This must-have resource for middle school educators has been newly updated and improved to include current research. Each module includes: an overview, findings from published literature, important information summarized and made accessible in a list format, reproducible activity pages for using with students, and a wrap-up, Reflect & Review, that allows educators to connect the new information to their specific situation. This comprehensive resource is organized for its ease of use in workshops, in-service programs, and classrooms!

The middle school provides a planned transition from childhood to young adulthood: it moves a student from the protective nurture of elementary school to the more depersonalized high school setting gradually, sensitively, and by design. Composed of the ideas from middle school education that each of the educators who choose this wonderful level of educational concentration seem to discover over and over again, this handbook is divided into six sections. The first and second sections introduce the middle schooler and cover the history and focus of middle schools. Section 3 discusses such topics associated with the middle school curriculum as sexuality and physical education, evaluation and grading, and scheduling. Sections 4 and 5 are dedicated to middle school educators--teachers and the principal--and the middle schooler's parents. The sixth section highlights important middle school issues including advisors, behavior, leadership and participation, mixed-age groups, multicultural education, networking, and transition. Intended to become a workbook for each of its readers, this document has wide margins to make room for personal stories and anecdotes. Topics covered in the appendices include learning and learners, boldness, middle school teachers, parent peer groups, middle and upper school cooperation, and the resources used for this document. (KM)

Cover -- Copyright -- Contents -- Figures and Tables -- Contributors -- Introduction -- 1"Dialogue and Team Teaching -- 2"Complex Collaborations: Co-Creating Deep Interdisciplinarity for Undergraduates -- 3"Undisciplined Debate: Coursing through Dialogue -- 4"Forming ICE in Pre-Service Teacher Education -- 5"From Shafts to Drifts: Collaborating to Strengthen Integrated Teaching and Learning -- 6"Visual Art and Mathematics Integration: An Interdisciplinary Co-Teaching Experience -- 7"Co-Teaching in Undergraduate Education: Capacity Building for Multiple Stakeholders -- 8"Co-Teaching and Co-Assessment in a Geometry Course for In-Service Teachers -- 9"Co-Teaching in Graduate Education -- 10"Coda: From Theory to Co-Practice in Higher Education -- Index

This handbook suggests ways for parents to help improve the achievement of their middle school-age children. A general introduction discusses the development of 10- to 14-year-olds and ways parents can help these children reach their potential. Chapter 1 begins with a description of middle schoolers and changes in their growth, the way they act with friends and family, their feelings, and their learning. In chapter 2, parents are reminded that the middle school years are a critical time for students to use and refine basic skills and learn how to solve problems. Chapter 3 describes ways schools are organized for 10- to 14-year-olds, and discusses size, teaching, atmosphere, and understanding of students at the best middle schools. Chapter 4 helps parents evaluate their child's middle school and offers suggestions for working in a group to improve the school. Chapter 5 reminds parents of the importance of involvement in their child's education. Chapter 6 identifies barriers to parent involvement in the schools. Chapter 7 lists negative practices parents may encounter in middle schools. Step-by-step instructions for insuring that one's child receives fair treatment are provided. Additional resources and organizations are listed, as are promising programs in middle schools. (RH)

This handbook balances research-based discussion and practical ideas. Includes a wealth of field-based and reflective activities, readings, and in-service examples. The new edition emphasizes teacher teamwork and differentiation of instruction, two of the most significant new directions in middle level education. A new chapter on different learning styles (Ch. 5) stresses developing appropriate skills to fit individual teaching styles and classrooms. Also new chapters on home, child, and middle school (Ch. 6), teacher as advisor (Ch. 9), teacher- directed instruction (Ch. 13), teaching gifted and at-risk students in regular classrooms (Ch. 14), and making seatwork work (Ch. 15) reflect some of the latest trends today.

Catholic Connections is a dynamic parish religious education program designed to foster the faith of young adolescents and help them make the connections between the Catholic faith, their everyday life, and their faith community. Catholic Connections aims to strengthen the participants' Catholic identity and inspire them to participate more fully in the Church's mission. In a world of laws of nations and laws of the heart, help them recognize that it is the power of the Holy Spirit that has united God's people in love and that continues to be a transforming presence. Using an active, hands-on approach to religious education, Catholic Connections is a comprehensive parish religious education program for sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders. The progam is flexible enough to work in a two- or three-year model and includes a student handbook, coordinator's manual, six catechetical manuals, and an eSource Web site for coordinators and catechists. The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition presents the core teachings of the Catholic faith in a way that middle schoolers can understand and apply in their own lives. What's new in the second edition? NEW! �The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition is now divided into four sections that align with the four pillars of the Catechism NEW! � Enhanced navigational features make finding the information even easier NEW! � Includes eight new chapters on Scripture

A comprehensive resource for high school teachers and students, STEM Student Research Handbook outlines the various stages of large- scale research projects, enabling teachers to coach their students through the research process.

The Definitive Middle School Guide is accessible, comprehensive, and organized into independent modules for ease of use in workshops and in-service programs. It provides the perfect overview for middle school teachers, administrators, and others concerned with middle school success.