Middle School Walk & Talk

In this episode of "Middle School Walk and Talk," hosts Phyllis Fagel and Jessica McGuire dive into the heart of middle school life through the voices of today's students. Featuring finalists from AMLE's Student Sound Off contest, the episode explores the challenges and triumphs of being a middle schooler in 2024, from navigating social media misunderstandings to balancing academic pressures with personal interests. Through poetry, art, and personal narratives, these young voices offer insights into their world, providing educators and parents with a clearer understanding of the middle school experience.

Thank you to Avanti for sponsoring this episode. Avanti offers wellness videos to support teachers with simple, effective strategies to keep you energized, focused and healthy throughout the school year. Visit myavanti.com/fitandwell for a free trial.

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

Cryptocurrency... digital banking... online scams... How can we prepare kids to be financially empowered in a constantly changing world? Khalia Murray, Education Partnership Specialist, and Kevin Mechenbier, Content Manager for Financial Education at EVERFI, join Phyllis and Jessica to explore what financial literacy can and should look like in the middle grades. When is the right time to introduce these concepts? How do we make them relevant to students? What skills should they possess regardless of how personal finance evolves in the future? How can we help students align their financial choices with their own values? Walk and talk with us as we dive into all this and more. 

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

From the latest TikTok trends causing chaos and the increasing push to limit cell phones in middle schools, to continuing rates of chronic absenteeism, Phyllis and Jessica are back and they’re talking all the trends they’re seeing as we head back to school for the 2024-2025 year.  They also discuss innovative approaches schools are taking to improve kids’ engagement in school and how to use all the data available to schools to better support school staff and understand root causes. They dig into starting middle school advisory programs off on the right foot, including how to support teachers who are new to or unsure of how to lead an advisory group.  Finally, that share how they’re planning to strengthen systems and routine processes as the year gets underway. 

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

Whether or not you've begun to explore the capabilities of AI, your students certainly have. How can educators help students leverage AI to deepen their learning, instead of just using it as a shortcut? Megan Vosk, Joe Pizzo, Dustin Purdy, and Marri Bayour, middle grades educators and members of AMLE's Teacher Leaders Committee, stop by the podcast to talk emerging trends and why AI represents both a practical and philosophical issue teachers can no longer ignore. 

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

What does it mean for a student to have an academic identity? Miriam Plotinsky, author of Writing their Future Selves and Teach More, Hover Less, stops by the podcast to talk how teachers can value kids brains as well as their identities as people. Phyllis, Jessica, and Miriam dig into a range of topics, including how to celebrate mistakes as pathways to learning, how to help students break down stereotypes about themselves, the best professional development for teachers, and why being afraid of AI is not a good strategy. 

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

What’s it like being a middle schooler today? 8th grader Laila Hayes and 9th grader Gabriela Berrios Ortiz dropped by the podcast to dispel what they believe are common myths about middle schoolers, the traits of their most effective teachers, and the social challenges and pressures they face today. 

Episode Notes: This podcast was recorded during the AMLE50 50th Anniversary Annual Conference in November, 2023. AMLE is grateful to Walker Mill Middle School and The Siena School for supporting Laila and Gabriela’s participation in this episode. 

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

 As Executive Director of the American Association of School Personnel Administrators, representing school HR professionals, Kelly Coash-Johnson heard frequently about the impacts of the educator shortage, but noticed more finger pointing than solution generating. As a result, AASPA collaborated with organizations and stakeholders across education to convene the first National Educator Shortage Summit to identify the underlying causes of the shortage and what could tangibly be done to combat it. She joins the podcast to talk about their key findings and how this work specifically impacts middle level educators. 

Episode Notes: This podcast was recorded during the AMLE50 50th Anniversary Annual Conference in November, 2023. AMLE is also a partner of the National Educator Shortage Summit 

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

Dr. Anitra Warrior, psychologist and owner of Morningstar Counseling, stops by the podcast to talk about youth mental health and getting back to the basics of adolescent development. Dr. Warrior specializes in Native youth mental health and offers insights and practical language and tips educators can use to support Native students and their families through culturally affirming practices. 

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

Middle school is the perfect time to introduce career exploration opportunities to kids. They're developmentally tuned to think about their future and investigate their interests. But, too often, kids start to self-select based on what they perceive they’re good at or what they’ve already been exposed to. Jean Eddy, author of Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners, is on a mission to help reimagine career education to prepare kids for tomorrow's world. She stopped by the podcast to dispel the myths we tell children about what success looks like, how to prepare them to compete in a changing world, and the false dichotomy of “college or no college.” 

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

Believe it or not…schools have a leg up on mighty social media when it comes to engaging kids, especially tweens. While so much of the affirmation kids receive online is artificial and fake, schools can create true belonging and spaces where they can become their best selves. Laurie Barron, superintendent and author of Middle School: A Place to Belong and Become, joins co-hosts Phyllis and Jessica to talk about the foundational concepts of belonging, how to help students feel affirmed and welcomed at school, and the most brilliant use of 60 seconds she’s ever observed in a classroom. 

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