Oct. 15, 2025
Middle Years Matter
Middle school isn’t the hallway between “cute” and “chaos”—it’s the proving ground where students decide who they’re becoming. We sit down with Anna Crooke, a veteran educator and board member for the North Carolina Middle Level Educators, to unpack why the middle years carry outsized impact and how a conference like NCMLE fuels real classroom change. From her roots in a family of teachers to roles spanning classroom, coaching, principalship, and district leadership, Anna shares a candid look at what works when adolescents are testing limits, seeking belonging, and building habits that last.
Website: spotlight4success.com
00:06 - Welcome and Conference Setting
00:36 - Anna’s Role at NCMLE
01:06 - Why Teaching and Early Influences
01:31 - Career Path Across Grade Levels
03:03 - A Memorable Two-Year Cohort Story
04:14 - Path to NCMLE Board Service
04:52 - Why Middle School Is Critical
05:36 - Thanks and Closing
WEBVTT
00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:09.279
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book Company.
00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:11.359
I am Devin Pintozi, your host.
00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:19.519
We are here at NCMLE, the North Carolina Mid-Level Educators Conference in wonderful and sunny Charlotte, North Carolina.
00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:24.320
Today we are here and joined by our special guest, Anna Crook.
00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:25.920
Very nice to meet you, Anna.
00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:26.480
Thank you.
00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:32.240
Anna is a middle school director with Caldwell County Schools.
00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:34.159
Thank you, Anna, for joining us today.
00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:34.719
Thank you.
00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:35.920
I'm glad to be here.
00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:43.920
Anna, can you tell us a bit about your work in NCMLE and what's going on here at this conference?
00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:52.320
Yes, so I am the conference, I'm on the executive, or not the executive board, but the board of directors for the middle level association.
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:55.520
And then at this conference, I work with sponsors and vendors.
00:00:55.600 --> 00:01:04.079
So I help get sponsors and vendors situated, get them to come to the conference, recruit them, make sure they have everything they need, all kinds of things like that.
00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:05.840
Oh, that's wonderful.
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:10.640
And uh can you tell us a bit about your journey of why did you choose to become a teacher?
00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:14.799
So I became I grew up in a family of educators.
00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:21.359
My mom and dad were both teachers, and it was always something that I felt like was my passion.
00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:26.799
I think I didn't know anything different, but when I was a little girl, I played like I was driving the school bus.
00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:29.920
I it I've just always had that passion for teaching.
00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:31.519
So oh that's wonderful.
00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:36.959
And uh what made you uh you've you've done a number of different kinds of schools you've been a part of, is that right?
00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:50.480
Yes, so I majored in middle level education and then when I in college and then I started teaching in a high school, and I taught high school for three years, and then I moved to middle school, which is what I really wanted to do.
00:01:50.640 --> 00:02:04.239
So I taught there for um ten years, then I was an instructional coach in that school, then I moved to be an AP at an elementary school, and then I was the principal of a middle school, and now I work at the central office in middle level education.
00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:06.319
Wow, that is quite a journey right there.
00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:09.439
Thank you for watching Spotlight for Success.
00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:14.639
I am David, the chief operating of American Book Company.
00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:55.520
We are located here in our headquarters in Woodstock, Georgia.com.
00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:57.360
We look forward to hearing from you.
00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:11.680
So I would say one of my favorite moments was um there was a year when I taught seventh grade and then I got moved to eighth grade.
00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:14.560
So I had the same group of students two years in a row.
00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:16.879
And those kids were just so special to me.
00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:19.919
They um they were kind of bonded as a family.
00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:21.599
We did a lot of things together.
00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:26.719
Um on the first day of school, I came in the second year and it was party in my classroom.
00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:34.240
They were having a ball because they all knew each other, they were comfortable, and I was worried because they all I went in on the first day.
00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:39.039
Everybody's usually quiet, and they were not quiet, they were just ready to roll, and they were.
00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:41.039
I was like, Oh, hold on to your socks.
00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:43.360
This is gonna be a year, but it was fine.
00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:49.840
When we walked in, we all knew each other, we had the standards set already, so we were just able to pick up and start doing our thing, and it was great.
00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:51.199
We had a fantastic year.
00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:51.599
Wow.
00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:57.280
And those kids still to this day, they're adults now, they're like 30, and they come in.
00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:01.039
I I see them in the grocery store wherever and they're like, Miss Crook, Miss Crook.
00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:03.120
So I'm really bonded to those people.
00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:04.719
Oh, that is wonderful.
00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:13.120
Uh, tell us a bit about your um uh let's see, you made a journey to become an NCMLE uh member, board member.
00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:14.560
Yes, how did that happen?
00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:19.360
So I've attended this conference for a long time since I was in the classroom.
00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:22.240
And so as a middle school teacher, I really enjoyed this conference.
00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:23.040
I learned a lot.
00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:26.399
I loved coming to hear from other educators and getting their ideas.
00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:31.680
Then um my principal nominated me to be the regional teacher to watch.
00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:34.560
I think then it was regional teacher of the year for NCMLE.
00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:35.199
And I won.
00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:45.519
And so I got involved that way, and then later on when I was I took this job at the district office, a friend approached me and asked me to be a part of the board.
00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:47.120
Oh, that is wonderful.
00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:51.360
And um, is there anything else you'd like to share with the NCMLO community?
00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:54.160
Well, this is a fantastic conference.
00:04:54.319 --> 00:04:57.279
I wish every middle school educator could come here.
00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:11.199
Middle level education is unique, and oftentimes we get buried in between the littleness of elementary and the craziness of high school, and so we're often forgotten, but this is really important work.
00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:27.279
Middle school kids usually decide what they're gonna do in the middle school ages, and they also it's the proving ground for whether kids will stay in school or drop out, so it's really important time, and it's a time of huge growth and development.
00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:34.160
So we need to celebrate our work, and we need times to develop professionally like this to support our kids.
00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:35.600
Yes, I totally agree.
00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:49.360
It's such a critical group of years for all of us, and uh it's fantastic that uh you've been able to do so much here with the organization uh to support the MidLaba teachers uh in their journey and all the things that they're doing in their classrooms.
00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:52.160
Um, well, thank you so much, Anna Crook.
00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:53.759
Very nice to meet you again.
00:05:53.839 --> 00:06:03.680
Uh uh she is a member, a board member of NCMLE and supports all of us, and especially us as exhibitors as well here at the conference, and we're so happy you could join us today.
00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:04.319
Thank you.
00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:05.279
Thank you.
00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:09.279
00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:11.359
00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:19.519
00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:24.320
00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:25.920
00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:26.480
00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:32.240
00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:34.159
00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:34.719
00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:35.920
00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:43.920
00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:52.320
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:55.520
00:00:55.600 --> 00:01:04.079
00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:05.840
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:10.640
00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:14.799
00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:21.359
00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:26.799
00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:29.920
00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:31.519
00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:36.959
00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:50.480
00:01:50.640 --> 00:02:04.239
00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:06.319
00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:09.439
00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:14.639
00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:55.520
00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:57.360
00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:11.680
00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:14.560
00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:16.879
00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:19.919
00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:21.599
00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:26.719
00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:34.240
00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:39.039
00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:41.039
00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:43.360
00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:49.840
00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:51.199
00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:51.599
00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:57.280
00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:01.039
00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:03.120
00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:04.719
00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:13.120
00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:14.560
00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:19.360
00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:22.240
00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:23.040
00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:26.399
00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:31.680
00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:34.560
00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:35.199
00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:45.519
00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:47.120
00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:51.360
00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:54.160
00:04:54.319 --> 00:04:57.279
00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:11.199
00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:27.279
00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:34.160
00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:35.600
00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:49.360
00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:52.160
00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:53.759
00:05:53.839 --> 00:06:03.680
00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:04.319
00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:05.279
