from the Foreword by Ed Brazee
Drawing on the wisdom of educators, researchers, and twenty years of personal experience in the middle school classroom, Rick Wormeli lays out a clear vision of what responsive middle-level teaching can be in Meet Me in the Middle: Becoming an Accomplished Middle-Level Teacher.
Both a "how-to" book and a thoughtful narrative on important topics, Meet Me in the Middle gives you successful strategies for addressing key middle-level teaching challenges, including:
- differentiating instruction;
- motivating early adolescents;
- teaming;
- teaching in block-length classes;
- using authentic and alternative assessment effectively;
- writing in all subjects;
- holding students and teachers accountable;
- involving parents;
- mentoring teachers;
- using games in the classroom;
- applying the latest in brain research;
- the National Board Certification process;
- understanding the young adolescent.
Rick ignites the imagination and commitment of pre-service and beginning teachers and rekindles the motivation of veteran teachers who want to create a high-performance classroom. He effectively demonstrates theory with rich examples from his own teaching. Teacher educators and staff developers will find Meet Me in the Middle to be a wonderful handbook of best practices and insights to share with new teachers, including second-career individuals coming from other professions.