When most educators talk about experiential learning, they typically apply the concept to higher education or work training. They think of experiential learning as a way to prepare college graduates or new hires for employment. Unfortunately when the term is applied to middle school classrooms, experiential learning usually has a more watered down connotation. Websites […]
Service learning has always been a part of Arthur Morgan School’s 18 day field trips. Even in the school’s earliest trips, staff and students found communities that needed helping hands. The tradition continues today with the school’s current field trips. Through hard work and new relationships, our middle schoolers are gaining an understanding of why […]
In most situations if you start talking about the weather it means your have run out of things to say. For Arthur Morgan School’s Coastal Ecology and Climate Change field trip, however, weather is just the beginning of the conversation. Every spring, AMS sends its middle schoolers out on 18 day field trips. The trips […]
If middle schoolers could learn about anything, what would they choose? At Arthur Morgan School, we ask our students this question every year. During the 18 Day Field Trip unit, our students help develop their classes by providing input on what they want to learn. Our teachers then create engaging courses and 18 day long […]
The debate over whether teachers should use grades or evaluations to assess their students is a big one in academic circles. Dozens of blogs and articles make strong arguments in both directions. Proponents of grades state they provide an objective and easily understandable system to compare student achievement. They are a sign of academic rigor […]
The lessons students take away from your classes aren’t always the ones you intend to teach. The most valuable lessons in the classroom may not even be academic. As Arthur Morgan School’s farmer, I have taught a similar biology course based on the school’s livestock program for several years. We have talked about the course […]
A recent trend in schools is to turn part of their campus into a garden and use it as a teaching tool. Whether its a sensory garden, vegetable garden, or livestock program, integrating farm work into their classrooms provides teachers with a plethora of experiential learning opportunities. In the spring, students can use seeds and […]
‘Tis the season of spookiness. As Halloween approaches and days wane into darkness, people everywhere are embracing their desire to be scared. Horror movies fill the theaters, collections of ghost stories occupy shelf space, and almost everyone with a Netflix account is eagerly anticipating the second season of Stranger Things. It is a time when […]
It is no secret that theater provides valuable learning opportunities for middle schoolers. At a time when they learn best through physical activity and immersion, it makes sense that putting on costumes and trying out new identities activates their desire to learn. Plays also make perfect projects for middle schoolers. They get to be part […]
As former staff, my husband and I believe in Arthur Morgan School and all of the amazing ways that it supports kids. When we were there, we experienced first hand how the school helps middle schoolers grow and become confident young adults. I wanted to provide that same experience for my kids and am grateful […]