NANCY M. DODA, PH.D. TEACHER TO TEACHER NDODA@TEACHER-TO-
TEACHER.COM WWW.TEACHER-TO - TEACHER.COM The Young Adolescent
Learner: Making a Difference in the Middle
Slide 3
M ODEL R EFLECT T RANSFER Three words for to keep in mind today
according to...
Slide 4
Mr. T???
Slide 5
M odel R eflect T ransfer
http://iiwallpapers.com/images/big/mr.-t- wallpaper.jpg
Slide 6
Model Modeling is not the main means of influencing others...
A. E.
Transfer Transfer is the basis of creativity and problem
solving. It cant be assumed, it must planned for and taught. M.
H.
Slide 11
Transfer If you dont use it... MADELINE HUNTER
Slide 12
Our Young Adolescents
Slide 13
TRUTH # 1 YOUNG ADOLESCENTS ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY UNIQUE
Slide 14
THE SHIFTS: PHYSICAL INTELLECTUAL SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL YOUNG
ADOLESCENTS ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY UNIQUE
Slide 15
Author Unknown Crustaceans are at their most vulnerable when
they are between shells.
Slide 16
A Brief History Remember the Junior High School? 1920s-1950s
1973-Growing Up Forgotten (Lipsitz) 1989-Carnegies, Turning Points:
Preparing Americas Youth for 21 st Century 2000-Carnegies, 2 nd
Turning Points Today: We know what best serves our young
adolescents.
Slide 17
Proven Middle Level Practices This We Believe: Keys to
Educating Young Adolescents (NMSA, 2010) www.nmsa.orgwww.nmsa.org;
(AMLE, 2013) Breaking Ranks in the Middle (NASSP, 2005)
www.principals.org Turning Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in
the 21st Century (Jackson & Davis, 2000) National Forum to
Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform: Vision Statement (1999)
www.mgf.org
Slide 18
The Forums Vision Developmental Responsiveness Academic
Excellence Social Equity NORMSSTRUCTURESPROCESSES
Slide 19
THE4TENATIOUS TRUTHS 1. YOUNG ADOLESCENTS ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY
UNIQUE. 2. YOUNG ADOLESCENTS THRIVE IN SAFE HAVENS. 3. POWERFUL
LEARNING IS ACTIVE, RELEVANT AND INTEGRATED. 4. WE CAN ALL GET
SMARTER!
Slide 20
The Consensus The period of life called young adolescence--the
years 10-15-- represents one of the most pivotal times in human
development. How students fare in these middle years, sets a course
for their future years in life and in school.
Slide 21
Working with young teens is not easy. It takes patient, humor
and love. Yes, love of kids who burp and fart their way to eighth
grade. Who tell you Life sucks! and everything they do is Boring!
Who literally roll to the floor in hysterical laughter when you
separate the prefix and the suffix from the word prediction and ask
them for the root and what it means. Who wear short, skin-tight
skirts and leg-laced sandals, but carry teddy bears in their arms.
Who used a paper clip to tattoo Jim Morrisons picture in their arm
during quiet study, while defending the merits of Tiggers
personality in Winnie-the-Pooh. Who send obscene notes that would
make a football player blush, written in pink magic marker,
blasting each other for stealing a boyfriend, and sign the note-
Love, P.S. Please write back.-Linda Reiff, Seeking Diversity
Slide 22
Research Findings 1. We long to be known and trusted. 2. We
learn best when we feel safe. 3. We want to be treated as if we are
all different but all equally special. 4. We want to learn
important stuff that matters in the world and in life. 5. We learn
best when we are actively engaged. 6. We respect adults who are
human and tender. (Doda & Knowles, 2006)
Slide 23
Cliques Are Cruel
Slide 24
TRUTH #2 YOUNG ADOLESCENTS THRIVE IN SAFE HAVENS (SMALL,
PERSONALIZED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS)
Slide 25
EMOTIONS AND LEARNING (Implicit Memory) Associated with
(Explicit Memory) Associated with The Classroom Climate The
Learning Content Positive climate leads to Endorphins in blood,
which - Give feeling of euphoria - Stimulate frontal lobes What
instructional activities will get students emotionally connected to
the content of the learning? Negative climate leads to Cortisol in
blood: - Raises anxiety level - Refocuses frontal lobes to flight
or fight
Slide 26
Community
Slide 27
Quality Relationships The key to being a good teacher is
knowing the kids. You have to know every single one and have a
relationship with every single one. I think that one thing that
really allows me to work hard is knowing that my teacher knows
where I am in life at that moment. If they dont know me, I will
tend not to work as hard for them.
Slide 28
Cliques Are Cruel
Slide 29
The Power of School Connectedness Students are more likely to
engage in healthy behaviors and succeed academically when they feel
connected to school.School connectedness was found to be among the
strongest protective factors for both boys and girls. (CDC,
2009)
Slide 30
CLOSE-KNIT LEARNING COMMUNITIES ADVISORY, HOME BASE, DAILY
SUPPORT AGE APPROPRIATE SOCIALIZATION & INCLUSION PARTICIPATORY
ATHLETICS HEIGHTENED FAMILY INVOLVEMENT Personalization
Slide 31
The Home-Base HOMEBASE BASE CAMP PRIME TIME MORNING MEETING MAP
TAP Every young adolescent needs one adult in school who knows
him/her exceedingly well and serves as the mentor, advocate,
liaison and coach. (NMSA)
Slide 32
Academic Impact of Home-Base Students participating in planned
SEL efforts gained 11 percentile points on standardized measures of
academic achievement (.28) Daily aspirin/.01 (SEL=Social and
Emotional Learning) Equivalent to moving a student in the middle of
her class to the top 40%. More impact than most academic
interventions. Like the impact of a good literacy intervention.
(Joseph Durlak, Child Development, 2011) Roger Weissberg et al Meta
Analysis (2008) Education Week Dec 19, 2007
Slide 33
POWERFUL LEARNING IS ENGAGING, RELEVANT AND INTEGRATED. TRUTH
#3
Slide 34
1946
Slide 35
Less Teacher Talk Teachers, teachers, teachers, when will they
learn. I have the attention span of a raisin. I need to be kept
busy with things that are fun. Teachers need to find out what
interests kids and what stuff they like to do. So for a less whiny,
annoyed and temperamental class, make it fun.- 7 th grader
Slide 36
Almost everyone has had occasion to look back upon his school
days and wonder what has become of the knowledge he was supposed to
have amassed during his years of schoolingbut it was so segregated
when it was acquired and hence is so disconnected from the rest of
experience that it is not available under the actual conditions of
life. Dewey (1938, 48)
Slide 37
The academic challenge in a middle school curriculum lies not
in painful abstraction, But rather in its capacity to engage the
Intellectual imagination and curiosity of young adolescents. (
Beane, 2005 ) Rigor is Relevance
Slide 38
Integration Improves Learning Seeing the whole picture
SEPTOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAY SCI MATH SOC STDS LANG ARTS
Slide 39
WE CAN ALL GET SMARTER. TRUTH #4
Slide 40
Redefine Smart None of us is as smart as all of us. SMART IS
NOT SOMETHING YOU ARE. IT SOMETHING YOU BECOME.
Slide 41
Study after study has shown that much of the achievement gap
between children from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic groups can
be traced not to family & life circumstances, but to how their
teachers viewed them while they were in school. ( Gordon, Della
Piana & Keleher, ERASE Initiative, Applied Research Center
)
Slide 42
The Knack
Slide 43
THE4TENATIOUS TRUTHS 1. YOUNG ADOLESCENTS ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY
UNIQUE 2. YOUNG ADOLESCENTS THRIVE IN SAFE HAVENS 3. POWERFUL
LEARNING IS ACTIVE, RELEVANT AND INTEGRATED 4. WE CAN ALL GET
SMARTER!
Slide 44
Wisdom for Parents Preserve the World of Childhood Increase
Communication and Conversation Maintain Strong Affectionate Ties
Negotiate with Reasons Be Tender