Middle school educators face many challenges in today's education and political environment due to the focus on excellence as measured by achievement tests. This book discusses how middle schools can provide a strong standards-based academic program while, at the same time, remaining focused on the student-centered principles upon which the middle school experience should be based. It is intended to help readers develop the teaching philosophies, behaviors, and skills relevant to effective instruction in the unique middle school environment. This emphasis reflects the philosophy that teachers ultimately determine the quality of schooling and that the learning environment should be student-centered while maintaining a strong academic foundation. The book begins with an overview of the origins and essential elements of middle schools; proceeds through discussions of middle school teachers, students, schooling structures, and teaching strategies; and concludes with a view of the future. Specifically, chapters offer suggestions for teaching and learning in the middle school environment, for developing essential teaching characteristics, for creating a positive middle school climate, for planning the curriculum, for providing developmentally appropriate instruction, and for assessing and reporting student progress. (Contains approximately 300 references.) (SM)