Celebrate Middle Level Education in March

By Dru Tomlin, PhD, Director of Middle Level Services
@DruTomlin_AMLE

As we prepare to declare the start of spring, March is also Middle Level Education Month. And while every month is critical in the middle grades, March has been set aside as a time when we celebrate the power and the potential of the young adolescent and shine a warm light on those who help improve their educational lives.  

You can explore the rich resources online at the Association for Middle Level Education’s website at www.amle.org/mlem, but also consider starting the celebration by giving thought to an important but sometimes neglected “R” in education: Remembrance.  For many of us, early adolescence was a time mixed with challenge and triumph, friendship and frustration, humor and hurt, love and loathing—a time when we needed and craved support and caring to meet our unique (and ever-evolving) needs.  Thus, remembering what we were like as kids between the ages of 10 and 15 is one of the most important parts of Middle Level Education Month.  To serve young adolescents more effectively, take time in March to think back to those times.  Who helped you grow as a learner and as a person? And how are we celebrating and supporting students in our schools, businesses, homes, service agencies, and communities today?

In addition to remembering your own early adolescence, Middle Level Education Month is a time to recognize people who work with this age group every day.  Everyone who understands and cares for young adolescents is a middle level educator: teachers, mentors, school administrators, community and business leaders, college partners, families and service providers.  March is a time to shine the spotlight on anyone who improves the educational lives of children ages 10-15.

One of the 16 characteristics in This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents states that an effective middle grades program is propelled by those who “value young adolescents and are prepared to teach them” (p. 15).  In the case of teachers, for instance, they are not only masters of their respective content areas (i.e., math, reading, science, music, social studies), but they are masterfully aware that their students are simultaneously achieving in multiple areas—physically, cognitively, socially, ethically, psychologically, morally and more!  And those who serve through their communities, businesses and service agencies are committed to not only the wellness of their own organizations, but they are equally committed to the wellness and development of young adolescents.  With that awareness and commitment, all middle level educators live three critical truths every day that need to be celebrated:

1. Middle level educators understand that academic gains happen when we attend to students’ other achievement areas.  People who work with young adolescents support their growth through movement, activity, engagement and group collaboration because young adolescents have physical and social needs that must be met in their daily educational lives.  No matter where, when, or from whom young adolescents learn, they need people who understand the truth that “the most successful learning strategies are ones that involve each student personally” (This We Believe, p. 16).
2. Middle level educators also live the daily reality of the adage, “Students care to learn when they learn that we care.” We need to shine a light on community service providers and business partners who realize that the first critical connection with a young adolescent is through the heart.  Similarly, we need to celebrate teachers and leaders in the middle grades as pedagogical artists who know not only how to create great lesson plans and clear master schedules, but also know how to sustain great relationships built on care, trust and compassion.  We help students blossom when we illuminate and practice “qualities of heart and mind” that “make a positive difference in the life of every young adolescent” (p. 15).
3. Middle level educators know that young adolescents add and bring value to the educational conversation.  Contrary to the belief of some people, young adolescents are not aimless, contrary “tweens” who are devoid of direction.  Those who work with these children every day see them differently.  Through their daily interactions, middle level educators see young adolescents as blossoming leaders, debaters, policymakers, service providers, artists, scientists, explorers and so much more.  They see in every young adolescent the glimmering power and vital potential of a life evolving.  And they know that each student deserves learning that nurtures and grows that potential—throughout March and every month of the year.

So as you start to feel the warmth of spring and see the sun linger longer in the March sky, join AMLE as we take time to acknowledge everyone who supports and improves the educational lives of children ages 10 to 15 years old.  Remember your own adolescence.  Recognize what makes young adolescents unique.  Support and celebrate our middle grades students!

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Dru Tomlin, Ph.D., is director of middle level services for the Association for Middle Level Education (www.amle.org).

Reference

National Middle School Association [now AMLE]. (2010). This we believe: Keys to educating young adolescents. Westerville, OH: Author.  www.amle.org/twb

The Role of Mentoring in the ‘Middle School to High School Transition’

Author: Meha Davé, Director of Program Innovation for Spark

Middle school, as most teachers and parents (and almost anyone!) would agree, can be a difficult time for most students. The brain is in a constant state of development, which makes social, personal and academic transitions challenging. Studies show that grappling with these challenges during this critical time can lead to disengagement and school drop-out during the transition to high school. Consider these statistics:

• Between 60-70% of US students become chronically disengaged from school during 7th or 8th grade[1] 
• 68% of students who drop out of school do so in 9^th grade, or after repeating 9^th grade[2]

Maybe most importantly, the biggest predictor of on-time graduation is if a student is on track during his or her freshman year in high school. These findings underscore what we believe at Spark: supporting underserved students in the middle grades is crucial to bolstering engagement, success and increasing graduation rates.

I recently had the chance to explain how Spark’s mentoring model is doing just this at the

National Mentoring Summit, an incredible opportunity to connect with mentoring colleagues and share best practices! It was founded and convened by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, and is the signature event for the mentoring field that brings together approximately 1,000 top researchers, policy makers, practitioners, the network of affiliate Mentoring Partnerships, corporate partners and many other national youth-serving organizations. 

Held in Washington, D.C., the theme of this conference was “Connection, Growth, and Opportunity,” and I was proud to demonstrate Spark’s commitment to these qualities. Through one-to-one mentorships, which pair underserved students with industry professionals, Spark provides a personal connection with a mentor, a tailor-made space for personal and professional growth for students and mentors, and most importantly an opportunity for engagement in an area of personal interest which may have previously seemed out of reach.

Take Andrew for example, a current high school senior, who participated in Spark in

seventh grade. Andrew expressed an interest in drawing, and was paired with a Spark mentor at a Los Angeles architectural firm. Andrew honed his professional and artistic skills in a real-world apprenticeship and felt more prepared for high school as a result. He was just accepted early admission to Brown University and hopes to become an architect. Andrew’s 10-week apprenticeship gave him skills and confidence to better transition from middle school to high school, and his connection with his mentor endures to this day.

Through short and long-term evaluation of Spark participants, we see that Spark students develop the academic mindsets, social emotional and academic skills that lead to improvements in their school performance. We’ve seen that more than 70% of our students have improved their performance in school.

Here are some key factors we attribute to our success, and suggestions for other mentoring programs serving students in the middle grades:

•  Listen to the mentee to gain an understanding of how to tailor their mentorship experience
• Apply mentee areas of interest to project-based, hands-on learning
• Educate mentors about the “middle school mind” and successful strategies for working with this age group 
• Structure mentor and mentee meetings around skill-building activities
• Use the present to explore the future, including youth aspirations around future education and career goals 

Join Spark as we continue to make progress for middle school students and mentors. To become involved as a mentor or supporter, apply here.

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[1] Source: Everyone Graduates Center

[2] www.sparkprogram.org