NCMLE 2025 Middle School Matters Conference

Many students find themselves caught in academic riptides, desperately trying to stay afloat. But with a team of Learning Lifeguards in place, educators can help struggling students swim successfully and confidently through each school year. In this session, the author of Learning Lifeguards, an upcoming book in the Hack Learning Series, shares key insights from her previous school’s transformative journey. As a former middle-level teacher and instructional coach, she will reveal how they finally broke free from a decade-long school improvement label. Session participants will learn how to assemble a collaborative community culture, set non-negotiables for student learning, and provide lifeline support for struggling students.

At Inspiration Cafe, everyone’s inspired. Join us as we share our program, its benefits, and its impact on our school. Learn how to inspire your students with your own Cafe. Let's share ways to discover resources and give our students the opportunity to discover the passion that inspires all of our guests to each cafe session. As a School to Watch recognized in New Jersey, we have shared our program with colleagues throughout the state and the nation.

Education and society are influenced by many factors. From progressive classrooms, standardized testing, technology-based learning, evolving family dynamics, and the rise of social media, the challenges have been plentiful. However, the solutions have not been simple, especially in post-pandemic times. Let’s explore the changes that motivation and habits have gone through. Have you seen a change in your students, faculty/staff, parents/guardians, and society? How can we effectively provide productive opportunities to promote a love of learning for all our educational family members throughout their lives? As a New Jersey recognized School to Watch we are excited to learn and share with all the attendees in North Carolina.

Let’s take a journey through the past as we review the purposes of education from the early agrarian times. The move to an industrial economy required an increase in factories and retail outlets with a subsequent move away from the home-based or locally-based economy. Presently, schools are in a transition as changes and challenges abound, and this is occurring at a rapid pace. What is the direction being mapped for the future? Is there a definite direction? What elements need to be infused throughout the educational process? Together, the participants will examine several options for the future design of the education process and suggest some of their own options and alternatives to this process of educating students to be lifelong, highly-skilled, adaptable learners, empathetic citizens, and respectful individuals. As a New Jersey recognized School to Watch we are excited to learn and share with all the attendees in North Carolina.

Building a classroom community is essential for both the social/emotional wellbeing of our middle level learners and it is also necessary to academic success. This session will provide a very short rationale on why play is important and then present multiple strategies for building a safe and fun classroom. This will be a very engaging session where participants will learn each of the many strategies through active participation. The varied strategies will focus on all areas of building a community, utilizing pairs, small groups, and whole class activities. This session is designed to build relationships, reduce stress, and create laughter. Let’s have some fun.