42: Middle School Matters with Andrew Ravin and Denise Daniels

Andrew Ravin is the Founder and Head of School at Workshop Middle School. For nearly 25 years, he’s worked as a social worker, classroom teacher, instructional coach, and school leader. Andrew is an award-winning educator, mentor, and researcher. Most recently, he was named one of the Top 100 Innovators in American Education. 

Andrew founded Workshop Middle School to be the change he believes in. A movement of small, innovative, and progressive schools that can change the world. What else does he believe in? His family. Hard work. Bicycles. Poetry. And honest conversations about things that matter.

Denise Daniels is Co-Founder and Director of Learning at Workshop Middle School. She has more than 22 years of experience in education as a teacher, staff developer, curriculum designer, instructional coach, and school leader. She received a BA from The City College of New York and a Masters of Science in Teaching from Fordham University.

Denise is an award-winning educator, speaker, and international trainer that is continuously inspired by the wonder of learning. Denise is an avid reader, an aspiring martial artist and a huge game night fan.

Join us for this insightful conversation about the history of middle school, why middle school matters, and what changes we can make to help students move from surviving to thriving during these crucial years.

In this episode, we cover: 

Why only investing in early childhood education is building a bridge to nowhereShifting from surviving to thriving in the middle school yearsThe history of middle schools and what doesn’t workCreating diverse classroomsEducation being more than what exists right nowMaking small changes to support adolescent learning needsHelping parents understand the benefits of alternative learning options

 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode: 

 Visit Workshop Middle School to learn more about the work they are doingLearn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project libraryVisit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environmentConnect with Tanya and UP Academy on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here

Enjoying the show? Leave us a review and help more people find us! https://bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts

 

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, home schoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.