Inviting

Abstract

students. Our work with teachers in many different middle school settings has helped us identify a number of strategies for reducing this stress. This article describes some of our ideas for encouraging renewal among students and teachers in middle grades through Invitational Education. The basic premise of Invitational Education is that teachers can enhance student self-esteem and their own well being by success. First articulated by Purkey (1978), Invitational Education emphasizes the person in process and provides an exciting orientation to teaching. Through messages they send, teachers can foster positive perceptions and encourage active learning. Our studies suggest that awareness of practices can provide a powerful basis for teaching in middle grades. Our review of literature on successful middle schools suggests that most effective schools are caring places where teachers and administrators find many ways to promote student success (Strahan, 1986). Our review of literature on teacher effectiveness suggests that inviting practices contribute substantially to student achievement in elementary and secondary education (Strahan and Van Hoose, 1986, p. 3). Inviting practices may provide basis for positive classroom discipline (Purkey and Strahan, 1986). Case studies suggest that practices can provide a basis for meaningful self assessment and clinical supervision (Strahan and Van Hoose, 1986). The Instructional Improvement Process (Van Hoose, in press) provides a procedure for teachers to observe each other and discuss