Category Archives: Uncategorized

Teaching has always been both a calling and a livelihood. But in this 21st Century teachers are being deployed to a new front line in biological warfare without the necessary armor for self-preservation. As I think about my former school’s class size general range of 20 to 26 students, give or take, it was notContinue reading “Teachers Are Pawns in This Pandemic”

The concept of developing a strategic plan is not a new one. School districts commonly gather stakeholders together to formulate a plan of action over time that weaves together the values, priorities, resources, and vision of the community for its schools. Middle schools have adhered to a strategic plan of their own for some time.Continue reading “Successful Middle Schools”

October is known in middle school circles as the “Month of the Young Adolescent.” This designation pays tribute to the passage from childhood to young adulthood and acknowledges that there are many trials and tribulations associated with the extreme growth that occurs in just the three years our students spend here with us at the MiddleContinue reading “Attending School on Time is a Habit”

We often hear how difficult the process of change is, yet there is one innovation that has caused vast changes in so many facets of life in a relatively short period of time. Of course that innovation is technology. If we think about it, technology has changed just about everything we do, from communication toContinue reading “Integrating Technology in Students’ Lives and Coursework”

I thought I would share with you my speech to all Middle School students during our first annual Week of Respect. “In the first half of the twentieth century a young man by the name of Jackie Robinson made history by becoming the first African American to play major league baseball. He was a pioneerContinue reading “Jackie Robinson and Respect Speech”

I was reflecting on what the recent findings of the jury in the Tyler Clementi case meant for those of us, teachers and parents and community, who are responsible for educating students whose young lives are more than ever defined by the use of technology. It is sobering to consider that those college students directlyContinue reading “What the Tyler Clementi Case Should Teach Our Students”

At a recent meeting of our Board of Education’s Middle School Student Liaison Committee, a representative student from each of our eleven teams had the opportunity to discuss the topic of homework with three board members, the superintendent, and myself. If you are thinking that our students are intimidated by the presence of all theseContinue reading “Homework as a Life Skill”

October is known as “The Month of the Young Adolescent.” This designation reminds us to think about who our students really are and to consider the unique challenges of emerging adulthood. It is important to acknowledge that our middle level students live in a vastly different and accelerated world. This means that they face theContinue reading “Can Someone Explain Preadolescence?”