Members of the Collegiate Middle Level Association (CMLA) traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, in November to attend the annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), the world’s largest conference focused solely on middle level education.
The 18 middle level teacher candidates from the School of Teaching and Learning, one of the largest CMLA contingents at the conference, received funding from the Dean of Students Office to support their travel. Accompanied by Dr. Steve Mertens, professor of middle level education, and Dr. Kristina Falbe, associate professor of middle level education, students led a presentation called Innovative Approaches to Preparing Large Cohorts of Middle Grades’ Teacher Candidates, in which they discussed the highly specialized academic program in the School of Teaching and Learning.
The teacher candidates who attended shared the following in an interview about their conference experience.
What is AMLE and why is it important for you as a middle level teacher education major to attend?
AMLE is an organization that centers around the value of middle level education. It helps teachers ed students to learn more about the field and how they can continue their education outside of their respective programs.—Emma Harris
AMLE is an association of middle level educators, social workers, principals, and superintendents. You go to two full days of panels led by educators from all over the country. And you meet with CMLA students from other colleges.—Brian Tondi
Was this your first time attending a professional conference like AMLE? Describe your experience.
Yes, and the environment was inspiring. I enjoyed connecting with so many educators. There were always multiple options for sessions, which allowed me to find topics that truly interested me and aligned with my content areas and goals for teaching.—Evy Cerny
The experience was amazing, meeting people from Hawaii, California, Rhode Island, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New York, Wisconsin, and Arizona. Overall, I had a lot of fun with my fellow CMLA members and cannot wait to go next year.—Brian Tondi
I have described to others that it was an amazing opportunity to learn about research, studies, activities, curriculum, well-being of staff, etc. Since I have never been in a large setting like a conference with only middle level educators, the support and passion were incredible.—Amber Minkalis
What did you learn about being a middle level professional at AMLE that you would not have had the opportunity to experience had you not attended?
Attending AMLE allowed me to see many unique approaches to middle level education that I wouldn’t have seen elsewhere. The sessions provided me with many engaging and practical ideas, such as using geocaching as an educational tool, incorporating movement and music into lessons, and the importance of brain breaks for student focus and well-being. I learned ways to improve family and community engagement and tips for using AI (artificial intelligence) tools in education.—Evy Cerny
What would you like others to know about AMLE?
If you can attend the AMLE conference—DO IT! It may seem overwhelming (especially as an introvert!), but it is 100% worth it. Meeting new teachers, veteran teachers, and principals opens your perspective to what educators’ concerns are in current middle level education, what people are celebrating, and what education looks like in other areas. I receive emails about new information, recently published books, and podcasts.—Amber Minkalis
AMLE is an amazing thing to be a part of. It may feel a little daunting because it is very prestigious, but it is extremely beneficial and a great way to meet other people in the middle level education field. Being a middle level major at ISU is special because we have such a unique program. That is why we presented our program this year at the AMLE Conference because there are very few schools that provide the opportunities and specialized education that we do, not only in the content, but in adolescent development as well.—Halle Modloff
The faculty participants expressed the following when asked, “What makes AMLE meaningful for the faculty?”
Falbe, who serves as the faculty advisor for CMLA, recognized how AMLE has been an integral part of her own career and wants to share that with her students. “AMLE is where I understood that teaching is more than the day-to-day work in my classroom. Seeing other teachers support each other, solve problems, and share their successes legitimizes the field. Giving the students the opportunity to experience this early in their careers empowers them to see themselves as professionals. We don’t have to do our work in isolation,” Falbe said.
Mertens, who has attended the conference since 1997, believes that the value of attending AMLE is helping students develop their teacher identity. “It is the perfect place for our teacher candidates to be welcomed into their profession,” Mertens said. “They leave with lasting impressions of how they can impact the lives and learning of their future middle level students.”
