Fellow Middle Level Educators,

Welcome back fellow middle level educators!

Wow! Where did the summer go?  I hope everyone has filled their emotional cup and are ready for new adventures. That’s what teaching in the middle is, an adventure.

I look forward to seeing you at our annual Utah Middle Level Association Conference on March 10.  The keynote speaker will be Mark McLeod, a dynamic and highly motivational national speaker. Our theme, Uniting the Crew, will remind us of the importance of working together, to achieve our goal of educating middle level students.

Enjoy meeting your new students and settling in for a great year.  Research shows that students will rise up to meet a clear expectation. Harry Wong, author of The First Days of School says, “It takes just as much energy to achieve positive results as it does to achieve negative results. So why waste your energy to fail when that same amount of energy can help you and your students succeed?”

Start the year with positive and high expectations - you can’t lose.

Announcing the 2012 Conference theme, Uniting the Crew. Mark Macleod will open our efforts on March 10, 2012, at Eisenhower Junior High in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Don’t miss Utah’s premier conference for Middle Level Educators. In its 32nd year, the conference is sure to provide participants with relevant information and resources to energize teaching, learning, and leading.  The conference is one of the best sources of professional learning to be found in the state. Get your friends and colleagues and plan to attend. Download the poster or postcard to share the joy. Don't forget to nominate co-workers, teammates, administrators and friends for awards given by Utah Middle Level Association. Learn more by downloading this information sheet or clicking through the Grants & Awards pages.

UMLA 2012