draws people in -- and ultimately gets them more involved in helping children
achieve.
The Sporting Life
Are high standards and high expectations just too much to ask of some kids?
Not if they get enough attention and motivation, say the organizers of "Sports
Club," a public-private venture that's turning around the lives of
hundreds of JCPS middle schoolers.
Schools Search for a Balance
Between Discipline and Support
In a school system where each school sets its own discipline policies, differing
philsophies about the best ways to assure good conduct can create tension
between principals and teachers.
A sensitive teacher and a
misplaced essay help bridge one school's racial divide
Francine Curtis, a history teacher at John Marshall Middle School in Long
Beach (CA), describes the development of the school's "Diversity Ambassadors"
program and the progress students have made in building racial harmony in
the school. You can read interviews with four
of Francine Curtis' ambassadors and also read the complete interview with
Ms. Curtis, which includes more ideas about how
to do it.
"Taunt Me With Sour Mango"
Ruth Johnson is one of a growing number of educators who believe schools
will best serve the future not by emphasizing the "melting pot"
theory of American public education but by thinking more in terms of a "tossed
garden salad," blending different flavors together.
LBUSD Works to Link Uniform
Policy to Higher Standards and Expectations
The press, the President and the public have lauded the move as a bold step
toward order and equity in schools, but teachers and principals in Long
Beach, CA say their K-8 school uniform policy been no easy step to take.
A Day in the Life: "The
Problem with Teens Today . . ."
7th grader An Nguyen describes a typical day in the life of a middle schooler.
"Most are concerned about the relationship to their peers more than
their academic knowledge. I think that is the problem with teens today,"
she says. Also read excerpts from three other student diaries.
A Day in the Life: Three
eighth-graders offer a consumer's view
Three Long Beach eighth graders use their school diaries to record a typical
day in the life of a middle schooler. Photographs of students included.
Raging Intellects
Middle schools represent the last best hope for influencing the choices
young adolescents make. "We are focused not on young adolescents' raging
hormones but on their raging intellect. We would like to find a few school
systems and communities with the courage to abandon the myths associated
with the development stage known as young adolescence."
Teen Court
Site promotes an effective program for first-time juvenile offenders. Includes
legal documents, interviews with participants at a site in Illinois, mock
trials. Teen Court is used in over 200 communities and is also a good introduction
to the justice system.
LD Online - An
interactive guide to learning disabilities for parents, teachers and children.
In-School Suspension: Some Research
Could Improve Your Program - E-mail discussion.
Discipline Advice for a Frustrated
New Teacher - Great e-mail advice from veteran teachers.
National Clearinghouse
for Alcohol and Drug Information - World's largest resource.
Service Learning
-- The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (NLSC) provides information
and services for Learn and Serve America programs, and other K-12, higher
education, community based, and national service programs and practitioners.
Also see this report (PDF) on service learning programs in
middle schools.
Youth in
Action -- An interactive network for students, educators, and community
workers who want to larn about, and participate in, positive social action
and service projects.
Some Background about Gangs
-- Short article by a Texas writer and educator.
"Lay
Off the Kids"
Anne Lewis, the KAPPAN's Washington columnist, says the "youth problem"
is really our problem and we should quit making them the scapegoats for
a world created by adults. We can maintain discipline and respect
kids, Lewis concludes.
Great Kids!
You can read about kids who are doing great things in communities and schools
across America -- and nominate a kid you know for "Great Kid"
recognition. Geat role modeling for students in grades k-8.
Straight Talk About
Schools -- developed by NASSP, this site is aimed at students 8-12th
grades. It's cool and interactive.
Successful
Health Program for Middle Schoolers
This story about Oak Grove Middle School in Paragould, Arkansas tells how
one reforming school is providing for the health and wellness of its student
body. From a newsletter published by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
A Great
Bulletin Board -- "I was a kid, too!"
Invitational
Education
Is your school inviting to learners, families, and the community?
Hewlett
Packard E-Mail Mentor
This innovative e-mail project supports relationships between HP employees
worldwide and grade 5-12 students and teachers throughout the United States.
"HP employees motivate students to excel in math and science and improve
communication and problem solving skills," according to the company.
Some Discipline Resources
Classroom
Management "Outside the Box" -- Middle school
teacher Brenda Dyck describes how she uses tools such as Bone Diagrams and
Fishbone Diagrams to identify root causes of classroom management problems
and teach her students effective problem-solving strategies. Reprinted at
MiddleWeb with permission from NMSA's Middle Ground magazine.
Ideas
About Middle Grades Discipline -- During week five of the MiddleWeb
Listserv "Summer Camp 2001" the Topic of the Week was "favorite
discipline techniques." The practicality of this subject stirred up
a great deal of interest among MiddleWeb list members -- and produced some
great tips for new and struggling teachers.
You Can Handle
Them All -- This site shares a step-by-step approach
to handling misbehavior at home and in school. An overview examines the
causes of misbehavior, the core needs that motivate humans, and a four-step
discipline model. A behavior index applies the model to over 100 specific
misbehaviors.
11
Techniques for Better Classroom Discipline -- Adapted from an article
called: "A Primer on Classroom Discipline: Principles Old and New"
by Thomas R. McDaniel; Phi Delta Kappan, May 1986. Also see the related
article, Discipline
Techniques That Backfire.
Discipline
for the New Teacher -- One of the best pages on the
"I Love Teaching" website. The author is a five-foot-tall high
school teacher, but the advice and anecdotes will be useful to middle school
teachers, too. And be sure to see these discipline
tips from the Discovery Channel.
Control
101 -- "You begin teaching the minute a student steps across the
threshold into your classroom," writes veteran teacher Pam Tyrell.
Her experience is in elementary but many of her tips are universal. And
if you run into trouble
with bullies, visit this teacher's website and check out her book on
the topic.
Gaining
Control of Your Class from Day One -- Solid advice from the editors
of the Middle School Companion magazine. The "Tips
Page" on their site includes other good ideas for new and veteran
teachers, covering homework, grading, random grouping and more.
Classroom
Management -- For a treasure trove of tips, visit Scott Mandel's Teachers
Helping Teachers site. Includes a beginner's skinny on grading, including
thoughts about what to write on papers. Also: Survival
Strategies for New Teachers: Ten Ways to Avoid Stress! (scroll down
the page until you reach the next-to-last item). Also see this summary
of current research on classroom management. Brief, easy to follow.
Discipline Advice from Veteran
Teachers -- A collection of e-mail advice collecting from the Middle-L
listserve.
Dealing
with Tardy Students -- Receiving consistent attendance and punctuality
from all your students may prove to be even more of a daunting task than
it sounds. Also read these teacher ideas about improving
attendance.
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