BONUS CLIPS

For use in conjunction with the Changing By The Minute documentary tool kit.

The 17 short clips of commentary, anecdotes, and insights that follow are intended to augment the 62 min. documentary film Changing By the Minute and provide jumping off places for additional conversations. This is not a comprehensive presentation of issues.

The documentary “Changing By The Minute” follows students through one year in an unconventional public middle school, highlighting essential issues in early adolescent development and middle grade education. Discussion guides are available for using the film with current educators, teacher candidates, after school/out of school staff, and directly with early adolescents.

Section 1: One Middle School’s Philosophy

Excited About Learning:
Stereotypes vs. Realities of Early Adolescence

How do you feel about this principal’s comments?
What are the implications of stereotyping young adolescents?

No Pitcher of Knowledge: The Role of Students In Their Learning

What does it mean for a student to be responsible for their learning?
How does your teaching reflect what you believe about how students learn?
In what ways does your teaching reflect a give and take?

Flexibility and Risk Taking vs. Non-Negotiables

Why is it important to have faculty and administration on the same page regarding the vision and mission of a school?
What might be some non-negotiables of a middle school?
What are the non-negotiables of your school? (tenets, rules, values)

Different Types of Successful Schools

How does the size of the school tie into the vision of this school?
What are the benefits of a large school? What are the benefits of a small school?
Is it important for students to have a choice about what kind of school to attend?

Section 2: School Structures and Practices

Mixed Grade Project-Based Work

What are the benefits of mixed grade or multi-aged approaches?
What challenges can you imagine?
What skills do students need to engage successfully in project-based work?
What skills do teachers need to successfully implement project-based learning?

Exploratory Curriculum

What role does exploration play in learning?
Why is exploration particularly important in the middle grades?
What are three ways schools could integrate exploratory learning into the curriculum?

Student-Led Conferences

What are the benefits of student led conferences and student self-assessment?
What are other forms of student self-assessment?
What preparation is necessary for a successful student-led conference on the part of students? What about teachers?

Section 3: Responding to Who Students Are and What They Need

Whole People: Embracing Multifaceted Identities

What does it mean to treat a student as a whole person, and how should that impact what we do as educators?
Why is it important for teachers to understand students’ identities and the experiences they bring to school with them?

Case Study A:
Executive Function

The state of the backpack reflects the state of the brain of the child. Do you agree or not agree with this statement, and why?
What do you notice about Huck’s developmental needs?
How would you, as a teacher, respond to Huck’s needs?
On a school level, what structures and policies would support students like Huck?

Case Study B: Accommodating Disabilities and Learning Challenges

How does this student describe himself?
How do others describe him?
What do those descriptions suggest about the school’s climate?

Case Study C: Scaffolding Success and Appreciating Students’ Strengths

What do you notice about this student’s developmental needs and interests?
How would you as an educator respond to these needs and interests?
On a school level, what structures and policies would support students like Michael?

Section 4: Issues in Early Adolescence

Parents Know Nothing: Social Development

What can students learn from each other?
How can educators create opportunities for students to learn from each other?
How can educators create opportunities for students to learn about themselves?

Making Friends, Sticking with Friends: Peer Groups

What do kids learn from managing relationships with their peers?
Do teachers. admins, counselors, afterschool staff have a role in student friendships?

Discovering Who You Want To Be: Social Identity

What roles do hairstyles and clothing serve in self expression and self discovery?
What identities do your students bring to school with them?
How do these compare to your own personal social identity now as an adult, or when you were an early adolescent?

More Vicious Than They Would Ever Be In Person: Social Media

What challenges can social media present for young adolescents?
How can teachers help students use social media in responsible ways?
How do young adolescents develop a capacity for conflict resolution – is it learned?

Something Took Over My Body

How does puberty impact learning?
What should educators teach students about their changing bodies ?
What are the implications for teaching students who are going through puberty?

I Am Not A Distraction
Student Voice and Activism

Should schools encourage student voice and activism?