Katie Powell joins hosts Phyllis Fagell and Jessica McGuire for this episode of Middle School Walk & Talk. Katie, AMLE Director of Middle Grades Programs and author of Boredom Busters and Frustration Busters, shares insights on how educators can combat student disengagement and manage classroom frustrations. She discusses practical strategies from her books, like the "Junk Drawer" activity for engaging students and the importance of managing teacher stress to maintain a learning-focused classroom. Katie also emphasizes the critical need for educators to form supportive networks, advocating for becoming an "archipelago" rather than an "island" in the sometimes isolating world of teaching.

This episode was recorded at AMLE24: The 51st Annual Conference for Middle Level Education. 

Middle School Walk & Talk is a production of the Association for Middle Level Education. Learn more at amle.org.