Help Us Spotlight Student Creativity in the 1st Ever

CAMLE Student T-Shirt Design Contest!

Dear Colorado Middle Grades Colleagues,

The Colorado Association of Middle Level Education (CAMLE) is excited to announce our first-ever student T-Shirt Design Contest, and we need your help to spread the word!

We’re inviting middle grades students across the state to showcase their creativity by submitting an original t-shirt design based on this year’s theme:

The Heart of Middle School

Rooted in Community, Growing with Purpose!

The winning design will be featured on official CAMLE merchandise and sold statewide. In addition to individual prizes, the school that purchases the most shirts will receive a special Middle School Spirit Package and recognition at our 2025 CAMLE Conference (more info on that after we have a winning design).

Here is a link to the flyer with all the details, including the submission deadline:

Friday, May 10, 2025

We hope you’ll encourage your students to participate—this is a great opportunity to celebrate the voices, perspectives, and talents of our incredible middle schoolers.

Who knows, maybe this would be a good activity for students after they finish CMAS testing.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you for helping us highlight the heart of middle level education in Colorado!

Be well,

Matt Moulton

President-Elect

Colorado Association of Middle Level Education

mmoulton4@gmail.com or moulton_matt@svvsd.org

https://camle.wildapricot.org/

Author: Matt Moulton, CAMLE President Elect

In early 2025, Twinkl (a website that has resources for teachers) surveyed over 1,000 educators from the US and UK to understand their perspectives on artificial intelligence (AI) in education. The results offer a revealing snapshot of how educators are approaching AI in classrooms—and what it means for middle schools navigating this evolving landscape.

Key Findings from the SurvEY

1. Growing Adoption with a Cautious Lens

59% of US educators said they’ve already used AI in their teaching practice.

However, 26% of respondents expressed concerns about its ethical implications and data privacy.

2. Top Benefits Identified

Time-saving tools like lesson planning and resource creation were the most popular uses.

Many saw potential in personalized learning, helping students at different ability levels progress at their own pace.

3. Barriers to Use

Educators cited lack of training, inadequate policy guidance, and uncertainty about how to use AI effectively as the biggest obstacles.

There’s a clear call for professional development that focuses on practical classroom applications.

4. Student Use of AI

Teachers are noticing that students are already experimenting with AI—mostly for writing assignments and homework help.

This raises questions about academic integrity, digital literacy, and how to teach responsible AI use.

Why This Matters for Middle Schools

I don’t need to remind you about how middle schools are at a pivotal point. The young adolescent years shape not just academic habits but also digital citizenship and identity. The findings from Twinkl’s survey suggest three key takeaways for middle school educators and leaders:

Start with Time-Saving Wins

AI tools that streamline grading, differentiate materials, or support lesson planning can free up valuable time for relationship-building and feedback. A simple chatbot or content generator tailored to a middle school curriculum can be a low-risk, high-impact entry point.

Teach AI Literacy Early

Students in grades 6–8 are already dabbling with AI tools like ChatGPT, whether educators realize it or not. Middle school is the right time to start explicit instruction in AI ethics, limitations, and responsible use. Embedding this into ELA, science, or even advisory periods can set students up for high school and beyond.

Prioritize Professional Development

Middle school educators need support in understanding what AI can and should do. A one-size-fits-all PD won’t cut it. Instead, offer:

• Grade-level examples of classroom AI use

• Hands-on exploration with curated tools

• Ongoing coaching that encourages experimentation

Starting the Conversation: A Structure for That First AI Conversation with Your Team

Starting this journey doesn’t require a fully fleshed-out tech plan—just a willingness to talk. Here’s a simple structure you can use at your next team or department meeting to kick off the conversation:

1. Warm-Up Question:

Ask: “What’s one thing you’ve heard, seen, or wondered about AI in education recently?” Let everyone share. No wrong answers—just observation and curiosity.

2. Share Trends:

Summarize a few key insights from the Twinkl study (or share this blog!). Ask: “Which of these trends feels most urgent or most promising for our school, our students, our context?”

3. Reflect as Educators:

Ask: “How might AI support us in meeting student needs?” and “What’s one part of our content area where AI might help students think more deeply, not just work faster?”

4. Identify a Low-Stakes Next Step:

Challenge each teacher to try one small AI experiment before the next meeting—using a tool for brainstorming, feedback, lesson design, or student inquiry.

5. Close the Loop:

Set a short check-in date to share what worked, what didn’t, and what to try next.

Final Thought: Build a Culture of Curiosity

AI is not just a tool; it’s a teaching opportunity. Middle school students are naturally curious—what better time to help them question, explore, and create responsibly with AI? With the right support, middle schools can be where innovation meets intention.

Want to bring AI to your middle school in a thoughtful way? Start small. Talk with your team. Try one tool. And remember: you don’t have to be an expert—you just have to be willing to learn.

On March 1st CAMLE Colorado welcomed Jack Berckemeyer for an energetic morning of learning together on Motivating the Middle. Over 60 middle level educators spent the morning combining movement and learning strategies to take back to schools across Colorado. 

Our wonderful facilitator Jack shared this:

Motivating and engaging young adolescents has never been harder. Sometimes I feel like you could set your tie or favorite clothing accessory on fire in class and our students would be like, “Seen that on a video and this is boring.” The truth is educators are trying to compete with social media and gaming which is feeding the dopamine levels of young adolescents at such a high rate that we as humans can’t compete. 

So, what will compete with the dopamine-filled gaming industry and 20-second social media posts? Hands-on engagement: things they can touch and learn with the ability to move. With all the pre-described curriculum it is hard to get kids up moving and active.

What young adolescents crave are quality interactions, the ability to create, think and most importantly, play. Our students will remember when they play a game, sing a song or create something. They love the interactions with the teachers and with each other.

As I enter my 32nd year in middle level education I have come to the realization that we are over complicating education. An objective on the board will not motivate a student. The ability of a teacher who is willing to use manipulatives and play will spark their interests, get them laughing and learning.

I have found simple uses of paper plates, specific letters of the alphabet and physical movement to help teachers engage their students. On March 1st CAMLE is offering an amazing couple hour workshop where I will be able to show you simple ways to get our students engaged. No philosophy or deep thoughts. No rubrics or assessments. Just simple inexpensive ways to get our kids moving. 

Let’s get back to laughing and learning. Play, engagement and fun are needed in our classroom now more than ever.

By Jack Berckemeyer, Educator, Author, Humorist and Consultant

Follow Jack on Social Media here:

From our morning together: 

By: Lex Moschakis

This is a gorgeous picture of my husband and I on the Amalfi Coast in Italy in 2022. It went straight to my Instagram. And while I look happy and carefree, my Voice of Small (negative self-talk) was being *really* loud. Everyone around me was taking photos in various model-esq poses, and I felt pressured to do the same so I could post it on social media

I asked my husband, Dan, to take the photo of me, but my Voice of Small kept saying “you look like you’re trying too hard.” I felt wildly uncomfortable in my body, and when I looked at the photos Dan took, my Voice of Small said "You look terrible, how can you not know how to take a nice photo of yourself yet?"

But then, because acknowledging my own discomfort was too hard, I got frustrated at Dan for “failing to take a nice photo of me.” Enter a sudden shame spiral, which prompted more anxiousness, and my Voice of Small said "poor guy, being married to you."Determined, I grabbed the phone out of his hand and took this selfie, which I posted on Instagram straight away (with a filter… which it didn’t need!).

We sat on the beach for 5 more minutes before I realized I needed to be alone to connect with myself and process the anxiety I was feeling. We went home, I was able to regulate myself, and I was able to piece together what happened in my mind and own my reaction. I apologized, we had a wonderful dinner, and that was that. 

If this had happened to me at 14 years old? There would have been no awareness, no regulation, and a complete internalization of the message that is currently hammering our youth:

I am not enough.

Everywhere you turn you’ll find a heart wrenching, gobsmacking statistic on the impact of social media on the mental health of our youth. I won’t repeat them here - you know it’s bad. If we lived in an ideal world, the obvious solution would be that youth stay away from their phones and get back outside to ride bikes in the streets, peruse the malls, and go to the local diner for a milkshake.

But there are three things wrong with this solution:

1. Kids today don’t remember a time without social media. It’s as normal a part of their world in the same way that most of us don’t remember life without TV. And in many ways TV isn’t so great for us either, but how many of us would give it up? Ask my husband to turn off the TV on football Sunday and witness total confusion and horror…

1. The adolescent’s developmental job is to break away from the family unit and connect with their peers. If their peer connection is at least partially on social media, but they’re not, they’re disconnected. That’s more than just a terrifying prospect for an adolescent; it’s a developmental hindrance. 

1. Social media is harmful and helpful, when we use it the right way. It can be a place for artistic expression, a way to communicate with a new community, share about our lives with friends and family on the other side of the world, and provide greater access to helpful information.

So if a 14 year old came to me and said, “I’m coming off the apps” would I applaud them? Abso-fricken-lutely. That is a child wise beyond their years; I rarely hear that proclamation from adults (newsflash: social media isn’t good for our mental health, either). But I would never ask it or expect it, and I don’t think you should either.

So what can we do about it? 

Role model 

I know you know that kids learn from what you do, not what you say. But your emails? As far as kids are concerned, that counts as social media too. So even if you really need to check your emails, your Slack, or your texts, you are role modeling being interrupted by a notification, disconnecting from the real world to check it, and possibly, disconnecting from the child in front of you. The message that sends is that it’s okay for them to do that on Instagram, TikTok, [insert latest social platform that’s cool these days]. Can that email wait? In my experience, 9 times out of 10 the answer is “yes”. 

Educate

Help kids understand why they might feel “stuck” on their phones. Do they know that a notification releases a hit of dopamine in their brain that keeps them wired for the next one? Do they understand that a feed with bite sized content is prohibiting their ability to focus on anything for more than 10 seconds? Do they know that social media companies make BILLIONS of dollars advertising to them, selling their data, and that their #1 goal is user engagement? It might not be “cool” for kids to care about these things at first, but if you plant the seed without judgment or expectation, it will eventually grow to an awareness that these platforms have been designed with addiction at its core, and that’s not okay.

Guidelines

There IS a way to use social media while optimizing its helpful sides, respecting your own boundaries, and staying connected to the essence of who you are while you scroll. It doesn’t HAVE to impact your self view and mental health.

To help kids (and adults) do this, at Live Big Community we teach a 5-pronged approach called the Socials Wheel. I won’t share all five of those prongs but here is the first and most relevant to this blog post:

Prong #1: Limit Your Notifications

In an ideal world, all notifications are off. But a good starting place for parents is turning them off during family time, like during dinner or movie night (if your child still graces you with their presence on a Friday night). I promise you, they’ll complain about it. You will be labeled deeply uncool, unfair, and possibly the “worst parent on the planet.” But often kids tell us that it can be a relief to have parents and teachers set these boundaries for them, even if they don’t want to admit it in the moment, because then they can tell their friends that their lame parents made them do it, thereby saving face in front of their peers. Maybe this goes without saying, but refer back to (1); you have to turn yours off too.

I know this is a lot of work. It’s not a one-and-done solution; it’s a lifestyle. It takes a village to shift a culture; guardians, educators and community members coming together to support our youth in all the ways we know how. But if we don’t collectively battle the havoc that is being wreaked on our youth, the state of their mental health is going to get worse. We know more now about the impact of social media than we ever have before. It’s now on us to put that knowledge to work so that no child is ever sitting on their phones, fear-posting or doom-scrolling, internalizing the message of “I am not enough.”

Lex is leading a FREE webinar Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 6 pm - 7 pm.

Here is a quick blurb about the webinar:

The Voice of Small

Working with Negative Self-talk to Create Resilience

Everyone has the capacity to build resilience. Resilience helps us work with the Voice of Small. It's pesky and sometimes it’s  loud. The Voice of Small is inside your head, it puts you down, and tells you that you can't do hard things. The problem is that you become so used to hearing it that it starts to sound like the truth. When you believe the mean things it says, it zaps your energy and your ability to be resilient. In this webinar, you'll learn where the Voice of Small comes from and strategies to work with it so that you can create resilience.

The event is free! Come invest (virtually) in yourself as we start the new year.

By: Karen Swanson & Matt Moulton

A mentor teacher stood in her classroom.

“Oh, oh!” said the mentor teacher. “The students will be here soon! I need to get everything ready! I must get some help!” she said. “I will be back.”

So away she went.

A new teacher walked into her mentor teacher’s classroom.

“Where is my mentor?” the new teacher said.

She looked for her. She looked up and down the hallway. She did not see her.

“I will go and look for her,” she said. So away she went.

Down the hallway she went. Down, down, down to the teachers' lounge.

It was a long way down the hallway. She could not find her mentor, but she could ask for help.

“Now I will go and find my mentor,” she said. She did not know what her mentor looked like. She went right by her. She did not see her.

She came to the school secretary. “Are you my mentor?” she said to the secretary.

The secretary just looked and looked. She did not say a thing. The secretary surely holds lots of power.

But, the secretary was not her mentor, so she went on.

Then she came to a fellow teacher.

“Are you my mentor?” she said to the teacher.

“No,” said the teacher. “But I can help you with the new attendance reporting program.”

The secretary was not her mentor.

The fellow teacher was not her mentor.

So the new teacher went on.

Then she came to the school librarian.

“Are you my mentor?” she said to the librarian.

“I am not your mentor, I am the librarian,” said the librarian. “But I can help you find resources.”

The secretary was not her mentor.

The teacher was not her mentor.

The librarian was not her mentor.

So, the new teacher went on.

Now she came to the school counselor.

“Are you my mentor?” she said to the counselor.

“How could I be your mentor?” said the counselor. “I am a counselor. But I can help you with your students' well-being.”

The secretary, the teacher, and the librarian were not her mentor.

The counselor was not her mentor.

“Do I even have a mentor?” said the new teacher.

“I know I do! I have to find her. I will! I will!”

Now the new teacher did not walk, she ran.

Then she saw the school principal.

The new teacher did not stop. She ran on and on.

Now she looked way, way down the hallway. She saw the custodians.

“There they are,” said the new teacher. She called to the custodians, but they did not stop. The custodians went on with their work.

She looked in the gym. She saw the school mascot preparing for a pep rally.

“Here I am, mentor!” she called out. But the mascot did not stop. The mascot danced on.

Just then, the new teacher saw a big shadow. This must be her mentor.

“There she is,” she said. “There is my mentor!” “Mentor, mentor, here I am, mentor!” she said to the shadow.

But the shadow was a school bus whose driver said, “I’m the school bus driver. I’m here to take thestudents home.”

“Oh, you are not my mentor,” said the new teacher. “You are a bus driver. I have to get out of here!” But the new teacher could not get away. The bus’s engine roared, and the bus drove off, leaving her behind.

But now where was the new teacher going?

“Oh, oh, oh, what am I going to do?”

“Get me out of here!”

Just then the new teacher heard a familiar voice.

“Where am I?” said the new teacher. “I want to go back to my classroom! I want my mentor!

The new teacher made it back to her classroom and something wonderful happened.

Her mentor appeared at the classroom door. The new teacher was relieved.

The mentor teacher came up to new teacher. “Do you know who I am?” she said to the new teacher.

“Yes, I know who you are,” said the new teacher.

“You are not just any other teacher.

You are not the secretary.

You are not the librarian.

You are not the counselor.

You are not the principal, the custodians, or the bus driver.

You are my mentor! And you are here to help me!”

Finding a mentor can be a challenge. In some schools new or induction teachers are assigned a mentor without any useful matching criteria. These matches can be helpful in terms of behavior management support, curriculum design and emotional support. However, they can also be awkward and more work than support. Therefore, we suggest taking on a search to find teachers who match your energy, love their content and students, and can provide a positive support system.

The structure of mentoring has evolved in education from the traditional model of the experienced teacher mentoring the new teacher. The broader context of mentor acknowledges that complexity of teaching and with intentionality, the impact mentoring can have on teacher efficacy.

Some matches to consider may include:

• Content area leaders in your building
• Grade level teachers that students and teachers respect
• A teacher how is amazing at the technology aspect such as Google Classroom or Schoology
• Finding a mentor who is younger than you and problem-solve together. 

Mentoring should be a mutually beneficial experience for both teachers. It is no longer a hierarchical structure but a level playing field in which everyone has something to give and something to gain. We hope your journey to find your mentor is short and productive. Much like the teacher searching above, look in the expected and unexpected places. Be open and ask around for who is a good teacher, good colleague, and effective leader. You never know, someone may even ask Are You My Mentor?

By: Matt Moulton and Karen Weller

CAMLE

Sure, the hallways are quiet now. But, wait a second. What is that? A solitary locker slam reverberates down the hall. The echo burrows into your ears,  grabs hold of your senses and can only mean one thing. Can you hear it? It is the sound of the sixth graders bolting down the hallway at speeds unimaginable. Can you smell it? It is Axe Body Spray doing a poor job of covering up growing bodies. Do you feel it? The discarded sheets of paper or charger cords preparing to be tripping hazards. Can you taste it?The phantom lingering of school lunch Crispitos chased by Tums. Can you feel it? The heat contained in an expo marker that has just been pried from the grip of a student writing on a mini-whiteboard. This can only mean one thing... It is time to go back to school.

We love Ted Lasso. He’s goofy, honest, genuine and brings out the best in his coaching of theRichmond team. Ted struggled at times to coach a sport he knew nothing about but had an open mind and was ready to learn. He also brought what he did know and asked the coaching staff to trust his decisions. As we as teachers go back to the middle school for either your first year, your last year or somewhere in-between. He is a little Lasso humor to get you started.

It is time to get in touch with yourschool bff and dust off that backpack. In honor of back to school, we wanted to inject a little bit of levity into your day. Here are 10 ways to tell it is timefor back to school.

10 Ways to Tell It is Time for Back to School

10. The Christmas decorations are out at Costco.

9. The back-to-school opening session speaker isn’t Ted Lasso.

8. The new principal has officially/unofficially started sending emails.

7. There is another NEW student cell phone policy in the news.Like this one from right here inColorado that includes a locked pouch.

6. The first–grade COVID students are now 6th graders and Open House night is right around the corner.

5. You have subconsciously started to train your bladder to account for limited bathroom access.

4. All the things you pushed off in May are knocking at your door.

3. You find yourself overly excited about the “Back to School” sales and have more highlighters and sticky notes than you know what to do with.

2. You catch yourself giving the “teacher look” to misbehaving kids at the grocery store.

1. You notice your social media feeds and email inboxes ( ̄\_(ツ)_/ ̄) are full of countdowns to the first day of school and memes about savoring the last days of freedom.

So, as you prepare to return to the classroom in August, just remember that each new year has challenges, surprises, laughter and tears (mostly in the girl’s bathroom). Like Ted Lasso, be an example of optimism, genuine leadership and allow all those around you to be their best selves.

"If you would have told me that I'd be drinking tea at 3 o'clock every day, about a year ago...I would have punched you in the mouth."—Ted Lasso

Cheers!

Matt and Karen

By: Andrea Smith, EdD

Principal Erie Middle School, SVVS

As a former middle school science teacher and a current middle school principal, I have experienced one of two formats for Back to School Night in my 20 years of education. Either we employ a “meet and greet” approach where parents and students circulate through the building and say hello to teachers after a large group presentation from the administrative team or we follow a schedule where parents and students rotate from one class to the next for 7-10 minutes with intermittent announcements from charming members of the office staff signaling “passing period.”

However, we have found that neither format truly meets the needs of our students and parents. First, Back to School Night in middle school traditionally happens a few days after school has started -- slightly before teachers have a true feel for the names and faces of their students, yet after students have pushed through the stress of finding their classes, getting to know their schedule, and opening their locker in the relatively short time we have for passing periods. Most larger middle schools are managing large numbers of parents and students in a set amount of time, so sometimes the halls and classrooms feel crowded in a meet and greet format, and the shortened bell schedule puts parents of multiple students in a tough spot as they either divide and conquer or pick and choose amongst their students’ classes.

This past school year at Erie Middle School, we tried a new idea. We added an informal opportunity for parents and students to get into the building to open their locker, find their classrooms, see the building, and work out those pre-first day jitters. And it was a HUGE SUCCESS! We offered two 2-hour sessions before school started and dubbed them “Find Your Way Days.”

We noticed the following advantages to the approach:

• Less students hauled all their supplies into the building on the first day which meant our passing periods were smoother and less hectic

• More students had already found their classes and lockers so they felt much more settled in their routines right away

• Teachers were more available to interact with students as they weren’t taxed with helping with locker issues or directing traffic

• Parents communicated feeling a sense of trust that their student was going to have a strong first day of school

Like we always do in education, we decided to reflect and improve the idea. Our building leadership team followed our collaborative decision-making process to carry out a design challenge. 

We asked the question: How might we design the week before school and the first two weeks of school to help parents and students feel successful and confident in their transition?

As a team, we empathized with parents and students to identify their needs and then pinpointed problem statements to generate new thinking about our August planning.

“Find Your Way Days” will be a foundational part of this redesign. Here are key improvements we are making to ease the transition for all students:

• More sessions - we have identified THREE 2-hour time slots (both during the day and in the evenings) to allow lots of times that work for families

• Teachers are signing up to be a Find Your Way Day guide for one of the sessions. This will replace their compensated time used for Back to School Night. Teachers who are “on” as a guide will have a bright orange lanyard with a personalized “How May I Help?” badge.

• Every classroom will have a one-pager available for students and parents that includes a teacher bio, key information about the class they teach, and contact information. We created a template teachers can use so the one-pagers are consistent and fits within our school branding.

• Our back-to-school communication is being revised to push the Find Your Way Days as the best way to help ease the transition. We have invited our PTO to sell spirit wear at the event, and we will also have key information about clubs and programming available.

• Back to School Night will be replaced with counselor and administration-led transition parent presentations for each grade level. Using this time differently will be able to help us support parents in a more differentiated approach.

• Every year we have donated school supplies from our district’s education foundation, we will have these available to families in hopes that we can reach more students to help them feel prepared for the first day of school.

We are excited to be trying something a little different this year, and we look forward to a settled and less hectic feel on our first day of school. Part of creating a calm, focused, and fun learning environment is trying new ideas and tweaking them to garner even more success. As middle school leaders, we need to be willing to constantly adapt our systems to better meet the needs of the students set to walk through our doors. For more information or questions about Find Your Way Days, email smith_andrea@svvsd.org.

Andrea Smith, EdD, is the principal of Erie Middle School in St. Vrain Valley School District. Andrea has worked in public education for over 20 years and enjoys that every day working with middle school students is different and full of new challenges.

By: Tessa Anderson, Math Teacher at Trail Ridge Middle School

You’ve cultivated a community of problem-solvers who repeatedly engage in the eight mathematical practice standards. You’ve developed a classroom that gets students engaged, thinking, and doing the talking. What’s next? 

When we prioritize problem-solving discourse, the natural progression of skills is towards mathematical communication through writing. Effective mathematical writing demands precision and is a valuable skill that requires explicit instruction. 

At our school, we’ve adopted the CERA writing framework (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning, Audience) to support students writing across contents. In this article, I’ll share teaching strategies that have greatly developed my students’ mathematical writing over the course of the year. 

The CERA framework encourages a more analytical writing than a simple restatement and answer of a prompt like other short answer frameworks. And, analytical writing is exactly what we want in math class. However, applying this framework to math differs from other subjects. While the evidence component in other contents comes from text and cited sources, in math, evidence is often self-generated through equations, tables, graphs, etc. We also may be given sets of data or other visual representations to analyze for evidence.

Since students bring in prior knowledge of the framework to math class, we first intentionally make connections to align components of CERA with what we already do. We analyze samples of student writing to identify components. One of my favorite places to get student samples is from past CMAS released items which come with varying levels of student responses: some that receive full credit while others that receive zero.  We present samples one at a time to students. As pairs, students annotate these samples to identify the claim, evidence, reasoning, and audience. Sometimes a component is missing! Through whole class discussion we tease out the nuances between the components and acknowledge any overlaps. Sometimes our evidence and reasoning is intertwined. We ask, what makes a good response? What happens to our response when we are missing a component? 

We then make rubrics that delineate the qualities and requirements we found through our discussion for different levels of writing: exemplary, proficient, beginning, and insufficient (Figure 1). We emphasize key distinctions between mathematical writing and other subjects, such as the focus on vertical writing or often the requirement of a singular correct answer instead of an array of defensible claims.

To make this rubric concrete, students then rate these responses using the rubric. Pairs are given a whiteboard and then hold up their rating for each component starting with the claim. Each rating is followed by discussion and again, the richness comes out as students debate and defend their rating. We take students through several cycles of this rating, gradually introducing feedback stems for self and peer assessment (Figure 1). 

Students then apply these skills by writing their own responses to a prompt. Typically we pose a prompt where the math skills are comfortably within their ability so that this first response allows students to focus on incorporating the CERA components to write an effective argument. 

Using the rubric, students then rate themselves. Using a platform like Writable facilitates this process, allowing students to easily provide feedback to each other and allow for continuous revision. Writable also allows us to incorporate the sentence stems students are familiar with. Teacher feedback is integral in this process, and we guide students through multiple cycles of revision until their writing meets the exemplary standards. This iterative process reinforces the mindset that writing is a skill that can be developed with practice and feedback. We also take care to display students’ final product after their hard work (Figure 2).  

These lessons occur regularly throughout the school year, with prompts aligned to current topics or intentionally chosen review topics. Starting early in the year lays a strong foundation for developing this practice for students, ensuring they become proficient mathematical writers over time.

This is a year-long process, and with the integration of the CERA framework and consistent feedback opportunities into middle school math across the grade levels, we will be able to create strong, precise, and effective mathematical writers. 

Figure 1. Our finalized mathematical CERA rubric with feedback sentence stems.

Figure 2. Our display of written responses with close-ups. 

By: Jason Yantzer, Lyons High School Teacher, St. Vrain Valley School District; Thunder Valley K8 NEW 8^th Grade Teacher, St. Vrain Valley School District

This is my 24^th year in education with most of my years at the high school level teaching AP classes and coaching high school students.  But next year I am transitioning to a K-8 School that is rocking it!! This school is doing great things for kids. This school has risen to the challenge of EXCELLENCE and are achieving it in many different capacities.  I am excited to be a part of this incredible school. Middle School is not completely new to me as I started my career in middle school and about 7 years ago, I was an Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at a middle school for 3 years.

Often there are more push factors that are involved in a big change like this.  However, in this situation there were way more pull factors pulling me to make this change.  The thought of learning a new curriculum, and a schedule change is exciting and intriguing. The deep discussion of an APUSH class certainly won’t happen at the middle level but because I have taught at that deep of a level, I can use that to my advantage! I look forward to keeping middle schoolers on the edge of their seats when we talk about historical concepts in class. I am also excited to bring History ALIVE to my 8^th graders with some great interactive lessons that I have used in my high school classes.

High School is busy with clubs, activities, band performances, athletic events, etc., but the hallways and classrooms are pretty chill when it comes to student behavior. Believe it or not, I am looking forward to learning and brushing up on some great classroom management skills and tools that come along with middle level behaviors!  I can’t wait to empower my 8^th graders to be empowered to own their behaviors and their learning!!

At the high school level, the stakes are higher as students receive credits to pass a class which leads to more buy-in from the students to pass a class. At the middle level I am excited to share ways to capture their attention and help them develop a love for History. I want them to go home and talk about what they learned in History class with their parents at the dinner table. I want their GOOD THING to be what they learned in Mr. Yantzer’s class. .  I know, from experience, that teaching at the middle level will bring certain challenges that the high school level just doesn’t have. But all kids want to know that you care about them. When they know that you care they will begin to care what you know.

I am not crazy in making this transition as I truly believe that a school, regardless of the level, must be a good fit for the teacher regardless of the teacher’s experience!  This transition is a good fit for me as I value professional growth.  As an educator when you are happy and taking care of yourself as a professional then there will be a direct reflection of that through your teaching!

Change is hard but change also promotes and creates opportunities for growth.

Usually when that happens both the teacher and the students will reap the benefits of a re-charged, motivated, caring teacher that has a ton of experience. I am excited to be that teacher for my middle level students and doing what’s best for kids in our educational system. Afterall, we are not in this profession for us, we are in this profession to help make a difference in the lives of all kids. What an awesome opportunity to make a positive impact on students daily.   Either way this comes out in the end as a win/win for all. They will get the best version of me as a teacher, and I will challenge myself to grow as an educator and as an individual. “Comfort the Troubled and Trouble the Comfortable….” It's my turn now to rise to the challenge and accept the comfortability of a new position and thrive in a different environment. I am ready to be in the MIDDLE!! 

By Drs. Karen Swanson and Matt Moulton

FYI, there are approximately 55 days of school left this year and we are right there with you!  We recently had an opportunity to attend the CAMLE event Managing the Madness with the absolutely hilarious Jack Berckemeyer. From the very beginning of his presentation, Jack had us in stitches. What follows are some quick sound bites and strategies that we have reflected on and tried to implement in our schools. 

The Quote: You can’t leave until I say “have a nice day”!

The Meaning: Jack calls it “slow our roll.” In other words, how do we slow the pace of student interaction with us so that they settle in and communication actually happens. Another tactic Jack mentions was to have students say “Mr. Berkemeyer, ….” if they won’t begin this way, then walk away until the student is ready. This is a strategy to send a clear message that it is not appropriate for students to talk “at” us but “to” us. The goal is to humanize teachers.

What Now?  As we get ready for Spring Break and the 4th quarter, it is a good time to start fresh with reviewing our expectations and goals. I really want to fuss about consequences, but this year's group pushes back hard on those types of talks. But Slowing our Roll also takes the wind out of my sails as I have a chance to think through a positive approach to influence student behavior. Is this situation a 10 or a 3? Most of the time it's really a 3. I also know I enjoy students more when I set a pace that doesn’t rush, where students don’t need to fight for my attention and we learn together.

The Quote: “We are sending mixed messages”

The Meaning: What happens in our classrooms spills out into the hallways and vice versa. When it gets to this part of the school year and some of us slack off on expectations in our classrooms, it impacts more than just our four walls. Jack shared earbuds and hoodies as an example. When only a few team members hold students to the expectation, it causes unneeded stress for all parties. Young adolescents crave consistency. Inconsistency is confusing. Confused students struggle in unclear environments. Mixed messages about classroom expectations, like ear buds and hoodies, can leave them lost. This creates frustration, hinders learning, and could lead to unnecessarily difficult conversations (or confrontations). Being clear from the start about participation, behavior, and assignments is key. Consistency in following through on those expectations, even when it's difficult, builds trust and helps students succeed.

Now What? We might be approaching spring break (anyone already there?) and it feels like the end of the year is right around the corner but it is never too late to set reasonable standards within the school. Jack suggested that admin and teacher teams identify a short list of specific expectations that the entire building can stand behind (ear buds out during class, hoodies off, etc.) and then stay consistent. Unite as a building, your students will appreciate it even if they don’t seem like it.

The Quote: “We are experiencing human threading”

The Meaning: On social media or online communities, a series of replies or comments that usually focuses on a specific topic or interaction on a social media post is referred to as a thread. This oftentimes turns into a dog pile of comments that follow in the same tone and direction of the original post. Jack shared that we are seeing human threading in classrooms. Here is a rough paraphrase from Jack’s presentation (and since we are in Colorado, let’s use very Colorado names–thanks Dude Dad for the inspiration):

Teacher: Aspen put your phone away.

Aspen: I am not using my phone.

Brecken: She is not using her phone.

Aurora: She is calling her mom.

Rocky: Why does it matter if her phone is out?

[insert other names like Keystone, Ouray, Parker, and Chaco]

When social media posts are made about someone or something, rarely does the someone or something join the conversation. From Jack’s example above, the teacher only said five words. Immediately, the students piled on and threaded the conversation. 

Now What? Jack’s (2024) recent AMLE article (8 New Characteristics of Middle School Kids: What Can We Do?) shares some great ideas to minimize the impact of a human thread. First, he suggests sticking to the already-in-place set of classroom expectations. Don’t change direction and respond to the threaders (ex. Brecken, Aurora, Rocky, Limon, and Draft), that will only give them the attention and power in the interaction. Jack says “Hold to the already-taught expectations and move on” (para. 40).

Jack’s second recommendation is to remain calm and “keep your responses short and to the point” (para. 41). He also reminds us that human threads, distractions, outbursts, etc. are not about us. We should not take them personally. When class is over, and if you feel it is necessary, have a short conversation with the threaders. You can share that the incident did not involve them, that Aspen does not need their help, and most importantly, “it is not their responsibility to reprimand you as the teacher” (para. 42).

I know that I have all the feels this time of year, but slowing down, working together with my team to set expectations, and providing a reminder to the students' expectations can help. A colleague reminded me of positive strategies like calling home on one good kid a week or doing a walk and talk with a PLC teacher also lowers my cortisol and increases my moods.

Hang in there, because it's almost shorts weather and we all know what that means.