On the Middle

On the Middle

A podcast focused on young adolescents in the middle grades and the adults that teach, support, and care for them. On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

Episodes

November 11, 2025 47 mins

In this episode of On The Middle, Thomas and Carl unpack a recent publication from Yale University detailing the clear evidence that social-emotional learning programs foster academic growth in K-12 schools. 

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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On this episode of On The Middle, Thomas and Carl discuss the "mis-education" of boys in American Education, which is the topic of a recent NPR "On Point" series.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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September 15, 2025 42 mins

On this episode of On The Middle, the first for the new school year, Thomas and Carl discuss all of the things they did... and didn't do... over summer break.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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May 26, 2025 45 mins

On this episode on On The Middle, Thomas and Carl talk about winning and losing and what happens when schools allow students to do both.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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April 27, 2025 45 mins

On this episode of On The Middle, Thomas and Carl use stories to discuss metacognition and how teachers can share responsibility for helping students learn about their learning.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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April 6, 2025 47 mins

On this episode of On The Middle, Thomas and Carl recap their latest conference experience and discuss the message of relationships and engagement delivered by the keynote speaker, Jonathan Alsheimer.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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March 17, 2025 43 mins

In this episode of On The Middle, Thomas and Carl continue their discussion on school safety, this time focusing less on social-emotional safety and more on how schools are confronted with harsh realities regarding safety.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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March 1, 2025 46 mins

In this episode of On the Middle, Thomas and Carl discuss school safety from an emotional perspective as a means of being proactive, just, and thoughtful.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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February 2, 2025 42 mins

In this episode of On The Middle, Thomas and Carl continue their discussion of advisory programs, focusing on the philosophical aspects of the topic.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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January 20, 2025 44 mins

On this episode of On The Middle, Thomas and Carl discuss the importance of advisory programs and how they meet the criteria for one of AMLE’s characteristics of successful middle schools: that every student has an adult advocate that supports their academic and personal growth.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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December 30, 2024 41 mins

On this episode of On The Middle, Thomas and Carl talk about how educators can successfully prepare for a return to school after Winter Break by evaluating their mindset, reflecting on things that went well/not well, and determining what they hope to accomplish the rest of the year.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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November 24, 2024 43 mins

In this episode of On the Middle, Carl and Thomas discuss what it means to understand and value young adolescents. Part of the AMLE Series, themes include development responsiveness and viewing students as capable and creative members of the classroom.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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November 11, 2024 42 mins

In this episode of On the Middle, Carl and Thomas share about their experience with the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). The organization's position paper, This We Believe, serves as a philosophical guide for educators of young adolescents. On the Middle is not sponsored by AMLE.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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October 27, 2024 38 mins

In this episode of On the Middle, Thomas and Carl discuss one of the more fear-inducing aspects of Spooky Season, the teacher observation. What should an observation in a middle grades classroom look like, and what should teachers, coaches, administrators be looking for?

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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October 11, 2024 41 mins

On this episode of On The Middle, Thomas and Carl continue to discuss the dangers of antiquated grading practices like the use of zeros and grading students based on behavior.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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September 22, 2024 39 mins

Hosts Thomas Kelly and Dr. Carl Zoolkoski continue their discussion on outdated, unsound, and unscrupulous grading practices.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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September 22, 2024 41 mins

Hosts Thomas Kelly and Dr. Carl Zoolkoski discuss the pitfalls of traditional grading and how antiquated practices sneak in to haunt us when we don't even realize it.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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September 8, 2024 38 mins

Thomas and Carl review their first month back in the classroom and discuss the changes they've noticed in students now that they've adapted to their new routines and schedules. 

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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September 1, 2024 36 mins

Hosts Thomas Kelly and Dr. Carl Zoolkoski discuss the importance of classroom management and how management is the core of the educational experience a student has in a classroom.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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September 1, 2024 34 mins

Hosts Thomas Kelly and Dr. Carl Zoolkoski introduce their beliefs about middle grades learners and their vision for this podcast project. This episode begins the Back to School series that runs through October 2024.

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On the Middle is a production of KZ Education Consulting, LLC.

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