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MAKING MIDDLE SCHOOL MATTER SYMPOSIUM
March 2 - 4, 2025 | Hilton Austin Airport
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!
The 9th Annual Making Middle School Matter Symposium is open to all middle school administrators and educators and will focus on research-proven practices that can be implemented school-wide. The symposium will feature a range of keynotes and breakout sessions. Unlike other professional development events or conferences, this program will draw content solely from high-quality research and translate that research into practical knowledge bites so that practices and strategies can be replicated in schools and classrooms. Plan now to attend this great training!
Dr. Paul Artale | Jack Berckemeyer | Sean Cain | Justin Richardson
   
The MMSM Symposium offers:
- Research-proven practices that can be implemented school-wide
- Outstanding keynotes and breakout sessions
- A conference focused on the middle-level
- Cutting-edge presentations from some of the best middle-level practitioners
- Strategies suited for current situations faced by teachers and administrators
- Demonstrations from Texas School to Watch model campuses
- Outstanding research-based strategies to support middle level instruction
- The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
This will be three days of dynamic and practical learning that you can implement at your campus immediately.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:
Sunday, March 2, 2025
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM | REGISTRATION
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | OPENING GENERAL SESSION
• KEYNOTE: SEAN CAIN, LEAD YOUR SCHOOL: Make Your School Matter
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 1
• SEAN CAIN: Your Super STAAR Plan: Critical Practices for More Meets and Masters: Part 1&2 (Set 1 & 2)
• SCHOOLS TO WATCH: Wayside Middle School: Unlocking Potential: Building Leadership In Time Constrained Environments (Set 1 & 2)
• KATHLEEN ECKERT: Making Learning Fun (Set 1 & 2)
• SHARON BRADLEY, RESTORATIVE FLO EDUCATIONAL SERVICES: Chronic Absenteeism (Set 1 only)
• SCHOOLS TO WATCH: Grand Prairie/Fine Arts Academy: Driving School Success: The Strategic Impact of Arts Education on Middle School Students (Set 2 only)
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 2 (Repeat of Set 1 above unless noted above)
Monday, March 3, 2025
7:00 AM - 4:30 PM | REGISTRATION & EXHIBITS OPEN
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | MORNING GENERAL SESSION
• KEYNOTE: DR. MARK ARTALE: HIT HARD - 3 Must-Have Mindsets to Breaking Through Challenges
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM | BREAK / VISIT EXHIBITS
9:15 AM - 10:05 AM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 3
• DR. PAUL ARTALE: Beat Burnout With The 2-Year Old’s Guide to Work-Life Balance (Set 3 & 4)
• KATHLEEN ECKERT: Do Your Teachers Feel Appreciated? (Set 3 & 4)
• SCHOOLS TO WATCH: Hurshel Antwine MS: All-In Thursdays - Making TIER 2 Happen at the Middle School (Set 3 & 4)
• SHARON BRADLEY, RESTORATIVE FLO EDUCATIONAL SERVICES: Chronic Absenteeism (Set 3 & 4)
• SEAN CAIN: Noteworthy Note-Making (Set 3 & 4)
10:15 AM - 11:05 AM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 4 (Repeat of Set 3 unless noted above)
11:05 AM - 12:30 PM | LUNCH PROVIDED (hotel buffet) and Visit Exhibits
12:30 PM - 1:20 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 5
• JACK BERCKEMEYER (Set 5 & 6) Student Engagement and Motivation (also known as Teaching Strategies that Motivate Students
• SCHOOLS TO WATCH: Parkview Intermediate: Morning Motivation: Cultivating a Thriving School Community Eager to Learn! (Set 5 & 6)
• SCHOOLS TO WATCH: Angleton Jr. High: Ignite Learning - The Transformative Power of Academic Hour (Set 5 & 6)
• ELIZABETH NAVA, THINK CERCA: Literacy Isn’t Just for the ELA Class (Set 5 & 6)
• ALAN LOWMAN, LOWMAN EDUCATION: You Don’t Teach to Mastery, You Spiral to Mastery (Set 5 only)
• RACHELLE FINCKE: A Whole School Approach to Overcoming Chronic Absenteeism (Set 6 only)
1:20 PM - 1:30 PM | SNACK BREAK AND VISIT EXHIBITS
1:30 PM - 2:20 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 6 (Repeat of set 5 unless noted above)
2:45 PM - 4:15 PM | AFTERNOON GENERAL SESSION
• SCHOOLS TO WATCH RECOGNITION CEREMONY (2:45-3:15)
• KEYNOTE: JACK BERCKEMEYER: (3:15-4:15) New Characteristics of Young Adolescents
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
7:15 AM - 8:00 AM | BREAKFAST PROVIDED
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 7
• JUSTIN RICHARDSON: Better Data Meetings (Set 7 & 8)
• SCHOOLS TO WATCH: Fort Settlement: Building a Culture of Accountable Conversations (Set 7 & 8)
• SCHOOLS TO WATCH: Manuel R Puente MS: Safe, Loved, Valued: A Teacher First Approach to School Improvement (Set 7 & 8)
• SCHOOLS TO WATCH: Horizon MS: Collaborative Voices: Boosting Academic Language Through Teamwork (Set 7 & 8)
SCHOOLS TO WATCH: C.W. Worthington MS: Focused, Fierce, Loud and Proud: What is your School's Story? (Set 7 & 8)
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 8 (Repeat of set 7 unless noted)
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM | BREAK
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | CLOSING GENERAL SESSION
• KEYNOTE: JUSTIN RICHARDSON: Be EXTRA: Creating a Culture of Service
11:45 AM - 1:30 PM | STW TRAINING/LUNCHEON
(For Newly Designated Campus Staff Only
SPEAKERS:
Paul Artale, Ph.D. is a high impact and engaging speaker and leadership researcher who inspires leaders and organizations to breakthrough their challenges and take their performance to the highest level.
Born with what some would call a physical “disability,” Paul’s dream was to play college football. Despite being cut from his high school team, Paul Artale walked on and played defensive end for the University of Toronto. Paul uses his experience of overcoming physical adversity to play college football to teach organizations how to create high performance culture through leveraging strengths, adapting to life’s circumstances, and creating transformational opportunities.
Paul blends his life stories, training thousands of leaders, and his research in organizational performance to create a message that engages, elevates, and entertains his audiences. Paul achieves this by providing practical tools, strategies, and processes that they can implement immediately to achieve peak performance.
Paul is committed to helping you create the life you want. This is detailed in Paul’s first book “The 2-Year Old’s Guide to Work-Life Balance” and in his podcast “Fiercely Successful,” where he shares strategies and systems that help listeners achieve their best lives.
A nationally-recognized presenter, author, and humorist, Jack Berckemeyer, began his career as a middle school teacher in Denver, Colorado. After two years of teaching he was named as an outstanding educator at his school, and shortly thereafter he was identified as one of the outstanding educators in the district. In 2003, he received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the Falcon School District. Jack brings his energy, humor, and expertise to all staff development as he helps teachers and administrators remember why this job makes a difference. Jack has presented in conference and school district settings both nationally and internationally. Jack served as a judge for the Disney American Teacher Awards and served on the selection committee for the USA TODAY All-Teacher Team. Jack Berckemeyer is known for his motivating, practical ideas communicating a message of hope, laughter, and insight into education.
Jack was also the Assistant Executive Director for the National Middle School Association for 13 years and is the author of Managing the Madness - A Practical Guide to Middle Grades Classrooms. He is also the co-author of H.E.L.P. for Teachers. His most recent publications are Taming of the Team - How Great Teams Work Together and Deliberate Optimism - Reclaiming the Joy in Education, co-authored with Dr. Debbie Silver and Judith Baenen.
Jack is the owner of the Nuts and Bolts Symposiums, a highly acclaimed, never boring conference that focuses on practical.
Sean Cain spent the formative years of his career working in difficult instructional settings. Recognized for the success of both his students and the systems he designed and implemented, he quickly moved up through the instructional leadership ranks. This culminated in his last public education position as State Director of Innovative School Redesign (Texas). Currently, Cain serves as the Chief Idea Officer for Lead Your School (LYS), a confederation of successful school leaders dedicated to improving student, campus, and district performance.
Dr. Justin Richardson - Since 2006, Dr. Justin Richardson has been living his professional dream: empowering educators through innovative learning experiences. As his nephew fondly describes it, "He’s in the business of teaching the teachers – mind blown!" A passionate advocate for resilience in education, Justin believes in equipping leaders with the tools to navigate challenges while fostering hope and renewal. Through his work with Waymaker Leadership Development, Justin and his team create purpose-driven experiences that help educators rediscover their passion and build lasting strength. By blending soulful leadership practices, he guides others to transform adversity into opportunities for growth. In 2021, Justin earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership, with research on spiritual leadership practices that emphasizes the importance of purpose, values, and relationships in creating cultures of care. His work is featured in the Journal of Ethical Educational Leadership, and he is committed to helping leaders across all fields foster resilience, connection, and renewed purpose.
ALSO FEATURING:
 Kathleen Eckert, author of School Transformation Through Teacher Appreciation, knows teachers are vital to the success of any school. During her years as a building principal, Kathleen made teacher appreciation her top priority and her teachers pushed the school and students to excellence. Under Kathleen’s leadership Hillwood Middle School was named a Texas and National School to Watch, School Transforming Learning from N2Learning, Best Middle School from US News & World Report, and received the first Texas Whole Child Award from ASCD. Kathleen herself was a finalist for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Principal Award and was invited to participate in the School to Watch Leadership trip to China. Now, Kathleen works to inspire and help school administrators value, support, and appreciation their teachers. From ideas to strategies, Kathleen has something for everyone.
Need to request a cancellation/refund? By email only. Cancellation requests must be emailed to [email protected] by the early registration deadline.
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