Tribes TLC® Middle School Course

The purpose of this training is to provide a research-based approach for middle level educators to focus on the critical developmental learning needs of young adolescents. The training illuminates how to transform the cultures of middle schools into caring learning communities that support the full range of student growth and development as well as establishing academic excellence.

• Recognize the critical importance of the middle level school to make as its focus, all aspects of the development of its young adolescent students
• Gain an understanding of four developmental tasks of young adolescents
• Learn what a responsive middle level school is - the gifts students discover and the meaningful learning that is achieved
• Learn how collaborative groups of learners (students, teachers, administrators and parents) can create and sustain a caring school culture
• Recognize the comprehensive studies that underlie the caring process of Tribes Learning Communities
• Understand why and how group learning supports adolescent development
• Learn how teachers can move through sequential stages towards excellence and into responsive education and discovery learning
• Design active group learning experiences that develop student-centered classrooms
• Realize the need for fairness, equity and social justice in middle schools and consider ways to reverse inequities
• Learn why democratic leadership is needed in a middle school that is focused on student development and learning
• Understand the need for and power of reflective practice throughout all groups in the school community
• Learn how authentic assessment promotes learning and student development.