Spring
Middle Level…the Core of It All!
It seems that it was just yesterday we were at Kalahari laughing with Dave Caperton and Jack Berckemeyer, listening to their message about the effectiveness of humor in our classrooms, giving attention to the unique needs of the middle level student, and the importance of teaching the whole child. It is our hope that each of you who attended took away at least one new strategy or one new way of thinking back to your classrooms on Monday. For me it was Jack’s powerful comments about our kids and how it seems that they have lost the inability to play. As educators, we know that play leads to curiosity and curiosity leads to wonder. Both are traits that employers tell us are missing from the available workforce today. I thank Jack for making me think about the how I can have students “play” with the content of my lessons. Now, during my planning, I think about how a lesson can be structured to increase curiosity and wonderment to foster independent thinkers.
It is our goal to provide a conference that is thought provoking and practical. We hope that it provided you with an opportunity to talk with educators from around the state while trading ideas and practices. We hope that the social provided a temporary brain break from the demands of the classroom. Those of you who walked away a new iPad or Kindle Fire, we hope you are enjoying them and they are of use to you in your daily work. There are a couple members around the state enjoying OMLA Corn Hole tournaments!
To be the best we must learn from the best!
Patricia Grove, the 2013 OMA Educator of the Year, shared some great bits of wisdom from her 35 years in the classroom during her acceptance speech.
2014 Conference– Meet Us in the Middle!
February 21 & 22 in Columbus at the Easton Hilton.
Make plans now for two days with Rick Wormeli! Rick, one of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in America brings innovation, energy, validity, and high standards to both his presentations and his instructional practice. He offers a wealth of experience having worked as a middle grades teacher, human growth and development teacher, and staff development educator. Wormeli’s experience includes 30 years teaching math, science, English, physical education, health, and history, as well as coaching other teachers. Rick Womeli’s work in middle level instruction is considered by many to be the defining work for middle level education. He is the author of the award-winning book, Meet Me in the Middle, as well as the best-selling books, Day One and Beyond, Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom, Differentiation for Teaching Any Subject, and Summarization in any Subject. Rick’s work has been reported on ABC’s Good Morning America, Hardball with Chris Matthews, National Geographic and Good Housekeeping magazines, What Matters Most: Teaching for the 21st Century, and the Washington Post.
Be Reminded!
To close, I have borrowed the words of Sue Swaim written for an article from Middle Ground entitled: “Will You Teach Me How?”
“In my humble opinion, there is no greater calling than to be an effective and enthusiastic middle level educator. Every day, you have the opportunity to touch the future and to influence a child in his or her journey to becoming an independent, lifelong learner. Not only the future of your students, but the future of our world passes through your classroom doors on a daily basis. What an awesome responsibility! We both know the journey is not always an easy one, but I believe that being a middle level educator, is the most important job in the world. And, I hope you do, too.”
Thank you for doing important work each and every day!
OMLA President
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