Chapter 4: Educator Development

The preparation and professional development of educators is an ongoing continuum of adult learning in support of student learning. To support young adolescent learners effectively, middle level teachers and administrators must consider their uniquedevelopmental needs. As middle level professional educators move through the continuum, from preparation through ongoing professional development, they should understand more completely the curriculum, instruction, assessments, and organizational structures that are responsive to the developmental and learning needs of young adolescents. The purpose of this literature review is to highlight the research that describes and explicates how middle level educators are prepared and developed to meet the specific needs of young adolescents. We believe that teachers and administrators in the middle grades should have explicit training for working with young adolescents. The research questions focusing on educator development can be found in Chapter 10.