Welcome to MiddleWeb's Middle School Resources!

ALL-STAR COLLECTION OF NEW-TEACHER RESOURCES
For the past five years and more, we've been collecting the best new-teacher web resources we can find in a special spot at the MiddleWeb site. Among the treasures to be found there are nearly two dozen "Teaching Secrets" articles written by middle school educators for Teacher Magazine. (It requires free registration to access some of these, but it's well worth the effort.) Other recent additions include ideas for math and science, real-life videos from a U.K. series for novices, and advice straight from an insightful student.

COOL SITES FOR LEARNERS
Way back in the prehistoric days of the Internet (1995), the San Francisco Exploratorium began surfing for good websites in the learning museum's areas of interest (which are wide and deep). The monthly service, now known simply as "10 Cool Sites," includes a categorical archive that allows teachers and other curious human beings to browse well over a thousand selections.

THE TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP BALANCE
What is the relationship balance in a classroom? Where is that exact point at which students feel cared for but also know that they must respect the teacher and they are expected to learn? Middle grades educator Cindi Rigsbee, a 2009 national teacher of the year finalist, shares her insights about "The Relationship Balance" in the summer edition of Educational Leadership.

VISIT MIDDLEWEB BLOG & FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
We've developed a companion blog to the MiddleWeb website, where we load all the new resources we feature, tagged by category for easier searching. And editor John Norton has established a Twitter account (@middleweb) which concentrates on both K-12 resources and items related to his work with the Teacher Leaders Network. John rarely tweets about what he's having for lunch.

TEACHING SECRETS: CULTURAL COMPETENCY
What is the most effective path for working with students who come from backgrounds different than your own? Middle grades instructional coach Elena Aguilar offers her ideas in this recent Teacher Magazine article titled "When the Kids Don't Share Your Culture." Aguilar's 13 tips will be of interest not only to new teachers but to all who work with children in multi-cultural classrooms.

THE BEST MIDDLE GRADES RESOURCES ON THE WEB! Do not miss our Of Particular Interest page and archives. You'll find hundreds of key Web resources.

HOT LINK OF THE WEEK: Colonial America - Barbara Feldman scans the Web for some fun history sites. Visit all our Hot Links

NMSA ANNUAL FALL CONFERENCE
The National Middle School Association's 37th annual conference, scheduled for November 4-6 in Baltimore MD, will feature 400 sessions covering more than 40 topics of interest to teachers and principals. The conference will include a "one of a kind" 21st century classroom model that showcases the latest technologies and highlights authentic teaching and learning by teachers and students, with video connections to classrooms across the country and around the world.

NSDC ANNUAL WINTER CONFERENCE
The annual conference of the National Staff Development Council is known for its cutting edge workshops and speakers who share the latest advances in teaching and learning. Scheduled this year on Dec. 4-8 in Atlanta GA, keynote speakers will include Douglas Reeves, Andy Hargreaves and Ron Clark.