Help Make This A Useful Tool

As the organization tries to better meet the needs of the membership and middle level teachers, we want this BLOG to grow. Help us by commenting on the posts. Use this same tool to ask questions. Got ideas to share, write them here. Send ideas on making this better to ishtar@aglp.com.

NMLSTA New Orleans

I am really looking forward to the NSTA conference in New Orleans that begins later this week.  Not only does it give me an opportunity to learn many things that I can use in my classroom, but equally important a chance to renew old friendships.  I have been attending NSTA conferences for about thirty of my forty years of teaching.  My first was in Chicago.  I hope to meet more of the members of our organization and further expand these friendships.

See you in New Orleans??

Welcome to the NMLSTA New Blog

Early in my term as President, the board supported my ideas in starting a blog for the organization. It was one of the things that was put off, but never dead as an idea. I hope that members of the organization will join me in this dialogue about what is happening in middle level classrooms across the country. The focus should be on science, but as we all know, middle level teachers are interested in and involved in many more facets of education at this level. Let us know your successes and failures, ideas and questions, and just let us know that you are out there.

NSTA Opens Many Doors

My involvement with the NSTA started when I was appointed to the Middle School/Junior High Committee. I later ran for and was elected as MS/JH Director. Since we spent much of our time discussing whether activities and ideas were for middle school or junior high, I worked to change our name to the Middle Level Division. This brought the focus back to the teachers and the kids in grades 5 through 9.
Following my term, the new ML Director, Joan Hall, appointed me to chair a committee that lead to the founding of the NMLSTA. I served as its first President.
Through my involvement in the NSTA and NMLSTA, I got involved in a wide variety of projects and activities.
Working with the CEPUP Program through the Lawrence Hall of Science, got me to Anchorage, AK to do a teacher inservice. This ultimately lead to the beginning of the Alaska Great Lakes Project. This Project has enabled me to take nearly 700 students to Alaska over the past 18 years.
The Project helped me be awarded the Presidential Award in Science, and Michigan State University's Outstanding Alumnus Awards.
The NSTA presented me with the Distinguished Teaching Award and a special Ohaus Award.
I have also served on the boards of the Michigan Science Teachers Association and the Michigan Association of Middle School Educators.
My involvement began with NSTA and has made me a much better teacher.