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Growing up, I remember the children in “special ed” seemed to live in an alternate universe within our school. Regardless of the distinctions in their challenges, they all were placed together in one class, shuttled around as one throng, rarely included in the activities the rest of us took for granted.

Many boys at my school struggle with reading. Most are more interested in video games and outdoor activities than books. Our school is not an anomaly.

Middle school teachers struggle to find ways to respond to bullying, teasing, name-calling and exclusionary practices among students. We tread lightly sometimes, afraid of saying the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time thus making conditions worse for a bullied student. Being heavy-handed almost never works. Students also know how to say the right thing to adults and then act in a completely contrary way towards peers.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many families were devastated. Schools were closed for a week or more. Children and adults were stranded.

Let’s talk about voting. Yesterday, we asked our 65,000 Facebook followers if they had held mock elections in their schools. We heard from one lone voice that reported her middle school had 100 percent turnout.

I recently served as a reader of scholarship applications. The process included a complex algorithm for inclusion and took several criteria into account, like GPA, test scores, native languages, income level, assets, essays, parental education level and ethnicity. While providing this service, I came face-to-face with a misconception about race and ethnicity: Appearance predicts what language people speak.

In preparation for Mix It Up at Lunch Day, Dent Middle School students designed t-shirts, performed skits on the morning news show and decorated the lunchroom. Their event was a huge success!

As part of Mix it Up at Lunch Day, Arrowwood Elementary School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado provided students with a series of ice-breakers to spice up the conversation and help create new friendships. The Douglas County School District’s video of the event shows what Mix It Up is all about!