Chapter 15: Considering the Middle Level Field in the Landscape of Teacher Education: Enhancing our Collaboration

The preceding chapters have documented the successes of middle level teacher educators in developing programs that address the unique challenges of teaching young adolescents. This commentary addresses issues related to these challenges and suggests three possibilities for enhancing collaboration within and across programs. To improve the identity of middle level preparation within the larger field of teacher education, teacher educators might consider strengthening their shared language, collaborating more proactively with researchers engaged in parallel efforts, and extending scholarly initiatives that feature action research, teacher research, and collaborative inquiry. These efforts may help middle level educators advance a collective mission to transform education for young adolescents and their teachers.