King Middle School

Public, Suburban
Grades 6-8
Portland, ME
  • Assessment

    Developing Confidence Through Delayed Grading

    Giving students time to explore ideas with no immediate grade pressure helps motivate them to be creative and take intellectual risks.
  • Literacy

    Motivating Students With Book Choice

    Letting students choose books to read helps them develop a sense of autonomy and ownership over their learning.
  • Teaching Strategies

    Inviting Participation With Thumbs-Up Responses

    A quick assessment strategy replaces raised hands, encouraging more students to contribute by accommodating their different processing needs.
  • Formative Assessment

    Boosting Engagement With Notices and Wonders

    When students make “I notice” and “I wonder” comments on course content, teachers can see what they know—and what they need to learn.
  • Teacher Collaboration

    Knowing Every Child Through Index Card Rosters

    By regularly reviewing students’ behavior and learning as a team, teachers can ensure that every student is seen, supported, and celebrated.
  • Brain-Based Learning

    Developing Executive Function With Priority Lists

    Explicitly modeling the process of prioritizing tasks builds students’ ability to organize and manage their time.
  • Classroom Management

    Fostering Belonging With Classroom Norms

    When students help create their classrooms' rules and culture, they’re more engaged and invested in learning.
  • Assessment

    Anatomy of a Project: “Kinetic Conundrum”

    Art, history, engineering, language arts, and technology, both old and new, come together for eighth grade students in this rich project learning expedition at King Middle School in Portland, Maine.
  • Project-Based Learning (PBL)

    10 Big Ideas of School Leadership

    Middle school principal Mike McCarthy shares 30 years of wisdom on how to run a school well.
    Mike McCarthy, Kathy Baron
  • Project-Based Learning (PBL)

    Project Learning: Expeditions in Portland, Maine

    Project learning combined with 1-to-1 laptops creates a rich and rigorous environment for learning at a middle school and a high school in Portland, Maine.
  • Project-Based Learning (PBL)

    Anatomy of a Project: “Soil Superheroes”

    Project Learning Assignment: Seventh graders work with community experts to advance their understanding of bacteria in the environment -- and then share their findings with the community at large.
  • Project-Based Learning (PBL)

    Six Steps for Planning a Successful Project

    Use these guiding principles to pull together projects with the time and resources you have.

Follow Edutopia

  • facebook icon
  • bluesky icon
  • pinterest icon
  • instagram icon
  • youtube icon
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia is an initiative of the George Lucas Educational Foundation.
Edutopia®, the EDU Logo® and Lucas Education Research Logo® are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries.