Hi, I’m Nate Paul. I’ve been a middle school educator for fifteen years. When someone asks me what I do for a living and I tell them, I am usually met with a painful wince and a sympathetic head shake, and something like “oof” or “bless you.” What most people don’t know is that while middle schoolers are challenging and awkward, they are also incredible. Fun. Curious. Kind. Opinionated. Capable. If you are the parent of a soon-to-be middle schooler, congratulations and welcome to this new chapter.​

 

Over the course of my career, I’ve helped hundreds of students find their footing in middle school. No two kids are alike, and every child walks a unique path through middle school to young adulthood. From my unique vantage point, I’ve observed which skills and mindsets best serve rising sixth graders, and which they often struggle to develop on their own. I founded Ready Set Middle School to prepare kids with those elusive and essential tools for success at the ideal moment– the summer before 6th grade. 

 

I believe that every kid has a unique constellation of values, interests, and driving forces, and what separates the good teachers from the great is the ability to find and draw out motivation from a kid, rather than impose it upon them.

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I am an ally and advocate for LGBTQIA+ kids, neurodiverse kids, kids with ability differences or learning differences, and kids from marginalized ethnic and socioeconomic groups.  With science, public institutions, unions, libraries, curricula, and teachers under attack, I seek to create a safe and empowering space for middle schoolers to grow, learn, serve, and lead.

 

I’m currently the Gifted & Talented Coordinator at Denver Green School, Northfield, and I’ve previously taught middle school language arts, social studies, and humanities at Stargate School, Peak to Peak K-12, and the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning. 

 

Before teaching, I guided backcountry trips, taught snowboarding and rock climbing, and earned a graduate degree in history from CU Boulder. My wife and I are raising two elementary-aged boys in Central Park– be sure to say hi when you run into us at Stanley! We love the mountain life and live it year-round: skiing, snowboarding, camping, hiking, and 4WD explorations of the backroads of the Rockies. 

 

Let’s send your student off to that first day of middle school with confidence. If you have any questions about me or the Ready Set Middle School workshop, please reach out! Send me an email and I’d be happy to find a time to chat.