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Study Guide for
Tis We Believe:
Keys to Educating Young Adolescents
®
©2011 National Middle School Association
2
Study Guide or
Tis We Believe:Keys to Educating Young Adolescents
Tis study guide has been prepared to guide your school through a study o
Tis We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents
(2010), the oundational work o NationalMiddle School Association. Tis ourth edition, although expanded, is still a small book,but it is not one simply to be read. Its contents need to be internalized, reected on, andthen used to drive school improvement initiatives.Te guide will assist your aculty in studying this book so that all sta will have acommon understanding o the middle school concept. It is important that the entireaculty and sta participate in this study, building the necessary oundation or theevaluation o current middle level practices in your school and or later proessionaldevelopment activities.Te rst step in preparing to study WB is to establish a Steering Committee thatincludes teacher leaders and an administrator to oversee and direct the study. Tiscommittee should map out a plan with a timeline or completion. Each section o WBhas its special importance so all sections must be examined by all participants. Be creativein using exible time slots – time during aculty meetings, time during team meetings,longer blocks o time during proessional development days, and, or some aspects, usingdigital tools.Organize the aculty and sta into small discussion groups with an identied acilitator.Tese groups will discuss the questions presented. Existing interdisciplinary teamsmay be the basis or the groups, but exploratory, special education, and other schoolpersonnel should all be a part o some small group. At various times during the study thethinking o these groups should be shared with the entire aculty.It is strongly suggested that a personal copy o WB be provided to all personsparticipating so they can highlight and make marginal notes as desired. I this is notpossible, a school should secure enough copies so each small group can have a copy toshare. Several copies o
Research and Resources in Support of Tis We Believe
(2010) shouldalso be available or individuals or small groups to use. When the materials are in hand and the plan nalized proceed with considering thesections as indicated in the steps on the ollowing pages.
©2011 National Middle School Association
3
Conducting the Book Study
The Importance of Middle Level Education
(p. 1 – 9)Following the brie introduction on pages 1–2 that sets the stage or the document, thisrst major section, pages 3–9, gets to the heart o the vision.Note William Alexander’s 1963 statement on p. 3–4 at the beginning o the middleschool movement. Are these statements still relevant? How or how not?
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What are the challenges our school would ace i it embraced this statement as a core
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value?Does our school/system have a vision/mission that speaks to the importance o
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including both the academic and personal development o each young adolescent? When was the vision/mission developed? By whom? What does our school do to prepare young adolescents to be successul in a global society?
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o what degree does our school base its curriculum, pedagogy, and programs on the
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developmental readiness, needs, and interests o our students?Consider the statements on p. 5 that speak to the interdependence o the
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characteristics o
Tis We Believe
. As you continue this study, keep this point in theoreront o your thinking. How does your school ensure that all o the characteristicsare working together to provide an optimum learning experience or students?
Young Adolescents
(p. 5–7 & 53–62) Although everyone may eel that they already know the nature o the age group, areconsideration o young adolescents is still in order. In conjunction with examiningpages 5–7, the ull, authoritative listing o the characteristics o young adolescents oundon pages 53–62 should be studied and commented on. What characteristics surprised you?
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Which o the ve areas is least served by our school’s program? Explain why you chose
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this one.— Physical development— Cognitive-intellectual development— Moral development— Psychological development— Social-emotional development
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Study Guide for This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents - National Middle School Association (NMSA)
This study guide has been prepared to guide your school through a study of This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents (2010), the foundational work of National Middle ...
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