I attended two of the sessions presented by Debbie Silver: Teaching Kids to THRIVE: Building the Other Essential Skills for Success, and Square Pegs/Round Holes-Why We Need to Pay Attention to Learning Differences. Dr. Silver did not disappoint with her insight into middle school kids and how they can best be served. She addressed the needs of the whole child and how we as middle level educators can contribute to their skill development and be more aware of their various learning differences. I particularly enjoyed how she used humor in her presentation to keep us all engaged. She always exhibits so much understanding of the middle school students and teachers and demonstrates consistent enthusiasm and excitement into her message. I came away with a refreshed sense of how to address and meet the many needs of our middle school students.
I was struck by the importance of creating a positive environment for my students. One presenter showed a picture of a woman who had a fearful expression on her face. Most of the teachers in the room said she looked afraid; however, the presenter said 8/10 middle school students thought the teacher was angry. We need to be careful how we express ourselves in front of our students, knowing that they misread some of our thoughts.
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