EDCI 597 Book Review: Meet Me in the Middle: Becoming an Accomplished Middle-Level Teacher Author: Rick Wormeli By: Matt Cox

Overview of this Presentation The purpose of this PowerPoint presentation is to “advertise” the book, Meet Me in the Middle, to other middle-level teachers. In this short presentation, I will touch on some things I really liked about the book. I was very pleased with Meet Me in the Middle and recommend it to anyone looking for more information on middle-level education. I hope you enjoy this review as much as I enjoyed reading the book!

Chapter 1 By far, my favorite chapter. It’s a great introduction that gives you an idea of what to expect in the upcoming chapters. The whole chapter discusses a great mindset that all teachers should have, in my opinion.

Why teach in middle school? I’m often asked this question and my response is always the same – I want to make a difference in kids’ lives and I believe the middle school years are the time where kids are most easily influenced. Wormeli seems to believe the same thing… –“the emotional connections children make during the middle years will directly influence how they handle trust, power, conflict, fairness, and relationships in adulthood.”

Be happy without using “Happy Posters” –Be pleasant - smile! –Call students by their first names –Greet them at the door –Ask questions to show your interest –Applaud risk taking –Allow occasional democratic voting in the class –Give students responsible jobs in the classroom –Make at least one positive phone call or note home for each child per year My favorite is the last one – every parent deserves to hear some good news regarding their child.

Having High Standards (Ch. 6) “We encourage accountability when we show confidence in a child’s behavior, resist the temptation to rescue her, build on her strengths, value her, stimulate her independence, and separate her worth from her accomplishments and misbehaviors.” “Instead of letting students complete additional projects to raise their grades, ask them to revise their original work based on the standards outlined in your rubric…”

State Standards Put the students first. Focusing on a standard without regard for an individual’s strengths and weaknesses is a prescription for failure. Standards are not limits; they are minimums. Our students can surpass them. Keep up with the latest developments in our fields. Standards-based assessments require more staff development, not less. We must learn to think like coaches, showing students the goal, giving them opportunities to practice, and letting them know how far they’ve progressed.

Differentiated Instruction Differentiated instruction means that we match the challenge to the student, finding varied ways to help each child stretch intellectually. Do NOT give less work to struggling students though. They may just need some more practice.

Conclusion Wormeli offers many great ideas on topics such as: –Motivating Students –Active Learning –State Standards –Differentiated Instruction –Assessment –Block Scheduling –Teaming –Content Areas –Mentoring New Teachers –Parent Partnering If you’re looking for more information regarding middle-level teaching, Meet Me in the Middle makes a great resource.