13.1 Ways That Teaching Middle School is Like Running a Half Marathon
Whenever I tell people that I run half marathons or I mention to them that I'm a middle school teacher, their answers are usually the same -
Ugh. Why would you want to do that?
And that response is the premise of 13.1 Ways That Teaching Middle School is Like Running a Half Marathon. It is about all the challenges that we middle school teachers face on a daily basis. Like our classes, some of the topics addressed are very serious (the importance of planning, not wasting time, persevering through difficult times), while others are a bit more light-hearted (learning to eat in 15 minutes, wanting to change careers mid-lesson, ultimate bladder control). Regardless of the challenge presented, these are all topics that middle school teachers understand all-to-well.
Emily Sutherland
When The Opioid Crisis Comes to Middle School: One School’s Journey From Tragedy to Connection
The Opioid Crisis in the United States is an undeniable and deadly issue; one that politicians, police, and physicians face every day. But when two 13 year-old students died from opioid overdoses just days apart in September of 2016, Treasure Mountain Junior High School in Park City School District was launched into a state of shock, despair, and turmoil. What does a middle school do when faced with such a tragedy? What steps should the school, district, and community take to support grieving middle-level students but also to prevent such deaths from happening in the future? Conference participants will learn about the strategies Park City School District and Treasure Mountain Junior High School are implementing to recover from tragedy, to address students’ drug and alcohol use, to build a positive culture in its middle-level buildings, and to foster strong and caring relationships with students and the community. More than ever before the situation is urgent; the environment created in middle schools is a matter of life and death.
Nathan Cureton
Student success is predicated on choice. As much as they may try, teachers cannot force growth with bribes, coercion, or wishful pleading. Yet, they can create an environment that inspires success, a culture that fosters creativity, risk taking, and unmatched effort. How? I teach four universal, research-based principles of creating a classroom culture of success, empowering teachers in turn to empower their students. I’ll focus on two such principles, Raise Expectations and Strengthen Relationships, exploring their synergistic effect when properly and consistently applied. Teachers will leave armed with conceptual and practical skills that will produce an immediate impact.