Ryan Lucas

University of Colorado-Denver

Information and Learning Technologies Portfolio

Colorado Association of Middle Level Education
(C.A.M.L.E.)

Problem Statement (top)

Middle school teachers work with a unique population requiring different teaching techniques than their peers teaching elementary school or high school. The problem is that not until recently, these middle school years were seen as a barren waste land. The Colorado Association of Middle Level Education was created in 1977 to help address this issue, and fortify students' middle school years into a promising foundation for future success.

Situation Analysis (top)

Despite CAMLE's existence, many parents and community members do not draw the distinction between the junior high school that they attended and the middle school that their children and neighborhood children attend. Factors that contribute to this problem are:

• given the tremendous changes that take place in children 11-14 years old, many adults have negative memories associated with their junior high school experience
  • Analysis: It is impossible to change anyone's memories (negative or otherwise). It is, however, possible to create memories (both positive and negative).
• with the changes that occur in students in middle school, students' choices are often illogical and incomprehensible to adults resulting in the perception that
  1. middle school teachers aren't educating students or else they wouldn't make such choices
     • Analysis: With better training about the changes that middle school students undergo, middle school teachers can better educate middle school students
  2. middle school students cannot be educated or else they wouldn't make such choices
     • Analysis: The best teacher is one's mistakes. With reflection, students can learn from their poor choices
  3. parents of middle school students are not attending to their jobs as parents or else their children wouldn't make the choices that they often do
     • Analysis: Teachers are not responsible for determining whether parents are doing their job
• parents are genuinely frustrated with their middle school aged children because what once what a cute, lovable child has become a defiant young man or woman
  • While any teacher's primary responsibility is to the education of his or her students, because of the time that they spend with parents' children, teachers are a good resource for parents who are struggling with understanding their child(ren)

As a result of these contributing factors, many people that are not in the education field (and even some that are) believe that the middle school years are a waste. To help address this problem I will:

1. Become a member of the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education (C.A.M.L.E.)
2. Attend and present at an annual CAMLE conference
3. Design an action research project based on a topic presented at the conference

Rationale for Approach (top)

I decided on three tasks to address the problem.

1. Become a member or the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education

Rationale: Becoming a member of a professional organization not only demonstrates to my peers that I am committed to changing the perception of middle school, it also sends a message to my students and their parents that as a professional educator, I am engaged continual professional development AND reflective thinking about my teaching to make myself a better teacher.

2. Attend and present at an annual CAMLE conference

Rationale: Attending and presenting serves not only as professional accolade but also as further demonstration of my commitment to addressing the problem above.

3. Design an action research project on a topic presented at the conference

Rationale: By creating an action research project based on a topic presented at the CAMLE conference, I demonstrate that as a professional educator I am willing to investigate and take action on items countermine the perception that the middle school years are a wasteland.

Results (top)

1. Become a member or the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education

Becoming a member of the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education was easy. In July of 2003 I printed out an application from the CAMLE Web site and submitted it. As a member I began to receive CAMLE's email newsletter Midways. I also receive In the Middle, the paper newsletter from CAMLE. I have found both resources very useful and applicable to my teaching at Evergreen Middle School. Additionally, prior to joining CAMLE and prior to teaching in a middle school, I often found myself wondering whether there were other teachers that had a similar teaching style to me. I have been reassured after joining CAMLE that there are other teachers that share not only my style of teaching, but also my teaching philosophies.

2. Attend and present at an annual CAMLE conference

After signing up to present at the 2003 CAMLE Conference in Beaver Creek, CO, I learned that my new school, Evergreen Middle School, had decided that every teacher would attend the conference. So, during the fall of 2003 I attended several sessions at the CAMLE conference including sessions about CDE and middle school licensure, Transitions: 5th-6th and 8th-9th, Baseball: a lesson in history, using technology in a middle school classroom, middle school discipline, and Lunch Room: Can't We All Just Get Along.

Additionally, I also presented my Relationship-Based Classroom Management model. Eager to see exactly what type of teacher that I was, nearly 75 percent of the teachers at Evergreen Middle School and both administrators attended my presentation. Overall, everyone was very impressed with the classroom management model. More than one year later, some teachers still come to ask for clarification on a relationship role, but the system has not be instituted school-wide. For more information, please see my Relationship-Based Classroom Management

3. Design an action research project on a topic presented at the conference

Based, in part, on the session titled Transitions: 5th-6th and 8th-9th, I created an action research project that examined how Evergreen Middle School eased the transition from an elementary school to EMS for both fifth grade parents and students. For more information, see my Action Research Project.

Evidence of Value (top)

1. Become a member or the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education

As a member of the CAMLE, I distinguish myself as a middle level educator who is interested in not only teaching my content area, but teaching my content area in a way that shows that I am aware that my students learn differently than elementary school students and high school students. The value of being a member of CAMLE is that I have the ability to become a better teacher by utilizing CAMLE resources such as conferences, electronic and paper newsletters, and other teachers.

2. Attend and present at an annual CAMLE conference

Presenting at the CAMLE conference had both positive and negative results. Teacher and administrators from Evergreen Middle School were able to see first hand my passion for teaching and my commitment to my students. Unfortunately, as a new teacher to the building and not having "earned my dues," a few important teachers were put off by my presentation. The value of realizing this negative impact is understanding that not all teachers are as open to change as I am. This lesson has help guide my actions in teacher in-services and faculty staff meetings. I discovered that often to get things done in a school environment, it takes a degree of tact that I have found is not as necessary in the corporate world.

Attending the annual CAMLE conference is valuable because it help me reconnect with other teacher from around the state that share similar teaching philosophies and styles. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the 2004 CAMLE conference, but I look forward to the 2005 CAMLE conference!

3. Design an action research project on a topic presented at the conference

Overall, learning the action research process is the most valuable aspect of this project. The value of my action research project is not entirely in the project itself, it is in the questions that were raised after the project was completed. For more information about my action research project, visit my Action Research Project page

Reflections (top)

Join the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education, attending and presenting at a CAMLE conference, and designing and completing an action research project based on a topic presented at the conference has changed how I teach and how I approach my students. I am now a second year member of CAMLE and would like to become a more active member. In 2005 I hope to attend and present at the annual conference, and possibly become a board member responsible for planning and promoting the Association.

Responsibilities Fulfilled (top)

Responsibility 1: Continued improvement of professional practice that requires critical inquiry, professional development, and reflective practice

As a member of the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education I am continually improving as an educator by attending, presenting, and reflecting on the 2003 CAMLE conference. Further demonstration of responsibility number one is witnessed in my continual reflection on CAMLE electronic and paper newsletters and by designing and implementing an action research plan based on a topic presented at the 2003 CAMLE conference.