Noting the importance of middle school teachers paying attention to the changes in their students' development, in understanding the challenges that lay ahead of these adolescents, and in listening to what adolescents say, this book describes what middle school teachers should know when teaching early adolescents. The book presents background information on adolescent development, reviews the history of the middle school movement, and presents a model of middle-level reform that changes the way curriculum, instruction, and assessment are viewed. In addition, the book reviews organizational changes in the middle school such as teaming, advisory groups, and flexible scheduling. The chapters are: (1) "You Want To Be a What?"; (2) "Understanding the Young Adolescent"; (3) "Influences from the Past and the Present"; (4) "Creating a Safe Haven for Learning"; (5) "Student Designed Curriculum"; (6) "Facilitating Meaningful Learning"; (7) "Assessment that Promotes Active Learning"; (8) "Altering School Structures"; and (9) "Being an Advocate for Young Adolescents." Each chapter contains references. (KB)