Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons^™

And Then The Black Birthed Me: Celebrating Black Girlhood In Middle Level Ela Classrooms Through Afrofuturism, Dywanna Smith, Kenesha Johnson, Kiana Eaddy

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

The manuscript delves into the dynamic interplay between Afrofuturism and young adult literature and Middle Level English pedagogical inspiration to offer fresh perspectives on intersectionality, agency, and empowerment among marginalized youth. The authors explore how Afrofuturistic young adult literature authors are employing characters who navigate a multitude of identities, challenging traditional power dynamics, and dismantling oppressive structures. Through its incorporation of technological innovation, speculative visions, and the reclaiming of historical narratives, Afrofuturistic young adult literature creates new paradigms of empowerment and self-realization for all students, but especially Black girls. Works such as Kalynn Bayron’s The Poison Heart (2021), Namina Fornas’ …

Adolescents With Eating Disorders Due To Bullying, Avery Page

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

Bullying is a strong predictor of eating disorders. Adolescent girls are more susceptible to developing eating disorders due to social media, developmental changes, and societal pressure for unattainable perfection. Adolescent advocates have an important role in addressing this issue and providing support for students.

Avoiding Burnout: Resources To Help The Overworked Teacher, Victoria Oglan, Janie R. Goodman

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

Everyone knows that teaching has always been a demanding job; however, in the last decade the demands on teachers have increased. Today, teachers have to answer to parents, administrators, legislators, and the general public when it comes to their classroom practice and educational beliefs. In addition, long hours, classroom management issues, lack of support, low pay, poor working conditions, and the demands of high-stakes testing have all contributed to widespread teacher stress.

This collection of resources will make your teaching life so much easier. Bringing these authors into your classroom can give teachers a broader understanding of how to configure …

The “System” Was Never For Us: Redefining Middle School Discipline To Empower Black Girls, Kenesha Johnson, Dywanna Smith, Kamryn Griffin, Jada Williams

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

This manuscript addresses the need for a transformative redefinition of school discipline, focused on empowering Black girls. It highlights the heightened likelihood of suspension and expulsion faced by Black girls, exposing flaws in traditional practices. Advocating for a paradigm shift, the manuscript emphasizes adopting restorative practices, centered on healing and collaboration to address behavioral issues at their core. It explores the impact of implicit biases and systemic racism on Black girls’ experiences, proposing a comprehensive, inclusive approach. Through transformative measures, schools create environments that actively empowers and supports the academic journey of Black girls, fostering a more equitable educational experience.

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Adolescents: How To Support Them In Life And Education, Emma Chambers

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

Research has shown that a socioeconomic divide is occurring and only getting larger in classrooms, and it is especially affecting the young adolescent age group. While there are many different problems that these students must face in their personal and public lives, the education system should be doing all it can to prevent this divide from growing larger with different strategies and prevention tools. This article will promote the use of several classroom management strategies, suggestions, and private organizations that offer help to make classrooms a more welcome place for all students no matter their home life.

Uniting Students With Literacy Connections In Mathematics, Bridget K. Coleman, Michelle Rasheed, Nancy B. Ruppert, Toni M. Williams

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

Literature provides opportunities for students to connect to mathematics, as well as each other. Reflecting on personal identities, storytelling, and place-based connections are avenues to enhancing the relevancy of content across the curriculum. Literature can bridge the divide for students reluctant to see the beauty in mathematics. It can also be the impetus in helping unite students as they gain a better understanding of cultures and places beyond their own. Stories, along with interactive tasks, give context for collaborative experiences. This article shares resources and strategies for building understanding and collaboration among students using cross-curricular connections between mathematics and literacy.

Advocating For Teens In Single-Parent Households, Bailey Davis

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

This article examines the issue of young adolescents living in a single-parent household. Challenges include reduced income, limited resources, family stress, and less parental involvement. Academic achievement and social- emotional development may be adversely affected. Teachers can help by becoming advocates for these students.

An Argument For Interdisciplinary Learning In Middle School, Isaiah Gillian

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

Interdisciplinary education is a pedagogical approach that is beneficial for adolescent learners. Using this approach, students can integrate knowledge from one subject into another and form a holistic understanding of the real world we live in.

Advocating For Adolescent Sexual Minorities, Madeline Hawkins

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

Sexual minority (gay, lesbian, and bisexual) adolescents experience bullying and mental health issues at higher rates than their heterosexual counterparts. It is important that teachers find ways to protect, support, and advocate for these students to prevent them from struggling academically and socially. Through the use of inclusive curricula, gay-straight alliances, and informal mentoring, educators can foster an environment of inclusion and respect for sexual minority students.

Self- Determination And Student- Led Ieps, Elizabeth R. Clarke

Empowering Educators Conference

In this session, Dr. Clarke and her student, a high school senior, will analyze and instruct educational professionals about self-determination. She will explain how to give students a voice in their IEP and their educational plans, as well as the subsequent effects: boosting motivation, independence and academic success.

Your Story, Your Life, Your Learning: Autobiography Reveals Basis For Supporting Personalized, Holistic Pedagogy, Michael Maser

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

Each person ongoingly experiences the world uniquely through vital processes shaping their subjectivity, personhood and sense of self. Learning, an innate characteristic or modality of each human life, of living, likewise arises subjectively or idiosyncratically. In this paper, a phenomenological lens is applied to auto/biographical excerpts concerned with various learning experiences to help reveal essential, subjective characteristics of emergent learning. The insights help establish a basis for challenging the primacy of objectivist learning evaluations. The insights also confirm the importance of personalizing learning as a pedagogical gesture nurturing and enfranchising student learning in significant ways beyond conventional educational approaches …

Culturally And Socially Responsive Teacher Professional Learning At The American Museum Of Natural History, Jessica Correa

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project consists of a series of professional learning sessions to support teachers in their implementation of Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CR-SE) using the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) as a resource and case study. Through the lens of Historically Responsive Literacy, the series also seeks to reestablish social science as a critical element of natural history for teachers. This series can help teachers see the museum as not only a place to explore life and physical science, but also a place to explore identity, social/emotional development, cultural studies and American History. The project includes resources and directions for …

Literacy Across The Disciplines: A Way To Re-Engage Secondary Students, Jenelle Williams

Michigan Reading Journal

In this article, the author describes the opportunities present with leveraging disciplinary literacy approaches, in terms of re-engaging teens with learning. The author also provides several cautions for literacy leaders to keep in mind.

Integral Or Vestigial? Kentucky P-12 Teacher Websites, Lesia Lennex

Department of Middle Grades and Secondary Education Research & Publication Archives

In what way does a P-12 classroom teacher communicate at-large with their parents or students? There are many forms of communication. A more effective means of communication is either an access-key based Google Classroom or open-access teacher website linked to the school web site. An available, published teacher website allows any person with internet access to view teacher proffered information. This study sought to determine to what extent Kentucky P-12 teachers in its 171 school districts were 1) publishing teacher websites connected to the school web page, 2) including essential elements for clear communication, and 3) Americans with Disability Act …

Home Of The Brave Book Study Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Individuals lead storied lives, and everyone has a story to tell. Our stories can be shared orally and documented in print. Often, learners are exposed to stories through novels and other trade books. Teacher educators may benefit from using the stories in novels and trade books as case studies in preservice teacher preparation course. This assignment description outlines how to use the novel, Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate, as a case study to contextualize and understand the lived story of an individual learning a second language and living in a new country. Through the novel, preservice teachers experience …

Unlocking Understanding About Giftedness, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

The goal of undergraduate teacher preparation programs is to prepare future teachers to work with all learners. Gifted and talented learners are likely found in every classroom regardless of where they reside, however, according to Rinn et al. (2022), Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Nebraska do not require undergraduate teacher candidates to take university coursework on gifted education. The goal of this presentation is to provide a general overview of gifted education specific to Kansas. This presentation aims to address myths and misconceptions about gifted education and gifted learners, characteristics of gifted learners, a basic overview of a general identification …

Caracterización De La Práctica Pedagógica En La Enseñanza De La Oralidad. Un Estudio En Un Colegio Público De Neiva, Andrea Del Carmen Duque López

Maestría en Didáctica de las Lenguas

Uno de los propósitos principales del docente de español es guiar a los estudiantes en el desarrollo de las competencias comunicativas de la lengua. Sin embargo, cuando éste no se logra, el dominio limitado de los estudiantes sobre su uso en contextos comunicativos puede repercutir negativamente cuando pretende comunicar sus ideas con éxito tanto en contextos académicos como generales. La investigación se centró en explorar la práctica de enseñanza de la oralidad a estudiantes de educación media. La investigación se abordó desde el paradigma interpretativo con enfoque cualitativo. En la recolección de información se emplearon entrevistas semiestructuradas con docentes y …

Addressing The Target Outcomes, Functional Objectives And Functional Skills Of Aspiring Aviators In Individualized Education Plans And Section 504 Plans, Gary C. Booker Bsc

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has very specific requirements for individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) that center around the executive function abilities of individuals without the aid of ADHD medications, which are forbidden for use by the FAA. These abilities are evaluated by the FAA's medical examination process, which involve a background investigation into a person's history. K-12 Administrators and educators can assist young aspiring pilots with ADHD by placing aviation-specific functional educational goals in their Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans.

Content Area Language And Literacy, Saadia Ali, Margaret A. Berg

Open Textbooks & Reviews

Content Area Literacy courses have long been a requirement in teacher education programs for pre-service teachers for the secondary level and, sometimes, for the elementary level. The 2020 World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Framework takes a genre approach that aligns well with the traditional Content Area Literacy courses in teacher preparation programs. WIDA argues for an educational approach that fosters (a) equity of opportunity and access, (b) integration of content and language, (c) collaboration among stakeholders, and (d) a functional approach to language development. This textbook examines the elements that make up the Simple View of Reading with adjustments …

We Need To Understand It Before We Can Teach It: A Cooperative Inquiry Into Mindfulness-Based Social-Emotional Learning With International School Teachers, Kailyn Fullerton

Doctor of Education

This dissertation describes the experience of a group of international school teachers engaging in a cooperative inquiry exploring the influence of mindfulness-based social-emotional learning (MBSEL) practices on their personal and professional lives. The current reality for educators is one of systemic stress and burnout, with teachers working under increasing pressure, and communities still reeling from the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. In international school settings, many expatriate educators are living far away from their country of birth and searching for belonging and community. MBSEL practices have been demonstrated to support wellbeing, however adult learning of these skills is often …