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The study defines middle school as work with 10–15 year olds, including intermediate schools, K–8 schools, junior highs, and 9th grade academies.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/current-issues-in-middle-level-education-vol-25-article-7-what-drives-your-spirit-and-commitment-to-middle-level-education-exploring-a-middle-school-mindset/599989/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/current-issues-in-middle-level-education-vol-25-article-7-what-drives-your-spirit-and-commitment-to-middle-level-education-exploring-a-middle-school-mindset/599989.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"nayy☆","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":29},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What question does the article use to explore educator commitment?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It uses the prompt “What drives your spirit and commitment to middle level education?” to elicit stories from middle level advocates.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How does the article define “middle school” for the study?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Middle school refers to people who work with 10–15 year olds, including intermediate schools, K–8 schools, junior highs, and 9th grade academies.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What is one intended outcome of the findings in the article?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The article aims to identify characteristics that can help advocates promote and prepare the next generation of middle school leaders.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},599989,1792295769,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":29,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":44,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},962090893153,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","Current Issues in Middle Level Education  \n\n| Volume 25  Issue 1 | Article 7 |\n| --- | --- |\n| 2020\u003Cbr>What Drives your Spirit and Commitment to Middle Level Education? Exploring a Middle School Mindset\u003Cbr>Nancy B. Ruppert\u003Cbr>UNC-Asheville, [nruppert@unca.edu](nruppert@unca.edu)\u003Cbr>Follow this and additional works at: [https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle](https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle)\u003Cbr> Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, and the Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons |  |\n\nRecommended Citation  \nRuppert, Nancy B. (2020) \"What Drives your Spirit and Commitment to Middle Level Education? Exploring a Middle School Mindset,\" Current Issues in Middle Level Education: Vol. 25 : Iss. 1 , Article 7.  \nDOI: 10.20429/cimle.2020.250107  \nAvailable at: [https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/vol25/iss1/7](https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/vol25/iss1/7)  \n[This description is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Digital Commons@Georgia](This description is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Digital Commons@Georgia)[ ](This description is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Digital Commons@Georgia)[Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Current Issues in Middle Level Education by an authorized](Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Current Issues in Middle Level Education by an authorized)[ ](Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Current Issues in Middle Level Education by an authorized)[administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information](administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information), please contact [digitalcommons@georgiasouthern.edu](digitalcommons@georgiasouthern.edu).  \nWhat Drives your Spirit and Commitment to Middle Level Education? Exploring a Middle  \nSchool Mindset  \nNancy B. Ruppert  \nUniversity of North Carolina, Asheville  \nAbstract  \nOver the past two years, middle school advocates have been sharing their thoughts on the  \nfollowing prompt: “What drives your spirit and commitment to middle level education?” The  \npurpose has been to capture ‘the spirit’ of middle school educators?’ From these stories five  \ncharacteristics emerged that can help us consider how to promote the next generation of middle  \nschool leaders. Perhaps using the findings from this exercise can help us advocate for the next  \ngeneration of middle school leaders. For the purpose of this study, middle school refers to those who work with 10-15 year olds and includes intermediate schools, a K-8, middle schools, junior  \nhighs, or 9th grade academies.  \nIntroduction and Background  \nIn 2018, Southeast Middle Level Professors held a symposium in South Carolina to share ways to promote middle level education within our respective institutions and districts. A small group of middle level professors and graduate students began to explore the possibility of  \npromoting a middle level mindset to advocate for the next generation of middle level leaders  \n(Coleman & Ruppert, 2019). While there is a growth mindset and a fixed mindset (Dweck,  \n2006), we were referencing the inner spirit of middle level educators as a middle school mindset  \nand “seeking ways to promote a middle school mindset in theory and in practice”(Ruppert,  \n2019, p. 19) . Later that year I invited colleagues to share “What drives your spirit and  \ncommitment to middle level education?” and “How can we capture ‘the spirit of middle school  \neducators?” I received feedback from 24 middle level advocates.  \nIn spring 2020, Southeast Professors of Middle Level Education (SEPOMLE) designed a symposium in North Carolina to celebrate and advocate for the next generation of middle school leaders. We had planned a two-day drive-in conference in Asheville, and along with many venues and presentations, COVID 19 disrupted our plans. One of my roles in the conf","cbCaieYEFoIl8hTv","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaieYEFoIl8hTv","pdf",87341,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction and Background\n# Related Research to A Middle School Mindset","[{\"question\":\"What question does the article use to explore educator commitment?\",\"answer\":\"It uses the prompt “What drives your spirit and commitment to middle level education?” to elicit stories from middle level advocates.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the article define “middle school” for the study?\",\"answer\":\"Middle school refers to people who work with 10–15 year olds, including intermediate schools, K–8 schools, junior highs, and 9th grade academies.\"},{\"question\":\"What is one intended outcome of the findings in the article?\",\"answer\":\"The article aims to identify characteristics that can help advocates promote and prepare the next generation of middle school leaders.\"}]","Current Issues in Middle Level Education - Vol 25 - Article 7 - What Drives Your Spirit and Commitment to Middle Level Education? Exploring a Middle School Mindset | PDF",1792089820,23]