Personalized Learning in the Middle Grades shows how teachers in grades 5-8 can leverage the use of personalized learning plans (PLPs) to increase student agency and engagement, helping youth to establish learning goals aligned with their interests and assess their own learning-particularly around essential skills that cut across disciplines. Drawing on their research and work with fifty schools in Vermont, where PLPs are used statewide, the authors show how personalized learning aligns with effective middle grades practice and provide in-depth examples of how educators have implemented PLPs in a wide range of schools representing different demographics and grade configurations. They also highlight five critical roles for teachers in personalized learning environments-as empowerer, scaffolder, scout, assessor, and community builder-and illustrate how teachers can adapt the PLP process for their own unique contexts. Grounded in experience and full of engaging examples, artifacts, and tools, the book builds on the emerging field of personalized learning and connects it with the developmental needs of middle schoolers to provide a unique and valuable resource for individual classroom teachers, teacher teams, school leaders, teacher-educators, and others.

Enhance classroom practice by promoting an open and shared process with your students! Middle-school students have much to say about the quality of their schooling experiences and can provide rich insight into what works for them and what doesn't. Educators Penny Bishop and Susanna Pflaum demonstrate how to enhance classroom practice by inviting students to offer feedback on pedagogy, learning styles, and their individual preferences and needs. Written for new and experienced primary teachers, the unique framework of this book takes its cue from the students themselves by using their own words and drawings, combined with the authors' action research, insightful analysis, and shared experiences. Highlights of this powerful resource include: - Instructional strategies and content-area learning - Social interactions within the classroom that promote or inhibit learning - Learner insights into their own engagement and disengagement in the classroom - Student drawings, reflective questions for teachers, mini-lessons, and frequently asked questions about consulting students and honoring their insights Reaching and Teaching Middle School Learners focuses on the learning needs of adolescents as identified by the students themselves. By promoting an open and shared process with your students, you can meet the unique challenges of working with middle school learners and create a positive schooling experience for all.

Enhance classroom practice by promoting an open and shared process with your students! Middle-school students have much to say about the quality of their schooling experiences and can provide rich insight into what works for them and what doesn't. Educators Penny Bishop and Susanna Pflaum demonstrate how to enhance classroom practice by inviting students to offer feedback on pedagogy, learning styles, and their individual preferences and needs. Written for new and experienced primary teachers, the unique framework of this book takes its cue from the students themselves by using their own words and drawings, combined with the authors' action research, insightful analysis, and shared experiences. Highlights of this powerful resource include: - Instructional strategies and content-area learning - Social interactions within the classroom that promote or inhibit learning - Learner insights into their own engagement and disengagement in the classroom - Student drawings, reflective questions for teachers, mini-lessons, and frequently asked questions about consulting students and honoring their insights Reaching and Teaching Middle School Learners focuses on the learning needs of adolescents as identified by the students themselves. By promoting an open and shared process with your students, you can meet the unique challenges of working with middle school learners and create a positive schooling experience for all.