Proud Middle School Teacher 2024 Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) Educator of the Year
Joined July 2025
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Come join some of my fabulous @AMLE Teacher Leaders Committee Members! All are welcome! 😀
Here's a great opportunity to connect with your professional network while learning ways to create authentic learning experiences tailored to the middle that encourage curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in an age of artificial intelligence!
Register now:👉amle.org/events
Come and join some of my fabulous @AMLE Teacher Leaders Committee members at this webinar! 😀
I recently wrote an article for @AMLE called AI-Resistant Authentic Learning Experiences: Creating Meaningful Learning in the Age of AI with fellow Teacher Leader Committee member Marri Bayour. In the article we discuss how creating authentic learning experiences helps deter student AI use. We will be hosting an AMLE Teacher Roundtable Talk on September 16th at 4PM EST. Check out my blog for the link to the article and to register for the Teacher Talk. We hope you will come join us for an important conversation and share your experience creating meaningful learning experiences for middle school students. #ai #authenticlearning #middleleveleducation
blog.dustinpurdy.com/2026/09…
Come join us! All middle grades educators who are @AMLE members are welcome! I’ll be co-facilitating this roundtable with the awesome @ralphcovino!
Get "back in the groove" of things with our first roundtable of the 2026-2027 school season. Drop in for Teacher Talks: Setting Expectations and Norms in the New School Year.
Wednesday, August 12 from 4-5 p.m. ET.
Register for meeting link 👉amle.org/events
This event is free & exclusive to any AMLE member!
Kristen Engle retweeted
Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dads out there stepping up as role models for their middle schoolers! Whether you’re tackling the tough conversations, cheering them on from the sidelines, or simply being a steady, reliable presence, parents strengthen a middle school community in meaningful ways.
A special shoutout to one standout dad: his daughter Natalie Soxman’s video just earned an Honorable Mention in our recent Middle School Student Sound Off Contest! ❤️
View more 2026 Sound Off Contest winners: amle.org/soundoff
Such a proud teacher! To receive finalist recognition in the @AMLE Student Sound Off Contest is a tremendous honor and accomplishment! Can’t wait to experience the heart she put into her work showcased at the national conference in November!
The stakes are high for middle schoolers as their personal development and academic growth during these years can dramatically impact their futures. The quality of students’ middle school experience substantially affects their overall sense of well-being and, in particular, their later chances for high school completion and post-secondary success.
That’s why we’re so excited to celebrate these young voices who participated in our 2026 Student Sound Off Contest. Their creativity and courageous honesty remind us why supporting middle school students matters so much: for them and for all of us.
Congratulations to Maggie Conaway, a 7th grader from Rockwood South Middle School for earning recognition as a finalist in our global Middle School Student Sound Off Contest! In her poem, she writes:
✨"But then I remember I have a choice,
To raise my hand and express my voice."
Keep on using your voice boldly and thoughtfully, Maggie!
🗣️View more contest submissions:
amle.org/2026-student-sound-…
My favorite part of the @EducPlus Innovate conference and a highlight of my week/summer was being reunited with @rickwormeli2! Every time I hear him present, he is full of wisdom and insight! Looking forward to seeing you again at the @AMLE conference in November!
Day one of @EducPlus Innovate Conference is underway! I have to say I’m most excited about being reunited with @rickwormeli2 at the conference tomorrow! Can’t wait!
Congratulations to all! Especially excited for one of my fantastic students who’s been recognized as a finalist in the @AMLE Student Sound Off Contest - highly recommend reading her poem “Making Meaning of Middle School.” So proud of you, Maggie! @RSMSPrincipal @rockwoodschools
Today is #NationalCreativityDay, the perfect day to announce the winners of our 2026 Middle School Student Sound Off Contest!
CONGRATULATIONS, Nasir Scott and Adrian Morales, 7th graders from Strong Middle School in Melvindale, Michigan who were named the overall winners for their game called, "My Life in School".
Explore several middle school themes through the eyes of middle schoolers themselves in their interactive experience:
👉character-creator-chronicles…
🙌A huge thank you to every student who participated by using their voice to express their viewpoints boldly and thoughtfully. 💭🗣️ View the insightful student submissions, including our finalists and honorable mentions, here: amle.org/soundoff.
Kristen Engle retweeted
Congratulations to the more than 440 Rockwood students, groups and staff honored at last night's Board Awards! The Board of Education Award is one of Rockwood's most prestigious honors, recognizing students and staff who have achieved the highest standards of excellence that embody the Rockwood spirit. #WeAreRockwood
Learn more: rsdmo.org/news/article/~boar…
ALT Rockwood students and educators smile at a Board Awards ceremony.
ALT Rockwood students and educators smile at a Board Awards ceremony.
ALT Rockwood students and educators smile at a Board Awards ceremony.
ALT Rockwood students and educators smile at a Board Awards ceremony.
Kristen Engle retweeted
✏️ Want to sharpen your students’ thinking? Better questions = better learning. ICYMI, check out this great article + podcast with Connie Hamilton on the power of effective questioning in middle school: ow.ly/Ye2950YZO00
Kristen Engle retweeted
🌟Would you like to play a leadership role in advancing the middle level education movement? AMLE is accepting nominations for two open positions on our Board of Trustees. 🌟Trustees serve six-year terms beginning January 2027. To self-nominate or nominate a colleague, you’ll need a completed nomination form, a high-resolution photo, and three letters of reference.
🌟Learn more and submit by June 30: amle.org/get-involved
Kristen Engle retweeted
Presentation proposals are now being accepted through April 10th for the 53rd Annual Conference for Middle Level Education. Do you have what it takes to present at the largest and most impactful conference for middle level educators in the world? 🌍
Whether you're a veteran educator with years of experience, a researcher with practical insights, or an early career educator brimming with fresh ideas, our community could benefit from hearing from you!
Several session formats are available: explore the options at amle.org/annual
#AMLE26
Kristen Engle retweeted
Don't forget! The deadline to participate in this year's Student Soundoff Contest is 4/3! amle.org/soundoff
Students can sound off on their middle school experience by responding to one of our prompts in any format of their choosing, eg:
✅ Artwork or photography
✅ Video or music
✅ Essays or poetry
Kristen Engle retweeted
Calling all Middle Level Educators! You are invited to present at #AMLE26. Whether you're an experienced educator or at the start of your career, we're looking for sessions that showcase promising practices in middle grades education. Submissions due April 10. ow.ly/pin950YwWz5
Kristen Engle retweeted
Celebrate Middle Level Education Month by nominating a colleague for the 2026 AMLE Adult Advocate Awards! Who do you know that deserves recognition for their outstanding dedication to the growth and development of young adolescents?
➡️Nominations are due March 31st!
ow.ly/A3cJ50YoTFn
#mlem26 #mlem
Kristen Engle retweeted
Don't forget! The deadline to participate in this year's global Middle School Student Soundoff Contest is April 3!
Students can sound off on their middle school experience by responding to one of our prompts. Because we know that each middle school has different interests, talents, and ways of expressing themselves, they can submit in the format that most appeals to them:
✅ Artwork or photography
✅ Video or music
✅ Essays or poetry
Submit here 👉 amle.org/soundoff
Kristen Engle retweeted
Nominations are now open for the prestigious AMLE Educator of the Year award!
Do you know a phenomenal middle level educator who has made an impact on the lives of young adolescents with a significant body of work while advancing the field of middle level education through leadership, vision, and advocacy?
Gather inspiration from last year's honoree along with this year's application, due July 15: ow.ly/Ukxz50Yt2n2
Kristen Engle retweeted
📢We are pleased to be sharing some BIG NEWS for educators serving students in the middle grades! Today marks the launch of a new reciprocal membership program between @amle and @naesp. 🙌🙌
This new initiative gives eligible members of one organization access to complimentary membership in the other, for access to even more resources, professional learning, leadership tools, publications, and networking opportunities tailored to elementary and middle-level educators.
Whether you're focused on young adolescents (10-15) with AMLE or supporting pre-K through 8th grade principals with NAESP, this collaboration strengthens support across the continuum and encourages greater collaboration in our field.
➡️Read the press release: ow.ly/nrFF50YvmKn
➡️Learn more about reciprocal membership: amle.org/naesp-membership/
🫵Tag a colleague to share this awesome opportunity!
Kristen Engle retweeted
You model this beautifully. Your students know you’re their biggest cheerleader.
Kristen Engle retweeted
It's Middle Level Education Month, and we're thrilled to be kicking off the fourth annual MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT SOUND OFF. 🗣️
Students can sound off on their middle school experience by responding to one of our prompts. Because we know that each middle schooler has different interests, talents, and ways of expressing themselves, they can submit in the format that most appeals to them! Submissions are due April 3 👉 ow.ly/6bTw50YoSjj
