Boys and Girls learn differently book talk

I really enjoyed your presentation, and thought that the group on the whole did very well to convey the messages that the book presented. I felt as though I personally was able to share my own experiences, and that kept me involved in the discussion. I felt as though the discussion was successful, and could have gone on for a great deal more time, had we actually had more time. The games were interesting and all seemed pertinent, with the exception of the eskimo game, I didn't really see how that effectively showed how the boys and girls were learning in different ways. The comic life was a good means for review, and allowed us to look back at what we had learned to help us remember it. I personally enjoyed the squishy ball, it allowed me a means to keep active, yes keep my attention on the powerpoint. It would have been easier if we had gotten to take some notes, because it is tough to remember all of the stuff without data, it seems to me as though we need to find the balance between our presentation and yours. Overall I think the presentation was wonderful and fun which is key. 

book talk response

LOVED YOUR PRESENTATION!!!!, I did not get to take notes and I am a visual learner, I found however that though there was not a lot of visual stimulation over the materials I remember most of the presentation. To me that says a lot. I liked the section on dress codes, I feel like that class engaged in a healthy honest discussion on the pros and cons of the subject. I really liked Sarah’s honesty in encouraging us to read the “essentials” before reading other parts of the book. I feel like the presentation you all gave made me want to (and will) read this book at some point in my career. I also liked the fact that you mentioned that there is a crossing over of the ways boys and girls learn I feel like this helps to make us aware that we sometimes expect boys and girls to behave and learn a certain way and this may not always be the case. The team building activities (human knot) I have done before, I had never considered why and how differently girls and boys approached the situations before them until you asked us to examine what happened in our groups in that regard.

CHAPTER 8

This chapter discusses safe and healthy environments for children to learn in. Providing a safe and comfortable atmosphere for students helps them to feel as though they belong and takes some stress off them and allows them to be ready to learn. The chapter mentions that for some students this may be the only place they have to feel safe as their home (neighborhood or actual home) may not be the safest place for them. The types of risky behaviors that middle school students may engage in is discussed as well.This chapter also refers to classroom management, discipline and physical activity. It gave examples of support structures for students too these included, student support teams and peer mediation. Physical activity is an aspect of health that is changing in our schools; there is an emphasis on keeping kids active for a lifetime and giving them the skills to accomplish this. One way we are doing this is to use a CSHP (comprehensive school health program). The chapter brings all of these aspects together nicely and shows you how to organize and utilize the programs and information given.

The class liked this chapter overall; one aspect that was mentioned several times was the physical activity aspect. The class was interested in keeping kids active and the obesity rate. They also liked the ideas of incorporating different types of physical activity. Another aspect that caught the classes’ attention was the classroom management and discipline piece. Most of us seemed to take different ideas and information from this section. Keeping the school an inviting place where students feel comfortable was the overall consensus of the class, as well as keeping the students active and engaged in learning.

Turning Points chapter 4

Abstract:

Tracking was the most talked about thing in chapter 4. The chapter said that it was negative, and a few agreed that maybe they or their peers were shortchanged. However, most of the class felt that tracking was a good idea as long as it is used correctly. Every teacher need to make sure to use fun learning activities. Also, teachers need to make sure to vary the type and amount of work based on the level of the students in their classes. The other really big thing in this chapter is the WHERE (Where, Hook, Explore, Rethink, Evaluate) model for backwards design. This is a helpful tool to use to make sure that every student is included in each lesson. There is also a little focus on technology in this chapter. It needs to be used effectively, but if it is then it is a great way to get the students to get into higher order thinking.

Reflection:
Most of the class was shocked by the number of students that are still going through the school systems and not knowing how to read and write. Or if they do know how their level is way behind where it should be. This made a lot of the class think that reading and writing should be incorporated into every class. It also was a little bit repetitive from Content lit. Reading is a skill that every student will need in order to be successful, I know that the other subject areas are important too, but reading is necessary in order to function independently in the world.

I really enjoyed your lesson. I didn't really have much time to write anything down, so this is mostly just based on what i remember. I really liked the knot activity, that was fun and it would be a great way to have students meet each other if they hadn't already spent 12 weeks together. I have to admit that i was a little annoyed with the fact that i was asked to dress up, but i think that you guys did a good job incorporating the dressing up in well with the whole uniform vs no uniform idea. That section of the book, i definitely feel was written about kids like me, i am still one of the most judgmental people that i know. I judge mostly on looks, so i think that a uniform would have made me a little less rude about how people look.

I was a little disappointed, like you guys were, because i really wanted to have a list of how boys and girls learn. I felt like there wasn't really a lot of information on the differences between the boys and girls, not that it was your fault, your book just seemed to be titled incorrectly. I think that I learned that I learn and act more like a boy than the boys in our class do. Overall, i really enjoyed your presentation. The comic book was a really cool idea! I really wanted a squishy ball to play with!!

Book Talk Response

I really enjoyed this presentation and was amazed at how fast the time passed. Opening with the knot activity was a fun way to get everyone comfortable and engaged. The discussion regarding dress codes was good and brought up a lot of ideas or points that I hadn't really considered before. Having a mix of classmates who did and did not have uniforms in school was a really good thing and helped us all to get a comprehensive look at the issue. I loved that the girls got handouts of the powerpoint slide and the boys got little stress balls. Having the paper in front of me made me pay more attention and it really played into my visual learning style. The only thing that I didn't like was the part about mandatory sports. I feel that forcing all students to participate would be traumatizing for some people or make them resent physical activity. This isn't a problem with the presentation but more of a disagreement with the information that the book presented. Overall, I think you guys did a really great job and I can't think of anything major that you could have done better.

Presentation Red jaguars

This was a great presentation. All Pieces where put together seamlessly, and the preparation really showed. The books seems like it is very interesting with the six senses, as well as the concept of being a caring person. I felt that by the end of the presentation I really had learned some new strategies that would help within the classroom. I liked how it was not just a stand up and lecture presentation, but we were constantly moving and doing several different activities. The laughing portion was also interesting, I do agree that laughter is essential in everyday life and it has a purpose in and out of the classroom. An important concept that goes along with laughter is fun, too much the classroom is focused on sitting and listening, rather than becoming engaged. 

AWNM

I really enjoyed the presentation and liked the way the team represented the six senses by giving examples and including the class in them. The activities were fun and engaging as well. Laughing….hmmmmmm; I feel that I laugh often but have never been asked to just laugh it seemed difficult but at the same time intriguing. I do watch “Ouch Charlie” often and have shared it with friends so that is a plus. The power point is a good reference to refer back to and the quizzes were interesting and may be useful at a later date as well. I would however like to know where some of the resources for the power point came from as they may be useful as well. I would have liked to have had access to other links on the six senses as they were described in the book if they could be found on the web; I would go and read and perhaps find other interesting and useful things. Making up the stories was really fun (the hammer and other things along the same line-feminine- can be found at Sears). The objects were interesting and thought provoking.

I really liked the presentation on this book. There were a lot of fun activities that we got to do that coincided with the book. The only activity that I wasn't a big fan of was the laughing one. I thought that it was a little weird to expect us to laugh on the spot. I understood where it fit into the book, but i didn't like it.

My favorite activities were the negative space one because it was something that I had never done before and it was interesting. My other favorite was the making up a story thing. I liked the object one and the author with the toilet brush. I think that those let us incorporate who we were into the whole concept of the book. Overall, I really liked the presentation and the book seemed interesting.

Book Talk Response

I really really liked this presentation. Even thought it was over an hour long, I felt engaged and connected throughout the whole thing. The use of the powerpoint was good for a visual learner such as myself. I found the pictures, charts, cartoons and paintings to be highly effective and entertaining. In particular, I thought that this group was very strong in their use of fun and informative activities. The first activity really got me to think about how my senses affect my perception of an object. I could find a lot of ways to incorporate that into a Social Studies classroom. The story activity was also engaging and could be very useful when trying to get students to be more creative with their thinking and writing. The negative space activity was a nice addition even though I didn't get any of them right! I also thought that the empathy and humor activities helped me to understand myself and my thinking a little bit better. I would use the empathy activity at the beginning of the school year to get to know my students a little bit better.
There were only two things that I would maybe change about the presentation. One, it would be nice to be able to go back and see the powerpoint so linking it to the class wiki would be good. Second, even though there was one kinesthetic activity already in the presentation, one more would be good for a presentation that was that long. Other than that, I really loved the presentation and could tell that the group put a lot of effort into it.

SOC book talk presentation

This presentation was very interesting. At first I was confused by the concept and still I am a little hesitant as to how well this would work, but the ideas behind it are good. The presentation as a whole was very well done and very interesting, I checked the links after we had done the presentation and saw a great deal of information. I really like the idea of creating a strong community environment within the classroom and how that is the best way to make students comfortable and allow them to benefit themselves. The activity we did, all though I had done it before was also important just to see how important the aspect of a unified group is. very good work all

When this group first started talking about what their book was about I immediately thought that it made teachers sound like they no longer had a place in the classroom. It sounded like the students were teaching themselves and I wasn't entirely ok with that considering that I would like some way to pay off my loans. Then as the group kept talking, I found the role of the teacher and I kind of like the idea of having the students make their own class rules and pick their own lessons. If the students pick the unit idea than I think that they are more likely to care about it because they had something to do with picking it out.

I also really liked the idea of all of the teamwork that this book talked about. There is no way that the students could be as independent as they need to be if they do not have any teamwork. I also liked the linking to the community because anytime that a lesson connects outside of the classroom there is more thinking and learning that happens. Plus the students can see how something actually works as opposed to just hypothetical situations.

overall, I really think that this book had some really great ideas and like Courtney said I also like that it took place in Maine. The group did a great job presenting, I really liked the different types of activities that we did that related to your book.

SOC

Teamwork was an important part of the presentation. I am seeing teamwork as a large part of education today. Collaboration with students, families and communities is a difficult task which this school seems to have mastered. The part that I liked the most was the fact that the curriculum is always changing but still able to meet the standards. The students play a large role in deciding what types of things they want to learn. This makes the lessons more interesting to them as well as giving them more ownership and responsibility in their education.

The aspect of bringing in the community to be part of the curriculum and having the students go out into the community to do projects is great. This lets the whole community know what is going on in the school.

Student-Oriented Curriculum Response

I really liked this presentation and thought that the group did an excellent job in portraying the message of the book. By using the Wiki page, I found it very easy to pay attention to and absorb the information that was being presented. It will also come in handy if I need or want to refer back to the information. I had never done the rope activity before so that was a fun exercise that I would definitely use in my classroom. Also, it was good to get up and move around. Even though it's not such a pressing issue in Maine currently, the visions for inclusion of multicultural students was interesting and useful. I really liked all of the diverse means of communication that the group used, I.e. powerpoint, wiki pages, links, files, charts, activities, videos, etc. By using a wide variety, I was engaged throughout all of the presentation. I'm a very visual person so maybe some more pictures or charts on the wiki page would have brought it to a whole new level for me. I also easily connect to music so maybe adding some music into the presentation would have made it even more engaging. Out of all of the information presented, I really connected with the video at the end. It presented two very important issues, 1. how to assess integrated curriculum(no set textbooks) and how to accommodate students who are on the cusp of taking directions or moving forward on their own.

Chapter 12 Meet Me in the Middle

Advisory Groups 

Abstract:

Chapter 12 focuses specifically on the idea of advisor-advisee groups within the middle school setting. These groups are on average 10-15 students and one teacher. The groups can meet anywhere from a daily basis to once a month depending on the school. The purpose of advisory groups  is allow a small group of students the chance to interact with and adult for guidance on a regular basis, as well as to create a safe, supportive environment(146). Wormelli also focuses on specific days where students do not have class, but instead participate in activities with their advisory.  These activities cover a variety of tasks, from community service projects, physical activities, reflections, and social activities. Wormelli suggests moving away from the daily model and focusing more specifically on weekly group meetings. He also feels that building a strong and successful advisory group will benefit middle schoolers very strongly.

Reflection:

The class as a whole feels that these types of advisory groups are keep to help the students become successful. It allows them to develop strong bonds, as well as a time to seek the help of an adult. We also were big fans of the advisory days specifically the physical and service activities. The class felt that by completing community service it helped strengthen the school and community bond. Several people were hesitant to the idea because of previous failed attempts, but they felt that if done properly advisory can be a meaningful experience. The activities need to be meaningful to both the teachers and the students to make the advisory activities successful. The teacher also need to be trained in ways to successfully advise students. The big class debate happened over when to work advisory into the schedule, as well as the advisory days. There was no definite conclusion.

Meet Me In the Middle Chapter 11

A)
Chapter 11 discusses teaming within middle level schools. Wormelli explains the importance of teams in helping to make large schools feel smaller and more personal and to provide support and encouragement. In this sense, teams operate like the pit crew for race car drivers. In the chapter, Wormelli outlines several components to developing successful teams such as: subject integration, communication between members, planning periods and a common set of core values. By incorporating teams, students develop closer relationships with their teachers and peers, are not loaded down with major assignments at the same time, and are able to understand the correlation between the curriculum of other classes and the potential for real life applications. Also, teams are helpful to students because they establish similar rules and beliefs between all of the teachers so that the students are working with a similar set of guidelines in all of their classes. As he points out, it is critical that each team have a set of core values to "gain a sense of balance and direction." (139) Some important things to remember about successful teams is that each team should not have more than five teachers and that there should be a highly qualified teacher for each major academic subject. As a team, the number one priority should always be the students and how to effectively and successfully educate them.

B)
There were several things that many of us commented on from this chapter. For one, even though not everyone had teams at their middle school, the majority of the class agreed that structuring middle level schools into teams is important and can be extremely beneficial. Not only does it make students feel more connected to the faculty and the school, it puts everyone on the same page in regards to rules, beliefs, attitudes, etc. Another part that many people commented on was the section of the chapter that gave advice on how to successfully resolve conflicts between teachers. If the teachers are fighting with one another and not communicating, it is ultimately the students who suffer most. The third major benefit of having teams is that the school is structured in a way that makes communication easier. Not only is student-teacher and teacher-teacher communication increased, but so is parent-teacher communication. This can make a world of difference for student success and motivation.
Finally, many people in the class liked the idea of subject integration. They felt that the learning done in one class could help a student in another class that they are taking. As someone mentioned, the world is not compartmentalized so school shouldn't be either.

Eileen's In This We Believe Blog

Eileen's In This We Believe Blog

This last section gives a more detailed description of the roles of people affected by the school and those affecting the school and the students. I enjoyed this section as it went along with a class that I am taking called “Fundamentals of School Health”. Both this book and my health text stress the importance of the whole child. It is important to make sure the students are supported in all of these areas; physical development, cognitive development, moral development, psychological development, and social-emotional development; so that they are able to reach their full learning potential.

This book stresses that there is much more to the roles of the teacher, principal, staff and students than in years before. Education needs to mean something and has a purpose. I enjoyed this book very much; it is also small enough to carry around and reference from!
(19-34)
This section of In This We Believe dealt with things we had seen in TP2000. The aspect of block scheduling is always a concern for middle school teachers as the time used for teaching should be a constant and should be used wisely. Scheduling not only means when your classes are but when you plan as well as when you have time for students beyond the normal class time.
What I liked about this section was that it talked about integrating academics and making that bigger connection to the outside world that our students live in. Getting students interested in the subject matter is a great feat but having them apply in after they leave the classroom means that they have truly learned the subject matter. Remembering it for the next class or test doesn’t mean anything; if the students can not relate the material to themselves as individuals they will probably not remember it for long. I also liked the self monitoring and having student set their own goals. I feel that it is important to guide the students in this process as they may set the goal too high or too low, and we want all students to reach their potential.
The sections about advocacy programs and specialized professionals made sense to me. Every student needs someone in their corner to ensure that hey are receiving all the support they need, and often there needs to be a professional on board to address those needs.
I am still unclear on the distinction that was made between assessment and evaluation. If anyone out there could help make it clear I would appreciate it.


Eileen’s In This We Believe 9-19Middle school educators need to understand the uniqueness of the development of middle school student. They know how to form relationships and learning partnerships with their students. A successful middle school has a vision that guides their decisions, they share this vision with the school district and it also includes relevant state and federal guidelines.The above is some notes from the section of “In This We Believe”; I tend to agree with the intentions of the book and hope to be working in an atmosphere similar to this. However, the relevant state and federal guidelines part makes me nervous. I know in my logical mind that their term relevant did not mean that the school picks and chooses what guidelines they could or would follow. The language still makes me uneasy.Creating a safe and supportive environment for students is extremely important today. It is difficult when we think of all that is out there and what the students need. It not only means to keep them safe from drugs and violence in the school but often in the home as well. The support that some students need comes in the form of creating a healthy environment by providing information so they are able to make informed decisions. This helps them make good decisions that help them lead healthy productive lives.Good leadership is essential to a good school. The leadership is demonstrated in many ways, by the teachers, the principal, the administration and the community. If all of the leaders or role models come together to achieve a common goal things fall into place quicker. The teachers are role models for the students, the principal a role model for the teachers, the administration a role model for all the schools in the district and the community a role model for its entire population of all ages.Overall I liked the aspects of the book in this section. It was informative and thought provoking.
Posted by EILEEN at 10:02 PM 0 comments



The explanation of the characteristics of a successful middle school culture that were listed on page 7 was helpful. When looking for schools to teach in it is important to take into account the atmosphere of the school as well as the programs it may be using or implementing. Often in our society we look at the performance scores of a school and if they are good we assume the school is successful. This may not be the case, though students seem to do better when all their needs are being met and there is support for them physically, emotionally, socially as well as academically. Too often a school will teach to the test and actually prepare for an extended amount of time before having the students take the state tests. This produces good results on paper, but we have to remember that even paper if not kept in the best environment is likely to be damaged or worse. It is important to think of our students in a similar way. Their environment affects their well being and ultimately their lives.

A good education is an ideal that we constantly struggle to provide to our children. The shift to include families and communities has greatly improved our ability to reach that elusive goal. Also helping, is that inclusion of programs that benefit a child’s basic needs, and also educating families on what will help their child be more prepared for school. The encouragement for parent involvement at the middle school level is far better today than when I myself attended one. By listening to my classmates and reading In This We Believe, I find myself not only wanting to help my students succeed in school but looking forward to working in an enriching environment which includes caring and concern for everyone from students to faculty and staff.

Audra's This We Believe Blog

Abstract A:While I thought that this section was repetitive at times, I think it had some good ideas about what true middle schools should be like. Like the Turning Points 2000 recommendations, the ideas given in this book need to be used as a whole and not be used selectively. Tying into Wormelli's belief, in This We Believe, one of NMSA's main beliefs is having educators who value working with adolescents. It goes on to to say that middle level educators are role models for their students and should demonstrate the qualities that they want their students to possess. I think that this idea is critical for educators to understand and demonstrate if they want a successful and meaningful classroom. I also really connected to the idea of having high expectations for everyone in the school community.

Reflection A: Coming from a school district where the expectations of students were very low, it was easy to see how this affected the morale of the entire school. By having high expectations of your students and coworkers, they will be more motivated and have a higher chance of succeeding. The last main section that I connected with was the part about the school initiating partnerships with the families and community of the students. So often teachers assume that they are solely responsible for the education of students while in reality is should be a mutual effort. As the book points out, there is a direct correlation between family/adult involvement and greater student achievement and improved behavior.

Abstract B:I thought that this section of the book (19-34) had very similar ideas that were listed in Turning Points 200 such as teams, block scheduling and houses/schools-within-a-school." Another reoccurring theme that I found in this book was the need for integrated academics. Not only should teachers at the middle grades level integrate other academic subjects into their classroom, they should also model to the students how the information being presented can be applied to their daily lives out in the "real world." The portion dedicated to assessment I found very useful though. Because adolescents are at a time in their lives when they are building a clear self-concept, all assessment and evaluation should be focused on individual progress and not an individual's progress in regards to his or her classmates. The need to avoid extrinsic motivation is also another indicator of adolescence that should be recognized. Another reoccurring theme that I found in this book was the need for integrated academics.

Reflection B: Not only should teachers at the middle grades level integrate other academic subjects into their classroom, they should also model to the students how the information being presented can be applied to their daily lives out in the "real world." However, I found it lacking in concrete examples when the book dealt with many various topics. I would have liked to have more examples of how to make curriculum more relevant, challenging, integrative and exploratory instead of the author simply telling me the benefits of doing so.

Abstract C:It is possible that this section of the book (39-51), even though it was rather short, was the most useful to me personally. Truly understanding the changes, needs and thoughts of adolescents is the basis needed to teach and support them most effectively. Having been out of middle school for several years, I had forgotten some parts of what it was like for me at that time.

Reflection C: Reading about the physical, cognitive, moral, psychological and social-emotional aspects of development that were discussed, I was able to recall much more of my time as a young adolescent. I think that this was very important as it will help me to emphasize with and support the adolescents that I will have in my classroom. In particular, I will be able to reassure my students that what they are going through is normal, which according to the book, is something that all adolescents will need at some point in their development. After having read this class, I thought that it would be a good idea for colleges to offer psychology courses specifically geared toward the development of adolescents as a typical college level psychology course is required to cover much material and does not provide enough in-depth information for this topic.

Angela - this we believe

pages 1-7
I think that the ideas that middle schools started with were a good start. They were seen as advisory boards and they were meant to show teenagers how to be responsible. Middle schools didn't really stress the importance of education until later on. I'm not really sure what the point of any school is if there isn't any teaching or learning going on. It is important to have advisers and life lessons, but there needs to be the added element of education.

There is an additional challenge to middle schools where the advisers are needed. children ages 10-15 are going through a lot of changes physically, mentally, and emotionally. Plus a lot of families aren't what they used to be. Divorces and single parent homes make it really hard for all students to deal with, but especially for those students that are going through major changes.

pages 9-19
There were two big ideas that I got out of pages 9-19. "A successful school for young adolescents is an inviting, supporting, and safe place, a joyful community that promotes in-depth learning and enhances students' physical and emotional well-being".
This is saying that a school cannot be successful if it is not supportive. I think that a supportive and happy positive environment is just as important as having good teachers that know what they're doing.

The other idea that I liked in this section was "schools do not presume to educate children alone. In today's society, genuine family and community involvement are fundamental components of successful schools for young adolescents". All teaching and learning does not take place in the classroom. It is vital to have some lessons take place in the community and have some life lessons taking place with it. The best teachers are the ones that can bring the lessons to real life and involve real problems.

pages 19-34
I liked that this section talked about relevancy to the students. If the students aren't interested or the subject doesn't pertain to the students than they aren't going to care or be interested in learning. It is important to make the lessons that are being taught relevant to the student's lives because "it allows students to pursue answers to questions they have about themselves, content, and the world". Most middle school students are still thinking and wondering about how they fit into the world that they live in, so making relevant lesson plans makes it easier for them to maybe figure it out.

The other big idea that I came across in this section was the idea of having student's set their own personal goals and keep track of their progress. This shows them if they are reaching a high achievement or their full potential in their classes. Charts are good because they can see how they are doing and they can also see how their classmates are doing too. Its not good to compare themselves, but sometimes it is a motivator to see how much your peers have done compared to you.

pages 35-51
These pages give a few bulleted points about what pretty much everybody in the school should be doing at a certain time. It gives guidelines and ideas to help all of the people in these positions. This list includes pretty much everybody except for the janitors and the librarians, but i am sure there is a list somewhere for some protocol for them to follow when dealing with middle grade students because they need to know too.

In the second half of the reading it characterizes middle school students into groups of development: physical development, cognitive-intellectual development, moral development, psychological development, and social-emotional development. each group gives some characteristics of these children. I think that this is helpful because teachers can look up how a particular student is acting and figure out what part of development that they are in. These characteristics could also give the teachers pointers on what steps to take to help their students.

John's This We Believe

This we Believe

Abstract pp 1-51

This we Believe begins by describing the importance of a middle level education, and the effect it has on youths. The National Middle School Association (NMSA) strongly believes that because this is such a highly influential period the right education can change how a students life turns out. The years between 10 and 15 are those when the young minds are able to be affected by peers gone astray, as well as the influence of the media. Middle school teachers need to realize this and do what they can to have a positive influence. Society is evolving and broadening with the introduction of technology and the loss of traditional family atmospheres. It is left up to educators who understand the situation and make the decisions needed to change the direction.

Successful schools for young adolescents are characterized by a culture that includes most importantly effective teachers. Those who are able to reach out to students and create intellectual curiosity. These teachers must understand the uniqueness of middle grades students, and must design lessons effective to their needs. These teachers need to present themselves as professionals, effective leaders, and inspirational instructors. They must create an effective, safe environment. One that allows students to feel comfortable and voice their concerns, or not be afraid to speak their mind. They need to be enthusiastic about their subject and lesson plans. This is the most important of all , a lack of enthusiasm can make even the best students shut down.

Schools must provide a curriculum that is not only challenging, but also mentally stimulating. Students must want to think about the subject rather than feel forced to. The subjects need to show some sort of relevance. whether it be toward their lives, or on a broader scale something they can some how relate to.  The curriculum must be challenging, however it must not be overbearing, students shouldn't be shutdown because the work is just  too hard. The keys to accomplishing this are be a creative and effective teacher. You must be able to understand your students, no two are ever alike.

The final passage of This We Believe shows the importance of a strong education in the development of youth and how it can really make a difference as to whether they succeed in life. It discusses the importance of the ideas of both the book it self and all of the resources and research in all aspects of education; from principals to parents. The books ends by discussing the importance of the development of the youth as a whole. physically, psychologically, morally, socially, and emotionally. Middle school is an important period of growth and by developing all of these characteristics students will do well.

Reflection pp. 1-34

The first section is interesting because it provides a sound background as to all the problems middle schoolers are facing. It made me reminisce the decisions i made and middle school, and how they have affected me, as opposed to my peers.  I grew up in a higly urban society, and some of my peers have not become as successful as I have because they got involved in drugs and alcohol. A few have been arrested, and some even have children of their own at age 20. I feel like positive influences in my life are what allowed me to travel down the best possible path and allowed me to come out on top.

It is important to plan how one wants to be an effective teacher, without a plan or philosophy, there is no real reason to be instructing. I have been constructing mine over the past couple years and I feel now that i have a strong philosophy towards effective instruction.  Comfort for students is pinnacle, but second to that is interest level. If these two things can be harnessed becoming an effective teacher will be just like riding a bike.

By affectively listening and observing to the students needs, and trying new tactics to develop interest a regular history, or math class can become a truly memorable experience. Lessons and curriculum help to determine this, but do not limit instruction. Engaged students will learn the material it is a simple fact. 

The last section was a little less interesting than the book as a whole, but that was mainly because they were restating the importance of what they had already said. I do however feel it is crucial for schools to develop the whole student, this was one of my primary reasons for the mission statement being longer rather than shorter. The whole student, athletics, drama, and any other aspects to school life are what help to develop good genuine people. The Research presented in this book was very informational and I see using it as a resource for a long time to come.