Teaching & Learning
Raising the bar and expecting more is hard work, particularly for students and teachers. Academics are at the core of Gulf Shores City Schools, with a goal of having each student achieve his or her full academic potential by the time they graduate. New standards mean new ways of teaching and learning, and ultimately harder tests. To help our families achieve a greater understanding of what these new standards mean, Gulf Shores City Schools provides fact sheets, frequently asked questions, and links to information about Alabama's College and Career Ready Standards.
At Gulf Shores Middle School, we foster academic success through carefully orchestrated programs that reflect the social, emotional, and intellectual needs of young adolescents. We recognize that 10 to 14 year olds are developmentally poised for significant intellectual growth and are cognitively ready for high-level academic challenges. We also recognize, however, that this can be best achieved in a safe and inviting environment that supports the significant changes in the physical development and social behavior, as well as rapid development in the emotional intelligence of our students. Flexible and varied instruction, individualized learning, and collaborative, cross-disciplinary approaches are utilized in a facility designed for this age group. Our teachers and students share ownership of learning in the classroom, after-school activities and through annual outdoor educational experiences.
Year-Round Electives:
- Yearbook - Students apply and are selected in the Spring prior to the school year.
- Newspaper - Students apply and are selected in the Spring prior to the school year.
- Library Aides (8th Grade) - Students apply and are selected in the Spring prior to the school year.
- Office Aides (8th Grade) - Students apply and are selected in the Spring prior to the school year.
- Band
- Advanced Art - Second year art students are selected in the Spring prior to the school year.
Additional Information:
Gulf Shores Middle School does not accept parent requests for specific teachers or requests for periods when students take courses. Students are randomly assigned teachers and course periods by the INOW program. Every effort is made to balance student rosters by teachers. Schedule changes are at the Principal’s discretion for situations that warrant it.
P.E. is required both semesters, and students are required to dress out. There is a fee for P.E. uniforms.
Academic Links
NBC Teachers
Gulf Shores City Schools are proud of their teachers and how they continue learning as they teach! Click here to view the Present and Future National Board Certified Teachers.
We Encourage Our Students To:
- Dream big
- Learn with intent
- Realize their own potential
- Enhance the lives of others
- Be inclusive, inventive and curious
We Do That Through:
- Continually transforming the way we teach and learn
- Exploring new ideas and approaches to learning
- Being rigorous with assessment and learning outcomes
- Being inventive in the way we teach
- Offering individualized learning paths
- Integrating technology in all that we do
- Fostering and celebrating diversity