Notes From the Middle Level Section: Celebrating the Gangles: Convergence and the Middle Level

It’s no wonder that many teachers take one look at a middle school classroom and head the other way, turning back only to say something like, “It takes a special person to teach middle school.” Indeed, a successful middle school teacher is one who celebrates the gangles. One who sees not chaos, but rather a patchwork quilt of potential. One who approaches instruction and relationships with what Dr. Jim Blasingame calls an “adjustable wrench.”