As a middle school art teacher, I am often inspired by my students. Middle schoolers are knee deep in the messy process of trying to figure out who they are, what they stand for, and what makes them unique as people. They ask the big questions. They begin to rebel against the constant adult monitoring […]
This past Saturday, Arthur Morgan School joined the NC High Peaks Trail Association to create a new hiking trail at the Mayland Earth to Sky Park. It was a cold, wet miserable morning with harder rain on the approach. The students and staff huddled in their rain jackets and used mattocks and shovels to clear a […]
‘Tis the season of spookiness. As Halloween approaches and days wane into darkness, people everywhere are embracing their desire to be scared. Horror movies fill the theaters, collections of ghost stories occupy shelf space, and almost everyone with a Netflix account is eagerly anticipating the second season of Stranger Things. It is a time when […]
It is no secret that theater provides valuable learning opportunities for middle schoolers. At a time when they learn best through physical activity and immersion, it makes sense that putting on costumes and trying out new identities activates their desire to learn. Plays also make perfect projects for middle schoolers. They get to be part […]
As former staff, my husband and I believe in Arthur Morgan School and all of the amazing ways that it supports kids. When we were there, we experienced first hand how the school helps middle schoolers grow and become confident young adults. I wanted to provide that same experience for my kids and am grateful […]
This is the question two towns in Connecticut are asking themselves right now. Due to funding issues and low enrollment, the communities of Easton and Redding are deciding whether to close their middle schools. If they do, their fifth and sixth graders move to the elementary school while their seventh and eighth graders move to […]
As anyone who has ever visited a middle school wood shop can attest, young adolescents are amazing at starting projects. At Arthur Morgan School, the current contents of project shelf include a half-finished jewelry box, five pieces of miscellaneous cut wood, a large, possibly abandoned sandbox, a small wall of glued-together dowels, and something that […]
When you think of teaching Victorian literature, you don’t normally think of middle schoolers. Charlotte Bronte and George Elliot can be challenging to most adults, never mind students who are still developing their reading comprehension skills. The sentences are complex; the descriptions dense. Even the subject matter seems irrelevant. Why should a middle schooler care […]
This picture is the moment before my son and I left Asheville and headed for Arthur Morgan School a couple of weeks ago. It was another moment in my life where my heart broke wide open to make even more space for learning, growth, understanding, and gratitude. Asa has just begun his seventh grade year […]
Students return from three days hikes today! Here are some accounts from previous students of their first AMS hiking experiences. Swimming Holes and Snakes For my AMS three day hike, I went to Linville Gorge. The first day we ate lunch at a really high, beautiful overlook. Then […]