Teaching Channel Talks

Junior High. Middle School. No matter what the name on the sign outside says, what's important is the work happening on the inside. In this episode, Wendy welcomes Jack Berckemeyer of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) for a candid conversation about the big changes happening in how educators approach middle school. Jack stresses the importance of middle school teachers connecting with their students during this crucial time in their academic careers and how staying up-to-date on the fads, fashion, and slang of this age group can help in student success.

The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is an international organization specifically for middle school educators. As the go-to resource for research, best practices, and professional development, AMLE is a community of over 350,000 middle level educators connecting and supporting each other. Learn more and join the community!

Jack Berckemeyer is a successful author who has written several books focusing on middle level education. In this episode, Jack and Wendy talk about the following titles:

• Successful Middle School: This We Believe
• Successful Middle Schools: Teaming
• Managing the Madness: A Practical Guide to Understanding Young Adolescents & Classroom Management
• Deliberate Optimism: Still Reclaiming the Joy in Education 2nd Ed

In this episode of Teaching Channel Talks, we’re taking a closer look at the middle grades with Jennifer Rose, the Director for Professional Programs at the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). From the importance of differentiated professional development to understanding the complex changes students go through during this phase of adolescence, Jennifer and Wendy’s discussion centers around the niche of middle level education and how AMLE is working to support the teachers within it.

The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is an international organization specifically for middle school educators. As the go-to resource for research, best practices, and professional development, AMLE is a community of over 350,000 middle level educators connecting and supporting each other.

Learn more and join the community!

During this episode, Jennifer mentions AMLE’s The Successful Middle School: This We Believe. Teaching Channel is proud to partner with the Association of Middle Level Education in upholding the 18 characteristics listed and offering professional development created specifically for middle school teachers.

AMLE also offers several books focused on the education of young adolescents aged 10-15, which Jennifer mentions in the episode. AMLE members receive a 20% discount on all titles, but these texts are available to all educators.

In this episode of Teaching Channel Talks, Dr. Wendy Amato welcomes Dr. Patricia "Tish" Jennings, a professor of education at the University of Virginia and internationally recognized thought leader in social-emotional learning and mindfulness. Drawing on results from Dr. Jennings' Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program, a mindfulness-based professional development program for teachers, this discussion centers around reducing teacher stress, improving educators' emotional regulation, and how this attention to educator well-being shapes education and impacts student engagement, motivation, and even reading competence in classrooms.

Resources for Continued Learning

During this conversation, Drs. Amato and Jennings discuss the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program, which has recently been awarded one of three $8 million grants through the Department of Education for expansion and further testing. Early results of SEL-based this professional development program reveal that taking care of teachers results in better student outcomes. Learn more about Dr. Jenning's study and the impact of the CARE program here.

In this episode, Dr. Jennings mentions her curriculum, Flourish: The Compassionate School Project, which can be accessed by educators for free.

Dr. Jennings is also the author and editor of several mindfulness books for teachers. Check out one of these titles for additional learning about educator well-being:

• Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom
• The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom: Building Resilience with Compassionate Teaching
• Teacher Burnout Turnaround: Strategies for Empowered Educators
• The Mindful School: Transforming School Culture through Mindfulness and Compassion
• Mindfulness in the PreK-5 Classroom: Helping Students Stress Less and Learn More

Join our host Dr. Wendy Amato and special guest, Katie Johnson, the principal of Belmont Ridge Middle School in Leesburg, Virginia, as they explore the nuances of middle school from a leadership lens. As a veteran middle-grade teacher now navigating the challenges of leadership, Katie's student-first approach has helped her create a thriving school culture and earned her school the recognition of AMLE as a School of Distinction.

Resources for Continued Learning

In this episode, Katie and Wendy talk about AMLE's Schools of Distinction, an award given to Belmont Ridge Middle School under Katie's leadership. Learn more about this program, connect with other recognized schools, or nominate your own middle school for this prestigious recognition here.

During the episode, Katie talks about the importance of professional learning and a student-first focus in her school. To see how your school aligns with these best practices, Katie has provided a best practices slide deck used at Belmont Ridge Middle School to plan professional learning.

Curious about how the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) works to support and improve middle schools across the country? Check out AMLE's National Policy Agenda for the Middle Grades.

Join our host Dr. Wendy Amato and special guest, Katie Powell from the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), as they explore the unique landscape of middle school. Both former middle grade educators, Katie and Wendy share valuable insights on the nuances of teaching in the middle levels and discuss how AMLE is undertaking initiatives to support and empower middle school teachers to make a lasting impact in these pivotal years of student development.

Resources for Continued Learning

During this conversation, Wendy and Katie talk about the characteristics of a successful middle school. Download AMLE's Successful Middle School Summary to see how your school stacks up and identify places for potential improvement!

If you're a middle grade educator ready to "find your people" and better support your students, join the Association for Middle Level Education! Becoming a member of AMLE means joining thousands of fellow middle school educators in a collective movement to elevate the middle school profession and achieve excellence in our schools and our careers.

Check out AMLE's Successful Middle School Assessment and learn how you can use this data-driven tool to help middle school educators create meaningful improvement.

In this engaging episode of Teaching Channel Talks, we’re joined by Lisa Geary, an award-winning speech-language pathologist, to discuss the importance of collaboration between teachers and speech-language pathologists (SLPs). By exploring ways in which teachers can partner with SLPs, this conversation provides insight into practical approaches that educators can seamlessly integrate into their classrooms to enhance communication among students and support students with speech and language challenges. Using the strategies discussed, we can create more inclusive and effective learning environments for every student!

Resources for Continued Learning

Take what you've learned straight into the classroom! Lisa has provided several resources from Yorktown Therapy Services to help you support your students' language performance and speech sound production in class.

• Supporting Language Performance in the Classroom
• Supporting Speech Sound Production in the Classroom

Every student learns differently, something that Nancy Weinstein knows a lot about! The co-founder and CEO was inspired to launch MindPrint Learning after experiencing the struggle of trying to understand how her daughter learned. Now on a mission to help every child reach their full potential by ensuring their strengths are accurately understood, we're excited to feature Nancy in this episode of Teaching Channel Talks, to discuss how MindPrint's cognitive assessment works and share strategies for engaging different types of learners.

Teaching Channel is proud to partner with MindPrint Learning with a new course that helps teachers who have access to the MindPrint Learning Assessment engage every learner in their classroom. If you're a part of the MindPrint community, you can check out course 5298: Science of Learning: A Practical Approach to Engaging Every Learner.

Not yet a part of the MindPrint Community? Learn more about how MindPrint Learning's cognitive assessment is helping students identify their strengths and reach their highest potential by visiting their website.

During this episode, Nancy and Wendy reference End of Average by Todd Rose.

Ready to help students develop the skills they need to take charge of their learning? Check out Nancy Weinstein and Mary-Vicki Algeri's workbook, The Empowered Student: A Guide to Self-Regulated Learning.

This week on Teaching Channel Talks, we are joined by Dr. Tim Schigur, a distinguished educator with a multifaceted career in school leadership. As a seasoned educational leader, Dr. Schigur brings a wealth of experience and insight to our discussion, centering on the intricate dynamics of school leadership, organizational strategies, and the nuanced decision-making processes that shape the educational landscape at the highest levels. Tune in as Dr. Schigur shares his wisdom and sheds light on the multifaceted challenges of educational leadership.

Dr. Tim Schigur is the co-author of the book, Successful Middle School Instructional Technology, a companion guide to The Successful Middle School that provides a framework to develop a common language and approach to instructional technology in middle school.

Dr. Schigur's book is one of the many resources offered by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). AMLE is an international organization for middle school educators offering a strong community of over 3500 educators, and high-level content and resources for teachers and leaders working with young adolescents. Teaching Channel is offering special discounts and offers for AMLE members, learn more and become a part of AMLE here.

By taking a heart-centered approach to teaching and embracing intuition as a part of learning, we can become better educators and help our students think outside of the box. Join Dr. Wendy Amato, Dr. Adrienne MacIain, and Regyna Curtis as they talk about how we can make subtle changes in our teaching approach to help boost the creativity of ourselves and our learners. From defining creative leadership to addressing the dangers of "creativity killers" this inspiring discussion will leave you with actionable ways to encourage your students with clarity and confidence.

Dr. Adrienne MacIain is a bestselling author of the Creative Flow for All series. Learn more from Dr. MacIain in her new book, Spark Genius: Creative Flow, Unleashed. Adrienne also offers additional resources for you to learn to unlock your creativity, including a Free eBook.

In this episode, Wendy and Regyna reference a previous episode of Teaching Channel Talks. Catch up with Dr. Wendy Amato and Regyna Curtis as they discuss ways to bring clarity and confidence into the classroom.

So much happens in our classrooms at any given moment, and as teachers, we often have to choose where to place our focus. Video gives us a chance to take a closer look with a different lens!

In this episode of Teaching Channel Talks, we're joined by Dr. Miriam Sherin, professor and Associate Provost at Northwestern University, to talk about how she uses video to help both prospective and current educators improve their teaching and learning. In this conversation, Wendy and Miriam talk about how the use of video has changed over time, caution against its evaluative use, and explain why "learning to notice" can positively impact our teaching practice.

In this episode, Dr. Sherin talks about some of the annotation tools she and her students use. One of these tools is the new Teaching Channel platform! Learn how we're harnessing the power of video to bring professional learning and support for educators all in one place.

Miriam and Wendy also stress the importance of not using video as a "Gotcha" tool. Learn how to use video to build a growth-based evaluation system in From “Gotcha” to Growth: Teacher Evaluation Systems That Work, a free eBook from the K12 Hub.