Whether or not you've begun to explore the capabilities of AI, your students certainly have. How can educators help students leverage AI to deepen their learning, instead of just using it as a shortcut? Megan Vosk, Joe Pizzo, Dustin Purdy, and Marri Bayour, middle grades educators and members of AMLE's Teacher Leaders Committee, stop by the podcast to talk emerging trends and why AI represents both a practical and philosophical issue teachers can no longer ignore.  ..read more

What does it mean for a student to have an academic identity? Miriam Plotinsky, author of Writing their Future Selves and Teach More, Hover Less, stops by the podcast to talk how teachers can value kids brains as well as their identities as people. Phyllis, Jessica, and Miriam dig into a range of topics, including how to celebrate mistakes as pathways to learning, how to help students break down stereotypes about themselves, the best professional development for teachers, and why being afraid of AI is not a good strategy.  ..read more

What’s it like being a middle schooler today? 8th grader Laila Hayes and 9th grader Gabriela Berrios Ortiz dropped by the podcast to dispel what they believe are common myths about middle schoolers, the traits of their most effective teachers, and the social challenges and pressures they face today.  Episode Notes: This podcast was recorded during the AMLE50 50th Anniversary Annual Conference in November, 2023. AMLE is grateful to Walker Mill Middle School and The Siena School for supporting Laila and Gabriela’s participation in this episode.  ..read more

 As Executive Director of the American Association of School Personnel Administrators, representing school HR professionals, Kelly Coash-Johnson heard frequently about the impacts of the educator shortage, but noticed more finger pointing than solution generating. As a result, AASPA collaborated with organizations and stakeholders across education to convene the first National Educator Shortage Summit to identify the underlying causes of the shortage and what could tangibly be done to combat it. She joins the podcast to talk about their key findings and how this work specifically impacts ..read more

Dr. Anitra Warrior, psychologist and owner of Morningstar Counseling, stops by the podcast to talk about youth mental health and getting back to the basics of adolescent development. Dr. Warrior specializes in Native youth mental health and offers insights and practical language and tips educators can use to support Native students and their families through culturally affirming practices.  ..read more

Middle school is the perfect time to introduce career exploration opportunities to kids. They're developmentally tuned to think about their future and investigate their interests. But, too often, kids start to self-select based on what they perceive they’re good at or what they’ve already been exposed to. Jean Eddy, author of Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners, is on a mission to help reimagine career education to prepare kids for tomorrow's world. She stopped by the podcast to dispel the myths we tell children about what success looks like, how to prepare them to compete in a changing world, an ..read more

Believe it or not…schools have a leg up on mighty social media when it comes to engaging kids, especially tweens. While so much of the affirmation kids receive online is artificial and fake, schools can create true belonging and spaces where they can become their best selves. Laurie Barron, superintendent and author of Middle School: A Place to Belong and Become, joins co-hosts Phyllis and Jessica to talk about the foundational concepts of belonging, how to help students feel affirmed and welcomed at school, and the most brilliant use of 60 seconds she’s ever observed in a classroom.  ..read more

From riding roller coasters to rafting down the Colorado River, AMLE Educator of the Year Autumn Rivera is always finding ways to integrate the community as a source of learning for her 6th grade science students. She stopped by the Walk & Talk Podcast to talk about her approach to engaging middle schoolers, tackling the challenges of rural education, and why now is the time for teachers to take risks and try new things.  ..read more

Too often, the middle grades get lumped in with elementary or high school instead of being recognized as its own, unique entity. Even worse, middle grades leadership can be seen as just a stepping stone to high school leadership, instead of requiring a unique and equivalent skill set as well as a deep knowledge of young adolescent development. Kevin Armstrong, president-elect of the National Association of Elementary School Principals and middle school principal, joins Phyllis and Jessica to talk about the importance of differentiating for the middle level and his hopes and aspirations for his ..read more

Leveraging their diverse backgrounds in speech pathology, bilingual education, elementary and secondary teaching, and more, Persida and Bill Himmele are on a mission to empower educators to engage every student. They join co-hosts Phyllis and Jessica to talk about barriers and solutions to middle school disengagement and how to build trust between teacher and student – and administrator and teacher.  ..read more