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The Successful Middle School: A Place to Belong and Become

The Successful Middle School: A Place to Belong and Become

Author: Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney

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Item #: 1440
Publisher: AMLE
Page Count: 338
ISBN: 978-1-56090-085-6
Published: 9/1/2024

There exists a common denominator in our work as middle grades educators: young adolescents’ profound need and deep desire to find places and situations where they feel they can belong and where they can discover who they are - and who they want to become. This companion guide to The Successful Middle School: This We Believe, and second edition to Middle School: A Place to Belong and Become, offers readers timely, practical information and concrete strategies to help them establish and nurture educational environments where students can both belong and become.

The foundational concepts of belonging and becoming weave throughout this book as authors Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney help us understand why these concepts are so critical and how to help our students on the path to belonging and becoming. With current thinking and up-to-date research, Laurie and Patti discuss and share dozens of school and classroom examples on topics such as

  • Executive function
  • Self-efficacy
  • Student voice/choice
  • Differentiation
  • Special education
  • Staff development
  • Student leadership
  • Engaging parents
  • Reflective practices
  • Celebrating success

Part 1 lays the foundation by (1) sharing the importance of a common understanding of becoming and belonging, (2) the establishment of solid school policies and practices based on the characteristics of young adolescents, and (3) the creation of organizational structures that promote respectful relationships.

Part 2 includes practical strategies and examples to help students experience their schools as places where they can belong and become.

Praise for The Successful Middle School: A Place to Belong and Become

"If I were still teaching “Middle School Methods” at the university level, I would use The Successful Middle School: A Place to Belong and Become by Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney as the required text. It's one of the most comprehensive, realistic books I’ve read on not only why but how to provide optimal learning conditions for middle-level learners. These veteran middle-level educators describe how to foster both belonging and becoming with proven research, descriptive suggestions, realistic ideas, and anecdotal accounts. There are tons of checklists and other resources throughout the book to help both new and veteran educators improve their game. We need to get this book in the hands of every single middle-level educator as well as in the hands of leaders at every branch who influence educational policies. It’s that good!"
Debbie Silver, Ed.D.
Author of Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up: Raising and Teaching Self-Motivated
Learners and co-author of Deliberate Optimism: Still Reclaiming the Joy in Education.
"WOW! This book is a collection of all my favorite practices. The examples of students' thoughts about belonging and becoming are very powerful. I also appreciate the concrete action steps at the end of each chapter. This is a book clearly written for the current middle level educators who want to increase the culture of their school environment. I cannot wait to share with my school leadership team."
Autumn Rivera
2022 National Teacher of the Year Finalist, 2023 Middle School Educator of the Year
"Those who work and live with young adolescents know about their cravings to belong and their aspirations and possibilities for what they can become now and in the future. Great middle schools provide just the right climate and conditions for students to connect to their school and each other, to develop their potential for leadership and competence, and to blossom academically and personally.

In this book, Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney offer a vast and timely assortment of dynamic ideas, engaging practices, and practical advice to help you make your middle school such a place. They deftly show how the processes of boosting belonging and of broadening the many skills of becoming work inseparably in a powerful partnership to lead to optimal development for students.

Young adolescents have the need to be seen, heard, accepted, respected, and guided to become our future leaders, success makers, and citizens of the world. Armed with a strong understanding of these and other developmental needs and characteristics of students at this age, the authors inspire you--and give you plenty of real-life anecdotes and tested strategies--to organize and operate your middle school in ways that significantly increase the many facets of belonging and becoming for all your students."
Jack Berckemeyer
Author of Successful Middle School Teaming and Managing the Madness: A Practical Guide to Understanding Young Adolescents & Classroom Management
The Successful Middle School by Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney is a wonderful resource packed with useful ideas and relative tools for new and experienced educators. Not only do the authors demonstrate a need for better results, but they provide strategies to show you how to do it. This book is a great resource for educators ready to take their craft to the next level!
Jimmy Casas
Leadership & Performance Coach, Educator, Author, Speaker