Keynote Titles It's All About Connections Join Kathy for a look at ALL of the programs that make middle schools work and how these programs can be connected together in meaningful ways to create a great school for early adolescents. It is indeed "All About Connections!" Return To Camelot Join Kathy for a look at the world of King Arthur's Camelot and ways this world was similar to the world of middle school education. For example, King Arthur's Advisory teacher was MERLIN and his team were the knights of the round table!!!! Workshop Sessions   1.    THE ANATOMY OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL   Early adolescents, teaming, advisory, exploratory/elective program, block scheduling, instructional strategies. What are all of these things and how do they all come together to form an effective and meaningful middle level program? Join Kathy for an "anatomy lesson" of a middle school and see how all of these programs work together to make a great school for kids.
 2.    MOVING FROM ME TO WE : Teaming in a Middle Level School Why should we create small learning communities in a middle level school? What are they, anyhow? What size teams are best?  Who should work together? How do we schedule them? Once teams are in place, what should they do? These are just some of the topics covered in this "nitty-gritty" workshop on teaming. Join Kathy for a close look at the world of interdisciplinary team organization and ways to make it the "guts" of your school.   3.    ADVISORY: The HEART and HUB of a Middle Level School  The Advisory program in a middle school can be the heart and soul of the entire school but we have somehow forgotten the original and true meaning of the program. Advisory is NOT a curriculum. It is first and foremost a relationship! Please join Kathy for the whys, whats, and hows of a successful advisor/advisee program and ways to make it the center of your school.   4.    FIFTY THINGS THAT GREAT TEAMS DO Do you currently have teaming in your school? Are you thinking of heading that way in the near future? If so, then this is the session for you. Topics to be covered range from basic practices such as the team coordination of homework, tests, and quizzes to more sophisticated practices such as having a team skill of the week, having weekly team vocabulary words, and mapping the team curriculum. Please come to this session prepared to get some great new ideas as well as to be affirmed that you are doing things right!   5.    MIDDLE SCHOOLS ON THE BLOCK Join Kathy for a look at various types of "block" schedules for middle schools and the pros and cons of each type. This session will also cover ways to effectively manipulate these blocks of time in order to better meet the needs of early adolescents. Participants will also get a chance to work in groups and share the pros and cons of their own current schedules.   6.    LEARN IT!  DO IT!  SHARE IT!    Join Kathy for a look at some hands-on instructional strategies that can easily be modified for use in ANY content area. Please come to this session prepared to work in groups, laugh, and share. In other words, you'll "learn it", then you'll "do it", and then you can "share it" with your colleagues and kids at your own school site.   7.    NINE IS FINE! It is NOT how smart you are. It is HOW you are smart! Join Kathy for a fun look at the NINE intelligences as described by Howard Gardner. Topics to be covered include a reminder of the nine intelligences, the eight criteria that determine an intelligence, and Gardner's definition of intelligence. Participants will then take a ninety question quiz to determine their own "intelligence" profile, work in groups, and participate in an activity called "The Human Number Line." Finally, participants will be given ideas as to how to translate this new information into their lesson plans and ultimately their classrooms. 8.   GREAT Ideas For Teaching In A Block  Are you now teaching in a 90-minute or so block of time? Do you need the WHYS and HOWS of doing this? If so, than this is the session for you. Please join Kathy for a look at how the brain learns, the Primacy-Recency Effect, and instructional strategies/lesson designs that work in those longer periods of time. 9.   VERY COOL Brain Compatible Classroom Activities   Please join Kathy for a look at “How The Brain Learns” and classroom teaching strategies that engage the learner. Topics to be covered include the anatomy of the brain, how the brain takes in and processes information, the Primacy-Recency Effect, lesson design, and hands-on instruction.   10.    COMMON THREADS  Have you been teaming for a few years at your school? Are you now ready to move to the next level with the integration of the team curriculum and instruction? If so, then join Kathy for a look at ways to effectively and efficiently map the team curriculum and move toward true curriculum integration. Please remember that the integration of curriculum was NEVER meant to be the prime delivery system in a middle level school. If it were, then curriculum would be written that way and we all know that it is not! It is up to each individual team to look at their own subject areas and find those "common threads" where practical and possible.   11.  HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS (Overview) If you wanted to get your car fixed, you would likely go to an experienced mechanic. For legal help, you'd find a good attorney. To understand the brain and how we learn, would you go to a teacher? Unfortunately, maybe not. Yet, every year, millions of parents trust that the professionals who teach their children know something about the brain and the process of learning. Join Kathy for a quick look at the world of the human brain and implications for teaching and learning in the middle grades classroom.   12.  EXPLORING THE EXPLORATORY PROGRAM Do you have an exploratory/elective program in your middle level school? Do your exploratory teachers sometimes feel like second class citizens? Do they feel that the entire school is centered around the core "academic" classes? If so, then you are not alone. Many exploratory programs seem to be taking a back seat in our middle level schools. Please join Kathy for a look at the importance of the elective classes for the middle level child, ways to make these classes an integral part of your curriculum, and solutions to some of the elective problems. 13.  THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BLUES Please join Kathy for a celebration of middle school philosophy, programs, and practices and a BRIEF history of the middle school movement. Unfortunately, however, there are factors out there that seem to be working against our movement which Kathy calls her  "Middle School Blues."  These TEN areas of concern will be discussed as well as ways that we can all work together to ensure that our movement continues to thrive and grow. Additional Consultant Services Kathy is happy to help you and your district with any of the following customized consultant services. Just e-mail to start dialogue about your specific needs today! Available for customized long-term staff development at a reduced daily rate  Meeting With Parent Groups  Meeting With Boards of Education  Meeting With Teams of Teachers During Planning Times  Conducting Team Leader Training  Conducting Middle School Program Evaluation  Planning With Administrative Teams  Planning With Middle School Committees  Consulting on Master Schedule Design  Meeting With Central Office Personnel
My Middle School Services
Keynotes, Workshops, & Other Services
Please note: All sessions/keynotes can be customized for the client and can be mixed and matched to meet a client's needs.