Presented by: Dr. Sharon Faber Welcome to Building Achievement in the Middle

'To be a teacher you must be a prophet - because you are trying to prepare people for a world thirty to fifty years into the future.' Gordon Brown “

We ALL Know this at the Middle Level…. “Programs don’t change kids, relationships do…nothing matters more to a child than a one-to- one steady relationship with an adult who cares about that child.” William E. Milliken, President and Founder Cities In Schools Incorporated

“The goal of teachers is to meet all students at their starting points and to move each one along a continuum of growth as far and as quickly as possible. Learning has no ceiling.” Tomlinson & Kalbfleisch, 1998 Our Goal as Teachers

In other words, It is the job of ALL teachers to provide learning opportunities for every child!

The Top“7” Needs of Middle School Students 1.Must socialize & move often—active learning 2.Must feel safe—need routine & consistency 3.Must use their own way of learning & have success at initial tasks

More of the Top“7” Needs of Students 4.Must express their emotions- argue/challenge 5.Must learn to cooperate and to make good decisions 6.Must believe they are normal & are an important part of the school—they belong!

The most important characteristic… 7.Must have adult role models who understand & love their unique characteristics!

If These Are Middle School Kids, Ask Yourself… Does your teaching (and your school’s program) reflect knowledge of the characteristics of your students and successful schools for the 21 st century?

As Rick Dufour tells us… “Don’t tell me you believe that all kids can learn--tell me what you’re doing about the kids who aren’t learning.”

1.Differentiation  Challenge the best students  Motivate & engage the middle students  Make our at-risk students believe they can do “5” Key Words for Reaching ALL Learners in the 21 st Century 11

2.Scaffolding (tiered instruction) Take students from:  What they know (prior knowledge) trip, swap TO  What they are acquainted with--journey, trade TO  The unknown (academic vocabulary) expedition, barter “5” Key Words 12

3. Literacy is communication! Ensure that students receive explicit and systematic instruction in ALL content areas on: Listening Speaking Reading Writing Numeracy Technology “5” Key Words 13

4. Metacognition— thinking about thinking All content teachers must think aloud and model their thinking so students can learn to think like they do. Students must have the opportunity to share their thinking. “5” Key Words 14

5. Professional Learning Communities—PLC We must talk about AIC: A ssessment tells us what our students need to know and be able to do and it must guide our instruction. What I nstructional strategies work best to increase student achievement? What c urriculum works best with those strategies? “5” Key Words

1. Differentiation 2. Scaffolding 3. Literacy 4. Metacognition 5. Professional Learning Communities (PLC) The “5” Keys to Success for ALL Students Are:

'In order to transform schools successfully, educators need to navigate the difficult space between letting go of old patterns and grabbing on to new ones.' Deal

We Must Always Remember Good teachers can overcome bad curricula, but good curricula cannot compensate for poor teaching!

And Never Forget… “We all need someone who inspires us to do better than we know how.” Especially middle school kids!!!!

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing!” Walt Disney

As a wise lady once said… “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Maria Robinson

Middle Level Educators Must Never Forget… YOU Make the Difference! Thanks for joining me today.