May 2004 • Volume 35 • Number 5

Better Learning by Balancing Opposing Concepts

Teaching High Ability Learners in an Authentic Middle School 
Carol Ann Tomlinson & Paul S. George
Balancing concerns for equity and excellence leads to better learning environments for young adolescents than taking either to the extreme.

“The Best Education for the Best is the Best Education for All”
Teresa Arambula-Greenfield & A. Janelle Gohn
Combining high levels of home support, supportive and caring teachers, a rigorous curriculum, engaging pedagogy, and a heavy emphasis on social as well as academic development provides students with a solid education and the confidence to use it.

Readers Respond
The Challenge of Connecting Families to Schools
Jay N. Musfeldt

A Middle School Teacher's Journal Reveals a Professional's Mind at Work
Lori Langer de Ramirez
Professional teachers are continually attempting to balance their responsibilities to individual learners with the duties of the job of middle school teacher.

The Role of the School Nutrition Environment for Promoting the Health of Young Adolescents
Mary Kay Meyer, John Marshak, & Martha T. Conklin
What do the nutritional environments of middle schools contribute to adolescent health and well-being?

Creating Adaptive Motivational Environments in the Middle Grades
Lynley H. Anderman, Helen Patrick, & Allison M. Ryan
Through their own decisions and practices, teachers can create master-oriented classrooms that promote student learning.

Teacher-Students Dialogue to Promote Critical Thinking
Glenda Moss
Dialogue provides a sound alternative to censorship for dealing with sensitive curricular issues.

Departments

The Editor Reflects
Tom Erb
Extremism in the Pursuit of Learning Is No Virtue

What Research Says
Janet Angelis
The Relation Between Professional Climate and Student Learning Depends on the Way a School Treats Teachers

Research Into Practice
Karen D. Wood, Janis Harmon, & Wanda Hedrick
Recommendations from Research for Teaching Vocabulary to Diverse Learners

Research on Middle School Renewal
Dawn M. H. Carpenter, Nancy Flowers, Steven B. Mertens, & Peter F. Mulhall
High Expectations for Every Student

30 Years of Advocating for Young Adolescents
Katherine F. Thompson & Elaine R. Homestead
Middle School Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s