From Hawkins to Hallways: What Stranger Things Taught Me About Transitioning Sixth Graders to Middle School

By Dr. Nicole Paxton, Principal at Mountain Vista Community School 

Transitioning sixth graders into middle school is one of the most critical, yet often underestimated, parts of building a strong secondary experience. How students enter shapes how they engage—academically, socially, and emotionally. Surprisingly, I have found that one of the most effective ways to think about this transition is through the lens of the hit show Stranger Things. Beneath the sci-fi suspense is a story about navigating change, forming community, and finding your place in an unfamiliar world. Sixth graders who participated in structured transition programs (including orientation, peer mentoring, and early relationship-building activities) showed higher levels of school belonging and lower levels of stress and absenteeism in their first semester, according to Akos and Galassi (2004). 

Here are a few tips on how school leaders can borrow Stranger Things-style storytelling to build systems that support students as they step into the “Upside (Middle School) World.”

1. Start with Summer: Lay the Groundwork Before the First Bell Rings

Stranger Things Parallel: The Calm Before the Storm

Summer check-ins, welcome letters, or informal campus visits help break the ice early. The goal? Reduce anxiety, build familiarity, and give students a “soft opening” before the school year begins. A short one-on-one meeting or a small group welcome session can go a long way toward helping students feel seen—and excited.

2. Host a Back-to-School Night That Actually Orients

Parallel: Entering the Lab, Peeking into the Unknown

This is not just about handing out schedules. Make your event hands-on. Let students walk their routes, open lockers, and meet key staff (counselors, APs, front office). Turn the evening into an opportunity to demystify middle school life—and include activities that help families feel equally informed and supported.

3. Build a Structured First Day Orientation

Parallel: Eleven Navigating the Real World for the First Time

Design a Day 1 experience that puts connection over content. Think of it like training before the mission: teach the basics—schedules, class changes, lunch routines, and expectations—then offer time for team-building and low-stakes relationship building. Pair students with a staff “go-to adult” or homeroom/advisory teacher they can turn to when things feel overwhelming.

4. End the First Week with Energy

Parallel: The Hawkins Crew Gathers to Face the Challenge

By the end of week one, students are processing a whirlwind of emotions. A “Hype Assembly” or Friday Spirit celebration can help shift the energy from survival to spirit. Celebrate wins, highlight sixth grade voices, and remind them: they are part of something bigger. It is an exciting time to introduce school values or launch incentive systems.

"When students feel seen, heard, and valued, they show up not just in body, but in spirit." — Unknown

5. Leverage Peer Mentors—The Steve Harrington Effect

Parallel: Big Kids with Big Hearts

One of the most powerful assets you have are eighth grade students! When structured intentionally, older students can become champions for your sixth graders—answering questions, walking them to class, and modeling kindness. Launch a mentorship program by the end of the first quarter, and you will notice students start looking to each other—not just adults—for support and inclusion. Research published in Middle School Journal found that structured cross-age mentoring programs—especially those led by older students—can lead to improved confidence, stronger peer relationships, and fewer behavioral referrals among sixth graders, according to Karcher (2009). 

6. Track Progress and Celebrate Growth by Quarter One’s End

Parallel: From Stranger to Stronger

By the end of the first quarter, your sixth graders should feel like middle schoolers—not visitors. Build in reflection moments, celebrate milestones, and use data (attendance, behavior, engagement) to identify who still needs support. The goal: make sure every student has “found their party” and is gaining the confidence to keep leveling up.

"Data should be used not as a hammer, but as a flashlight to illuminate what’s working and what needs attention." — Doug Reeves

Final Thoughts: The Upside-Down Does Not Have to Be Scary

Middle school will always feel like a leap—but with intentional design, community connection, and a little creativity, administrators can make the transition less about fear and more about opportunity. So maybe we cannot give every sixth grader superpowers. But we can build systems that help them feel powerful.

Looking to build your own transition plan? Start with these six checkpoints, borrow a few ideas from Hawkins, and do not underestimate the impact of how students enter your school. The first chapter of their middle school story matters more than we think!

References

Akos, P., & Galassi, J. P. (2004). Middle and high school transitions as viewed by students, parents, and teachers. Journal of Educational Research, 98(1), 20–30. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.98.1.20-30

Karcher, M. J. (2009). Increases in connectedness and academic achievement through cross-age mentoring. Middle School Journal, 40(5), 20–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2009.11495588 

Unlocking Middle School Potential and What This Issue Tells Us About Teaching and Learning

By. Matt Moulton

Congratulations on another year! Whether this was year one or year 30, we are glad that you were a part of it and a member of the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education. You may be running full sprint into summer or crawling. Some of you might even be saying “Matt, gravity is pulling me into summer. 9.8 meters per second squared. Regardless, I wanted to share some articles with you from the newest issue of Middle School Journal. From current legislation to equity-driven math instruction and hands-on advisory models, these articles feel not only timely, but deeply practical for anyone working in or with middle schools. Feel free to read the articles in their entirety by clicking the links in each summary.

Resisting the Silence: Teaching in the Era of Anti-DEI Legislation

In their editorial, Lisa Harrison, Ellis Hurd, and Kathleen Brinegar affirm what so many educators need to hear: you matter, and your students do too. Amid growing anti-DEI legislation, the authors offer three clear action steps—stay informed, move beyond symbolic gestures to measurable outcomes, and build coalitions. Their message isn’t just political; it’s deeply personal and calls us to hold tight to the values that shape middle level education. Access the article here.

Student Voice, Unfiltered: “The Overthinker”

Jo’Anna Williams, an eighth grader, writes with raw clarity about what it means to be Black, brilliant, and constantly judged. Her piece is both an essay and a declaration—one that invites educators to rethink how they respond to student emotion and discipline. It’s a powerful reminder that student writing belongs in professional spaces, not just bulletin boards. Access the article here.

Career-Connected Advisories That Work

‘Ewa Makai Middle School in Hawai‘i is doing something extraordinary. In Creating a Multifaceted Middle, Shannon Kam and Kim Sanders detail a CTE-based advisory program that merges engineering, leadership, and SEL—all within the school day. With mixed-grade groups and real-world projects, students aren’t just “being prepared” for the future; they’re already in it. This is a must-read for schools rethinking the structure and purpose of advisory. Access the article here.

What the Best Math Teachers in High-Poverty Schools Do Differently

Tye Campbell and Jordan Green interviewed seven high-growth middle school math teachers from Title I schools in Utah. The result? A practical list of strategies that might challenge current dogma. These teachers used direct instruction, encouraged peer talk, provided “redos,” and avoided over-practicing. Their success came from balancing emotional support with rigorous data use—an approach that proves high expectations and compassion can (and should) coexist. Access the article here.

Visual Learning That Sticks

In A Visual Learning Approach to Enhance the Vocabulary Acquisition of Seventh Grade Students, A. Gayathri and S. Vijayalakshmi show how combining dual coding theory and semantic triangle theory can transform vocabulary instruction. Students who learned with visuals, realia, and gesture not only remembered more—they participated more. This research, conducted in an Indian government school, has global implications for making academic vocabulary more accessible, especially for multilingual learners. Access the article here.

Conclusion

What connects these five pieces is more than their focus on middle grades. It’s the shared belief that students—when affirmed, engaged, and seen—are capable of incredible growth. Whether you’re teaching math, designing advisory, defending student identities, or redefining how we teach vocabulary, this issue of Middle School Journal has something for you.

Want to read the full issue? If you are a dual member of CAMLE and AMLE then you get access for free! Share it with your team. Discuss it in your PLC. Let it spark action in your building. Because middle school matters—and so does everything we choose to do within it.

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.