This paper proposes that the manner in which academic information is delivered to students with severe behavior disorders may be aversive. A case study illustrates how a 12-year old's disruptive behavior can be decreased concurrent with an instructional sequence which provides the information needed to complete a task prior to asking the student…

Describes three fifth-grade students in the author's school who used humor in their writing assignments. Offers samples of their work and their observations about it. (SR)

Motivated by peer pressure and the principle of least effort, middle schoolers often make poor choices--not to work, listen, or hand in assignments--that can lead to failure or underachievement. To avoid "social promotion," a Colorado middle school has initiated transition classes that give students a second chance to learn last…

Describes the Salome Urena de Henriquez Intermediate School 218 in Manhattan, New York. The school is organized into five academies and includes a health and dental clinic, an extended-day program, a community-based steering committee, and appropriate inclusion of all children. Salome Urena opened in partnership with Children's Aid Society. (CC)

Introduces the nine articles on children's ecological awareness in this special issue. Ways to promote ecological awareness in the early childhood, elementary, and middle grades are described, and a reading list is provided. (LB)

Challenger Middle School (Colorado) has an intramural sports program that uses two unique concepts known as "scramble" and "cluster" coaching. The goal is to provide each child the opportunity to compete, develop skills, and experience success. Intramural participants are invited by coaches to compete against other schools…

Describes an integrated foreign language exploratory (FLEX) course that exposes students to language and culture study while combining various aspects of middle school philosophy, such as exploration, hands-on learning, interdisciplinary teaching, individual and group projects, and cooperative learning. The program helps reconceptualize curricula…

The chance to open a new school offers an exciting, if stressful, challenge to any school executive. In a case study involving a new middle school opening, a dearth of communication before the school opened continued throughout the year. Problems centered around faculty development and morale, governance and management, and curriculum.…

Study findings indicate that ongoing communication and collaboration among teachers play a critical role in promoting successful technology integration and that administrators need to establish ways to facilitate collaborative effort. (six references) (MLF)

Describes an activity used with fifth graders to keep the children using new vocabulary acquired during a shared literature study. (PRA)

Isolation, limited access to colleges and universities, and financial constraints restrict staff development opportunities for rural school systems. Recognizing these problems, the Virginia Middle School Association has adopted a regional conference structure that shifts meeting locations throughout seven major areas. The "hot topics"…

With administrative support, guidance from Georgia Southern University's middle-grades program, and much hard work, teachers at a rural Georgia elementary school (K-7) have fashioned a developmentally appropriate middle-grades program. The results are greater middle-grade/high school articulation, an exploratory curriculum, differentiated student…

Guest teachers are not sanctioned counterfeits of "real" teachers; they are optional community resources who can provide an additional, meaningful dimension to students' learning. This article provides administrators with recommendations for welcoming substitutes, familiarizing them with school schedules and lesson plans, and helping them work…

The Loving Well Program teaches students about the complexities of human relationships, including friendships and family, infatuations and first romances, enduring commitments, and marriage. It treats sexuality education as part of general character development and helps students develop strong personal and social ideals. Studying believable…

Describes a fifth-grade classroom where student goal setting and self-evaluation were an integral part of the curriculum. Explores the growth and development of these students and their teacher. Discusses what brought about changes in instruction and learning. (RS)