Middle schools implementing a multi-tiered system of supports will provide adolescents with or at risk for reading difficulties supplemental, small-group reading intervention classes. Although numerous studies have established that peer collaboration, blended learning, differentiation, and sufficient time for instruction are effective practices…

Our purpose was to provide a model for a middle school design thinking program supported by a university-school partnership and to investigate potential benefits of teaching middle school students to be design thinkers. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade girls (N = 80) participated in the Innovation Nation program. Over three days, students engaged…

Teacher educators surveyed and interviewed program alumni working in middle schools to address the question, what literacy practices have you found to be most supportive of English language learners in your classrooms? This article describes the three most common practices identified by the middle school teachers, practices that are affiliated…

Over the past ten years, interest in game-based learning has increased. This increase stems from the results of research that demonstrate the potential for increased mathematical learning and engagement when game-based learning was implemented. It has been noted that the most frequent way game-based learning is included in research is with drill…

This study presents the perspectives and pedagogical practices of teachers who self-identify as social justice educators. Interviews with these social justice educators, who teach in large, diverse, metropolitan school districts, show that they create equitable spaces for their students. An analysis of the interview data concerning their beliefs…

Numerous studies have contributed to the theoretical, empirical, and practical understanding of teacher empathy, but few have captured the voices of middle school students to understand their lived experiences; no studies have explored the topic in Christian academies. Grounded in Rogers' theory of self and subsequent theories about…

This article aims to explore the parent involvement perceptions of teachers and parents of middle school students. The study is grounded in Epstein et al.'s theory of overlapping spheres of influence and six typologies of parent involvement. Qualitative data were collected through short-response surveys at three different middle school sites to…

The COVID-19 global pandemic significantly impacted both the academic and social and emotional development of middle school students. This article describes the benefits of implementing an interdisciplinary, project-based summer school program to support middle school students as they adapted to in-person learning after school closures due to the…

The rising percentage of nonwhite students in the U.S. public school system accompanied by persistent educational debt and racial inequities presents an opportunity gap for many marginalized students. Scholars suggest that teaching ethnic studies curriculum with critical race pedagogy can help address the opportunity gap. Ethnic Studies centers on…

Hallways, cafeterias, buses, bathrooms, locker rooms, and other spaces in and around school property serve as venues for positive and negative social processes. Middle school educators can gain important insights into the adolescent world by exploring student perspectives of these spaces vital to middle school social experiences. Often unseen or…

This study explored how middle-level teachers can combine a public platform for student voice, content related to the American Dream, and pedagogy informed by Tatum's racial identity development to prompt students to: explore their racial and civic identities; engage in critical, inclusive dialogue; complicate traditional narratives about America;…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused schools to shift to virtual or hybrid instruction, thrusting young adolescents into a very different educational environment. Stage-environment fit theory outlines ways in which educational contexts may, or may not, meet the developmental needs of young adolescents. Yet little is known about how virtual environments…

This paper explores how LatCrit and testimonios were used to explore and make sense of one Afro-Latino adolescent's immigration story. Picturebooks written by those emic to a community have long been acknowledged as providing a site where children of color can find a space that not only validates their lived experiences but also provides a…

As classroom teachers, we understand the struggles students face daily, especially in mathematics. These challenges can include language barriers which may or may not be related to disabilities. We have seen students in classrooms struggle with the digital divide and limited digital access. Both language and digital access are crucial for…

In all educational settings, teachers are likely to encounter learners with different emotional and cognitive characteristics, particularly learners who are demotivated or disengaged and as a result misbehave in the classroom. Learned helplessness (LH) is associated with such emotional and motivational deficits in academic performance. This study…