Memories of Middle School
Can we talk about middle school for a minute? I know, painfully awkward visions are flooding your memory, but it wasn't all bad, was it? Of course not!
Nowadays, when someone learns that I'm a 7th grade teacher, their immediate response is a deep sigh followed by apologies and sympathies. But I have the same response each time: I love teaching middle school because this age group is the perfect blend of maturity and innocence. They old enough to (sometimes) understand sarcasm while still being young enough to be truly excitable. Don't get me wrong, their emotions are out of whack (see my above comment regarding middle school crushes) and there are times when they can be downright mean, but those negative encounters are far outweighed by the hysterical nature of this age group. Thus, teaching middle school really is a Love Story, a Tragedy, and a Comedy in one.
Making Middle School Work: The Essentials
So let's talk logistics, the essentials for any middle school class. You'll need a steady set of routines, a healthy dose of collaboration, and a consistent infusion of "student choice". Although there are a myriad of resources that have made my life in middle school ELA a successful one, here are my TOP 5 Tools for Teaching in Middle School:
#1: Class Syllabus
#2: Technology Rules
Although technology is an incredible resource to have in the classroom, it is only beneficial with the proper guidelines in place for students! With this resource, you can present 5 fair rules to students in the first week of school, send them home to parents, and post a copy in your room as a reference!
#3: Signout Procedures
Promote positive student choices with ticket-passes that serve as student currency! Each month, students receive a set of tickets that they turn in when choosing to leave class for the bathroom, drinks, locker, etc. If they use all of their tickets, they do not receive a new set until the next month. For students who have remaining tickets from staying in class, hold a raffle drawing at the end of the month! Check out my post on Breaking The Bathroom Train for more details on how to implement this system in your class!
#4: Classroom Jobs
Build a classroom community and bolster student buy-in with classroom jobs! Using career-oriented job titles, students can connect with you and practice accountability, all while helping the class run like a well-oiled machine! In this resource, I offer over 10 jobs, each with varying levels of responsibility. Based on the number of students in each class, you can even assign more than one student to a task- like the supplies supervisor- I assign at least 2 students to get the materials organized once a week! These are so helpful and can be easily applied in any subject area!
#5: Group Role Cards
Collaboration is key! Provide these printable task cards to support student collaboration by outlining leveled responsibilities within each group! Students can select their desired collaborative role then self and peer evaluate based on the group's work that day.
