Classroom management strategies for middle school are not the same as elementary strategies. Learn how to manage a middle school classroom.
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The educational strategies I use in my classroom are things I continuously reflect on and develop. The classroom management of my middle school classrooms is one of the things I’m most proud of with my teaching. I generally had a happy classroom that was under control and focused on learning, which wasn't always easy considering my classes each consisted of 30+ seventh graders at ALL possible academic levels working out of their seats on science experiments and activities. My biggest pieces of advice for a well-behaved class are to keep your rules and consequences simple, clear, and consistent. My Classroom Rules: I only had three rules in my classroom and they were broad enough to cover just about any out of line behavior. At the beginning of the year we went over these rules thoroughly and acted out examples and nonexamples so there was no room for confusion or purposeful misinterpretation. Find links to get these posters at the end of this blog post. Rule Number One: “Respect yourself, your peers, your teacher, and your surroundings.” This rule is meant to cover all interactions in the classroom. Students who respect themselves value their education and learning time and get their assignments completed to the best of their abilities. Students who respect their peers understand their classmates need a safe learning environment free of distractions and impolite communications. Students who respect their teacher recognize the importance of the education opportunities being presented in class and allow the teacher to facilitate lessons and help all students learn. Students who respect their surroundings acknowledge the resources, furniture, and equipment in class are used by others for the pursuit of education and need to be kept in good condition. Rule Number Two: “Raise your hand silently to speak.” Having strong student participation is important for learning, but entering chaos territory is so easy when middle school students are allowed to interject whenever and for whatever. Students need to know every voice is important; for everyone's thoughts, ideas, and questions to be heard there needs to be an order to the sharing process. Rule Number Three: “Follow all directions quickly the first time they are given.” It sounds basic (and it is) but so much educational time is saved with this rule, especially in a science classroom where there is limited time to complete time-consuming experiments. My Class Consequences: After much trial and error and some great advice from an administrator, I developed a list of consequences that worked perfectly to enforce the rules of my classroom. The key with consequences is they must be followed in order every single time for every single student. Find links to get these posters at the end of this blog post. Consequence Number One: "Warning." This was in place so I could let students know their behavior was unacceptable in the classroom and needed to be changed. I gave the warning in different ways to communicate with the offending student, depending on what worked the student’s personality. Sometimes I would approach the students discreetly and quietly tell them they had a warning. Other times I would catch the student's eye from across the room and show a number one with my finger. If I had a particularly easygoing class where the students were all comfortable with one another I'd pause in the lesson to tell the student they had a warning. Consequence Number Two: “Complete a Behavior Think Sheet and move seats.” If students continued to disregard the class rules they would get this consequence that served three purposes. First it removed the student from the situation, making it easier to revert to proper behavior. Second, it allowed them to reflect on their behavior and analyze its effect on themselves and others. Third, the BTS provided me with documentation of misbehavior that I could save and keep on file. I realized completing a BTS takes time out of learning, and so did the students. My lessons were fun, engaging, and rigorous; the students did not want to and could not afford to miss part of the lesson by acting out and completing a BTS. In addition, if the misbehavior was allowed to continue it would distract others from learning the content. Occasionally I would have a student test me by not completing the BTS. For those students I gave them a choice: They could complete it in my class and be late to their next class (without a pass), or they could leave it incomplete and move on to the third consequence. The Behavior Think Sheet (with English and Spanish copies included) is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Consequence Number Three: “Parent or guardian contact.” If the first two consequences were not effective, consequence three often curbed the desire to misbehave. Sometimes I would have the student call home with me right after class. Sometimes I would make the contact immediately after school. Rarely, and only after exceptionally poor misbehavior, would the family be contacted during class. Consequence Number Four: “Referral.” I was lucky enough to teach in a school with a fantastic dean of discipline. The fourth consequence involved me contacting the dean about the student’s misbehavior and it would then be handled in a fair manner. In other schools a similar consequence might be used with the principal or other administrator instead. As I said earlier, the consequences should be followed in order every time for every student. There are exceptions to that, and I was always upfront and honest about the exceptions with my students. My students knew that if one student punched another student in class that a simple “warning” would not happen. That just wouldn't make any sense. The steps can be skipped for serious breaches of the classroom rules. The only other reason I would skip a consequence was for repeat offenders. If the same student had the same problem over and over again I met with that student privately to make a plan. Usually that plan involved skipping one or two steps in the list of consequences until the student was able to demonstrate appropriate behavior consistently over time. All of my classes knew skipping steps could occur in such situations, so there was never any backlash of “that’s unfair” if I went out of order. Using These Rules and Consequences in Your Classroom: As I mentioned, I created these rules and consequences for my middle school students. However, they work just as well as part of an upper elementary or early high school classroom management plan. I hope this post provided you with useful information and gave you ideas for rules and consequences in your own classroom. If you like my rules and consequences, save yourself some time by getting my rules and consequences posters from my TpT or Etsy store. The posters come in a variety of styles that are sure to brighten up your classroom while displaying important information that will make your teaching life easier. Find your favorite from the options below! And remember to check out the Behavior Think Sheet! Rules and Consequences Posters: Version 1: This is the original set with solid blocks of color and a structured layout. Version 2: It's a warm and calming set. Black and White: Perfect for printing restrictions—you can print the posters on vibrantly colored paper or grab a set of colored pencils and make them your own. Scales: They're wonderful for mermaid or dragon-themed classrooms. (Get it from Etsy instead.) Floral: My favorite! See these posters in the video below. (Get it from Etsy instead.) Lemons: Something about lemons just draws me in every time. I don't know if it's the happy yellow color or the reminder of delicious foods. (Get it from Etsy instead.)
Manage your middle schoolers during speech therapy with my 10 best strategies for behavior management to encourage and motivate!
9 valuable lessons I've learned about Classroom Management as a middle school teacher!
Being the crazy person that I am, I've been at school the last week and a half setting up my classroom even though I won't be returning until November because of my maternity leave. In between the hot gluing and book labeling, I met the person who will be filling in for me while I am out. She's fresh out of college, completed her student teaching, and came to meet me with a list of questions and color-coded notes. She was prepared ... and I was impressed!We got talking about the big picture: curriculum, routines to establish, units to cover. Before leaving, she asked me several questions, but one in particular made me pause...What is your behavior plan? I literally stared at her for a few awkward beats and started flipping through my mental rolodex (youngins, look it up lol). Then it hit me. I don't have one! I don't have one because I don't need one, and why don't I need one???I'm sure most veteran teachers feel this way! Most of us don't have explicit behavior plans, so what do we know, what do we do, that new teachers don't?Tip One: It starts with the first interaction. The first day of school and every day after, I am at the door greeting the kids when they enter my room. I make eye contact, say hello, once I learn it, I say their name, and smile! The first day of school I shake their hands and welcome them into the classroom. THIS IS KEY. If a student tries to enter the room in a way that I do not approve of, I do not let them enter. I literally say these words: That's not how we come into this classroom. Let's try that again. There is no yelling. I keep a pleasant smile, but my tone is strict. They try again, and you bet they enter in a more appropriate way and the correct tone is set. She means business!Tip Two: Loud vs. Quiet My first year teaching I had all these cute call and responses to get the class's attention, but they never worked and I couldn't figure out why. But after observing master teachers I figured it out. When students get loud, new teachers get louder. Master teachers get quieter.I don't know about your house, but in my house if we told our parents something and they were silent, it was WAY worse than if they yelled. Same thing in the classroom. Never, NEVER talk over the students. There are 20+ of them and one of you; they will win every time. The louder they get, the quieter you get. Stand completely still and wait. Wait. Wait. Until every student's attention is on you. It may take a bit, but do it. I normally watch the clock. Standing there waiting can feel like a while, but watch the clock - count in your head 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 1 minute if it takes that long. As soon as you have everyone's attention, glance around the room and move on. They get it. EVERYONE'S attention matters. It's important that they ALL hear what is about to be said. Once they learn this, they get each other quiet when you call for attention.What to do with the one student who still talks? Use the power of a dramatic entrance!I wear heels every day (another story lol), so if a student continues to talk while I'm waiting, I walk... slowly... click... click... arms crossed... making my way over... until I'm standing next to them. I glance down and wait. No yelling. No scolding. No lecturing. Just waiting. Once they finish, pause a beat, then move on. Continue teaching.This quiet waiting game prevents chaos from ensuing! There is no yelling, no lecturing needed!Tip Three: Know their priorities... Most likely, it's not you. Having taught for almost ten years in a middle school, I can tell you there is no greater influence on tweens than their peers. They are so hyper-conscious of how they appear in front of their friends or classmates - keep this in mind! It can be to your advantage, or if used the wrong way, can be a nightmare.Because of this social awareness, confronting a student's behavior in front of the class is not going to work. Most of the time, they get embarrassed and act out because everyone is watching. Corrections need to be discreet. Walk over to a student's desk. Tap on the desk and in a low voice tell them in a few words what needs to be done. Student playing with something they shouldn't have? Walk over, tap the desk, make eye contact: We're doing xyz now. Wait until you see action, and then keep walking. If they behavior doesn't improve, I normally give the kids one more chance. If after I address them twice there is no change, I ask them to step into the hallway. That is where I will have the conversation about appropriate behavior. But NEVER in front of their peers! That is a sure-fire way to start a hostile relationship with a student.Let's Wrap Up... 1. Set the tone at the start of class2. Keep your voice calm and strong3. Redirect students in a discreet manner I hope these tips help all new teachers or even veteran teachers! They have worked for me with my 7th graders! If you have any tips you'd like to add, please comment below! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Want more iMrs Hughes? Keep the conversation going on Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram! Be sure to check out my TeachersPayTeachers store for additional resources!
Effective classroom management strategies are essential for a positive and productive learning environment for middle and high school students.
I never bought into the whole Clip Chart thing. As a parent, if I saw my child was on GREEN (or whatever the acceptable color is nowadays), I would still wonder if my kid made mistakes that needed a parent's guidance, or even worse, was a complete A$$ at school. I get that kids need a chance to redeem themselves, but kids are so smart that they will goof off all day and pull it together in the last hour. I've seen it happen. So with three words, I manage the expectations and behaviors in my class: "Here's your ticket." This is such an easy system to prep and implement. After you've laid out the expectations and have a solid strategy for gaining control of your class and poor behavior (see previous post about CHAMPS and 1,2,3 Magic), you can start holding your students accountable for their own choices. There are three types of consequence tickets, three types of reward tickets, and a weekly report for parents (or daily if you have an RTI student or young ones). Also included are editable posters and tracking sheets. PLUS, a 5 page document that walks you through how to get started. Here are some photos from my classroom. Download yours today and start holding your students accountable for the rest of the year!
Discover my three NO-FAIL strategies for motivating your middle and high school students.
Right after I landed my first teaching job back in 2009, my husband who had been teaching for four years at that point gifted me his copy of Harry and Rosemary Wong’s The First Days of School: How To Be an Effective Teacher. Even though so many things went wrong that first year, I am
As our students grow older, it is important that they learn how to take responsibility for their actions as well as their learning. This resource is a great classroom management tool for the middle school or high school classroom, as it allows students to acknowledge their negative behavior, how their behavior affected their learning and the learning of others, and how they will change their behavior in the future to create a more positive outcome. This resource is not grade or subject specific, so it can be used for all subjects. What is included: PDF Behavior Reflection Sheet (Print) 100% Editable Behavior Reflection Google Form Similar products: Mental Health Check In Google Form Middle School "Get To Know Me" Google Form Middle School Brain Break Coupons Seasonal Digital Creative Writing Prompts Beginning of the Year All About Me Google Slides Middle School Beginning of the Year Bundle
Use a good behavior grid as a part of your classroom management strategies for your middle school classroom to create a positive learning environment.
Having a classroom management system in middle school is so hard!! A lot of it is too “elementary” for them and they just won’t buy into it! If you want a management system to work for any grade level, there has to be buy in from the students. When I was in college I had a professor who was like Mr. Feeney to me & he told us, “a child will do anything for a Jolly Rancher.” I used this to my advantage & made it into my classroom management system! Jolly Rancher Wars is a weekly challenge where my…
So, I invented a new game today. It was completely necessary at the moment. It requires zero prep and zero materials (other than a class list). It. Works. Like. Magic! The name of the game is 'Last Kid Standing'. How
Middle school teachers are always looking for classroom management tips to strengthen their classroom environment. Check out these classroom tips!
There are times throughout the year when it seems like your classes just aren’t going right. You are working hard on your lessons, thinking of engaging applications, and even trying to add ch…
The educational strategies I use in my classroom are things I continuously reflect on and develop. The classroom management of my middle school classrooms is one of the things I’m most proud of with my teaching. I generally had a happy classroom that was under control and focused on learning, which wasn't always easy considering my classes each consisted of 30+ seventh graders at ALL possible academic levels working out of their seats on science experiments and activities. My biggest pieces of advice for a well-behaved class are to keep your rules and consequences simple, clear, and consistent. My Classroom Rules: I only had three rules in my classroom and they were broad enough to cover just about any out of line behavior. At the beginning of the year we went over these rules thoroughly and acted out examples and nonexamples so there was no room for confusion or purposeful misinterpretation. Find links to get these posters at the end of this blog post. Rule Number One: “Respect yourself, your peers, your teacher, and your surroundings.” This rule is meant to cover all interactions in the classroom. Students who respect themselves value their education and learning time and get their assignments completed to the best of their abilities. Students who respect their peers understand their classmates need a safe learning environment free of distractions and impolite communications. Students who respect their teacher recognize the importance of the education opportunities being presented in class and allow the teacher to facilitate lessons and help all students learn. Students who respect their surroundings acknowledge the resources, furniture, and equipment in class are used by others for the pursuit of education and need to be kept in good condition. Rule Number Two: “Raise your hand silently to speak.” Having strong student participation is important for learning, but entering chaos territory is so easy when middle school students are allowed to interject whenever and for whatever. Students need to know every voice is important; for everyone's thoughts, ideas, and questions to be heard there needs to be an order to the sharing process. Rule Number Three: “Follow all directions quickly the first time they are given.” It sounds basic (and it is) but so much educational time is saved with this rule, especially in a science classroom where there is limited time to complete time-consuming experiments. My Class Consequences: After much trial and error and some great advice from an administrator, I developed a list of consequences that worked perfectly to enforce the rules of my classroom. The key with consequences is they must be followed in order every single time for every single student. Find links to get these posters at the end of this blog post. Consequence Number One: "Warning." This was in place so I could let students know their behavior was unacceptable in the classroom and needed to be changed. I gave the warning in different ways to communicate with the offending student, depending on what worked the student’s personality. Sometimes I would approach the students discreetly and quietly tell them they had a warning. Other times I would catch the student's eye from across the room and show a number one with my finger. If I had a particularly easygoing class where the students were all comfortable with one another I'd pause in the lesson to tell the student they had a warning. Consequence Number Two: “Complete a Behavior Think Sheet and move seats.” If students continued to disregard the class rules they would get this consequence that served three purposes. First it removed the student from the situation, making it easier to revert to proper behavior. Second, it allowed them to reflect on their behavior and analyze its effect on themselves and others. Third, the BTS provided me with documentation of misbehavior that I could save and keep on file. I realized completing a BTS takes time out of learning, and so did the students. My lessons were fun, engaging, and rigorous; the students did not want to and could not afford to miss part of the lesson by acting out and completing a BTS. In addition, if the misbehavior was allowed to continue it would distract others from learning the content. Occasionally I would have a student test me by not completing the BTS. For those students I gave them a choice: They could complete it in my class and be late to their next class (without a pass), or they could leave it incomplete and move on to the third consequence. The Behavior Think Sheet (with English and Spanish copies included) is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Consequence Number Three: “Parent or guardian contact.” If the first two consequences were not effective, consequence three often curbed the desire to misbehave. Sometimes I would have the student call home with me right after class. Sometimes I would make the contact immediately after school. Rarely, and only after exceptionally poor misbehavior, would the family be contacted during class. Consequence Number Four: “Referral.” I was lucky enough to teach in a school with a fantastic dean of discipline. The fourth consequence involved me contacting the dean about the student’s misbehavior and it would then be handled in a fair manner. In other schools a similar consequence might be used with the principal or other administrator instead. As I said earlier, the consequences should be followed in order every time for every student. There are exceptions to that, and I was always upfront and honest about the exceptions with my students. My students knew that if one student punched another student in class that a simple “warning” would not happen. That just wouldn't make any sense. The steps can be skipped for serious breaches of the classroom rules. The only other reason I would skip a consequence was for repeat offenders. If the same student had the same problem over and over again I met with that student privately to make a plan. Usually that plan involved skipping one or two steps in the list of consequences until the student was able to demonstrate appropriate behavior consistently over time. All of my classes knew skipping steps could occur in such situations, so there was never any backlash of “that’s unfair” if I went out of order. Using These Rules and Consequences in Your Classroom: As I mentioned, I created these rules and consequences for my middle school students. However, they work just as well as part of an upper elementary or early high school classroom management plan. I hope this post provided you with useful information and gave you ideas for rules and consequences in your own classroom. If you like my rules and consequences, save yourself some time by getting my rules and consequences posters from my TpT or Etsy store. The posters come in a variety of styles that are sure to brighten up your classroom while displaying important information that will make your teaching life easier. Find your favorite from the options below! And remember to check out the Behavior Think Sheet! Rules and Consequences Posters: Version 1: This is the original set with solid blocks of color and a structured layout. Version 2: It's a warm and calming set. Black and White: Perfect for printing restrictions—you can print the posters on vibrantly colored paper or grab a set of colored pencils and make them your own. Scales: They're wonderful for mermaid or dragon-themed classrooms. (Get it from Etsy instead.) Floral: My favorite! See these posters in the video below. (Get it from Etsy instead.) Lemons: Something about lemons just draws me in every time. I don't know if it's the happy yellow color or the reminder of delicious foods. (Get it from Etsy instead.)
It's a simple idea: recognize the positive in order to eliminate the negative. This classroom management system designed specifically with middle school students in mind is easy to implement right away. Whether you're feeling like you want to start the year off positively while reinforcing behavior expectations or you need a fresh start with your students part way through the year, this can work for either situation. The basis of the behavior system is that the teacher points out what students should be doing throughout the class period, and the students self-evaluate if they are in line with that behavior or not by giving themselves a tally if they think they are. Tallies can be combined daily and weekly so that students who receive a certain amount get rewarded. This is a flexible tool that any teacher can put their own twist on and use to improve student behavior. This product includes the following: -Caught in Expectations Tallies sheet -Explicit directions for how to use the "Caught in Expectations Tallies" sheet -Ideas for what to give tallies for -A Teacher Language Guide for giving tallies -Reward Menu to use to reward students as they redeem their tallies -Tallies Checkbook for students to track their weekly tallies and rewards -Behavior Expectations cards for students' desks -Independent work time cards so the teacher can quickly survey the room to see who needs immediate assistance -Task Tracker cards to help students prioritize what they need to be working on -Bucket Filler cards for students to give each other positive feedback -Parent Post Cards to send positive messages home -Behavior Reflection and Goal Setting form -Refocus sheet for students who need additional behavior supports To read more about this behavior system, read the post on my blog. You might also like… Life Hacks Posters Bulletin Board Instilling Growth Mindset for Readers and Writers: “Yet” Bulletin Board Getting to Know You: Student Survey for Middle School (Freebie) Daily Schedule Signs: Behavior Expectations for Balanced Literacy Components Middle School Student Literacy Profile: Assessments to Track Data Friendly Reminders Follow me to receive notifications of new product listings and when resources in my store are on sale by clicking the green “Follow Me” star underneath my store name. Don’t forget to leave feedback on purchases you make from my store to receive TpT credit for future purchases. Providing detailed feedback allows teachers considering a resource from my store to feel confident in their purchase. I greatly appreciate your support. If you have questions for me, feel free to leave a question in the Q&A tab in regards to a specific resource or email me directly at [email protected]. Let’s Be Teacher Friends Subscribe to my blog, The Literacy Effect Follow me on Instagram Follow me on Pinterest Follow me on Facebook Follow me on YouTube Follow me on Twitter
Real talk: classroom management has always been my biggest struggle as a teacher. I think that this is true for a lot of teachers. It’s one thing to read about classroom management strategies in a college classroom, but it’s a whole other ballgame when you’re standing in front of a roomful of middle schoolers and you are somehow expected to keep them all in line! I’ve had a few tough groups over my first few years, and I needed something to up my classroom management game. The classroom management strategy I’m going to share with you today has been a total game-changer for me, and I hope it can help you, too! This strategy is called Behavior Bingo. To implement it, you will need a 10×10 chart numbered from 1-100. I used to draw mine out on big chart paper, but I’ve since created this handy printable board so that I don’t have to draw it out each time! You will also need 100 popsicle sticks each labeled with a number from 1-100. I keep these in one of those metal pails from Target, and you will also need another pail for the sticks to go in once you have pulled them. You will need a board and set of numbers for each class you are using this with – I have used it with up to 4 classes at once! I marked each class’s set of sticks with a different color and then discarded them all into the same tub. If you don’t want to buy or have to label all the popsicle sticks, I have also seen teachers use small slips of paper numbered 1-100, or even just a random number generator online! Here are the rules that I use: The object of the game is to get 10 numbers in a row (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal) and get a bingo. At the start of each class, I write the numbers 1 2 3 on the front whiteboard. During class, I erase a number any time the students are not meeting my expectations, starting with 3, then 2, then 1. At the end of class, however many numbers are left on the board is how many popsicle sticks they get to pull that day. For example, if only the 3 was erased, then they get to pull 2 popsicle sticks. They can earn up to 3 numbers each day. The students pull out the correct number of sticks for that day. I let them take turns. I hold the jar up above their heads so they can’t peek inside. Then I color in the numbers that were pulled on the bingo board. You can certainly adjust these rules to meet your needs. For instance, you could use a smaller or bigger bingo board, depending on how quickly you want them to earn their reward. With the 10×10 board, it usually takes 1-2 months to earn the reward. You could also adjust how many numbers they can earn each day. Another thing you could do is tie the numbers to specific goals. For instance, my students know that at the beginning of class they need to be in their seats with homework out and working on their warmup. If this doesn’t happen, they know I will erase a number. As for the reward, we choose this as a class before beginning the game. I have the students brainstorm ideas (I tell them that they need to be something either relatively inexpensive or free and can only take up about 20-30 minutes of class time) and list them all on the board. Then I have the students vote for their top two choices. Some ideas we have come up with in the past include an ice cream party (I bring the ice cream, they bring the toppings), root beer float party, time outside, free time, board games, donut party, dodgeball, or popcorn and a short movie. I write their choice at the bottom of the bingo board as a reminder of what we are working toward. And that’s it! It’s very easy to keep it running, and it has been very motivating to my students, especially when they are down to only one number left for the day. You can find the printable board that I use in my Teachers Pay Teachers store if you’re interested! Do you have any awesome classroom management strategies? I would love to hear about them in the comments!
This single classroom procedure has made a HUGE difference in my experience teaching middle school. My first year teaching I didn't do this and I knew that something needed to change. I decided to put into a place a daily bellringer for every one of my classes. I am a Family Consumer Sciences teacher so I teacher 4 different classes!You can call it whatever you want to call it but I call it a bell ringer because my students are expected to be doing it as soon as the bell rings to start class.Her
Middle school teachers are always looking for classroom management tips to strengthen their classroom environment. Check out these classroom tips!
20 middle school routines and procedures to keep your students on the right track and out of trouble. Set your classroom up for success!
People change when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change....whether they are children or adults. Many people stop speeding (at least temporarily!) when they get a ticket. People are more likely to eat healthier foods and start exercising when the doctor tells them their cholesterol or blood pressure is too high, and they are in danger of having a heart attack or stroke. Smokers often stop smoking when they feel that nagging never-ending cough that is the first sign of cancer. It's human nature. Our students are no different. When they aren't meeting our expectations, they have to be respectfully, compassionately and swiftly held accountable. Note those adverbs...they are the key to the solutions....No matter which way you decide to solve the issues at hand, do so Respectfully, Compassionately, and Swiftly. How does that look? What does that mean? How do we get there? What foundations do we have to lay? A few ideas... Many people watch my S-Cubed Sight Singing Teaching Example videos on my YouTube Channel and see my approach to teaching, and they may think that it's all fun and games. Well...as with life, it isn't quite that simple. I certainly try to laugh with my students, have fun with them and motivate them, but ultimately, as middle school teachers, we will encounter behavior issues. We have to be willing and committed to following through when it comes to discipline and grading. When we do so, ironically, it makes more laughter and fun possible in the classroom than when we don't. These are middle school children. They do what we allow. Here is an example I've experienced recently. An assignment was due. I'd told the children that if they don't meet the deadline, they will get a "0". Student "A" doesn't meet the deadline. I put the "0" in the electronic grade book immediately. No yelling. No screaming. No lecturing. I simply followed through. I allowed the child and the parent to see it online. Voila...the child brings in the assignment. The pain taught the lesson. I changed the "0" to a "50"...giving some sort of credit for the late assignment to acknowledge that the child made an effort to turn it in. Doing so shows compassion, but there is still some pain involved. That pain is what teaches the lesson. Without it, change is less likely to occur. Whatever the behavior is (repeated talking while you teach, not bringing required materials to class, etc.), there must be a tangible consequence that is felt by the student. We don't humiliate. We don't repeat threats. We just follow through. It doesn't take them long to learn that you do. Here are some questions to ask yourself? 1) Have you TAUGHT your daily procedures effectively? Do they understand the daily routines? They thrive with structure, and we must TEACH it the same way we teach how long to hold a whole note. 2) Are you using positive reinforcement with the children? Are you publicly acknowledging and praising the children who are doing things correctly. This solves so many issues and saves enormous energy. 3) Are you treating your children with respect? Some teachers balk at this. They have the attitude that "I am the adult, so I deserve respect." Forgive me for this...but you don't. Respect is a circle in every relationship...adult to adult....child to child....adult to child. We are the adults, and it is up to us to set the tone. When we don't set that tone, we set ourselves up for disaster. When we DO set it up well, we get to ask the question to the child whose just disrespected us in some way, "Have I ever treated you poorly or without respect?" When they have to say "No", you are in a position of strength to move toward good results with that child. If they answer "Yes", then you've got some introspective work to do. Always treat them with respect. Do not call them out and embarrass them in front of other children. Find discreet ways to handle behavior issues while you are teaching (proximity, a "look"), but never publicly embarrass. It won't turn out well. 4) Have you set up strong communication systems that are very easy to use to help you communicate better with parents and students? Remind.com is an easy to use tool for quick short messages. I don't use this, but lots of my peers do, and they love it. I cannot emphasize how important #4 is. When we have an easy ability to reach out to our parents when we need support, it makes everything easier...from getting chaperones for a trip, to making costumes, to partnering with you to help their child. When we have to take the time to dig around to find an email address, it diminishes the chances we will communicate and that hurts everyone. I use our school email system. I request all of the parents email addresses on the syllabus they sign. Using that document, I create a contact that says "Parent of Jane Doe". I place the contact into a list of all of the students in that particular class period. I also add it to an "All Chorus" list so that I can send an email to all chorus parents at once. This gives me three ways to easily access and use the information in a variety of circumstances that help me communicate with groups of people as well as individual people. This way, when Jane Doe misbehaves, and my strategies haven't worked with her, I can immediately go pop an email out to her. Every communication is documented. Personally, I don't like phone calls. If you get into a difficult situation with a parent, it becomes "he said/she said". With email, it's all there in black and white. Sometimes, phone calls are necessary, but 99% of the time, I handle everything with an email. In the emails, I start and end with something positive. When I state the issue that precipitated the email, I do so 100% objectively. I do not accuse. I simply state, unemotionally, the behaviors that led us to this point along with any strategies I used with the parent, and I ask for ideas from the parent about how to get better results with that child. We are partners. For me, this solves the issue 95% of the time. No administrative referrals needed. If it doesn't solve the issue, I call the parent in for a meeting with the child present. By then, I've taken meticulous, clear, non-judgmental notes about specific behaviors the child has exhibited in my room. In the meeting, I state those. I usually offer to do a daily contract of some sort that perhaps results in something positive for the child if he upholds the contract. I get the parent to sign the contract daily. It is returned to me daily. It becomes a log. I give a score of 10 if the child was perfect in the behavior that day. The score is lower if he failed to meet expectations. Middle School children enjoy immediate feedback. I prefer not to deal with administration. It's just too cumbersome. I make sure my work is focused, first, on helping the child. It helps us form a relationship with the person who matters most. When it becomes clear that he cannot do it alone with me, I reach to the parent. The goal is a better behaved child who feels successful and begins to take pride in doing the right thing. They are just children who are trying to find their way. We have to help them. I hope that this gives you some ideas that can help you in your classroom! Hundreds of teachers all over the world are using S-Cubed: How to Teach Sight Singing to Middle School Beginners. I am grateful that it seems to be helping teachers with far more than just sight singing. If you are using it, please share the news of it on social media sites in your home states and countries as well as the large group Facebook Pages like Music Teachers and I'm a Choir Director. I do not advertise in a traditional way. I'm just a teacher like the rest of us! Check out my blog!
There are times throughout the year when it seems like your classes just aren’t going right. You are working hard on your lessons, thinking of engaging applications, and even trying to add ch…
Struggling with difficult behaviors? These classroom management strategies will help transform your middle school classroom!
Also known as sensory breaks, the energizing brain breaks help improve attention, focus, retention, self-regulation, and more!
By the end of the school year, we have our classrooms running like well-oiled machines. The students know what to do, when to do it, and what to expect from
There are times throughout the year when it seems like your classes just aren’t going right. You are working hard on your lessons, thinking of engaging applications, and even trying to add ch…
Don’t get me wrong — I love candy. And, a jolly rancher, a tootsie roll, or a starburst can work wonders in the classroom for student motivation and enthusiasm. So can pizza parties, and cupcake days, and brunch, and…I’ve had so many types of food parties I can’t even keep track! Recently, however, I’ve been […]
Too many classroom icebreakers require students to take big social risks with people they barely know. Or they don't really help students get to know each other. Or they are just plain cheesy.
There are times throughout the year when it seems like your classes just aren’t going right. You are working hard on your lessons, thinking of engaging applications, and even trying to add ch…
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Classroom community building activities and free ideas and lesson plans to kick off the school year or implement at any time.
Having a classroom management system in middle school is so hard!! A lot of it is too “elementary” for them and they just won’t buy into it! If you want a management system to work for any grade level, there has to be buy in from the students. When I was in college I had a professor who was like Mr. Feeney to me & he told us, “a child will do anything for a Jolly Rancher.” I used this to my advantage & made it into my classroom management system! Jolly Rancher Wars is a weekly challenge where my…
Are you looking for fun classroom reward coupons for your middle school students but want simple things that don’t cost any money? This set of Editable Reward Coupons contains ten printable sheets of rewards that middle school students actually want to receive! This set includes three different designs: rainbow colors, simple black and white, and a polka dot border design. Each design comes with a printable PDF version and an editable PowerPoint version, so you can personalize the rewards if desired! The following student reward coupons are included in this set: Choose your seat Listen to music Choose first (for a project or presentation spot) Get free time Earn extra credit Late homework Open note test/quiz Drop a low score Positive phone call Bring a treat Get organized this school year with any of our other classroom forms: Classroom Forms Bundle for Middle School Teachers (save 40%) Middle School Lesson Planning Template for Google Drive + PDF Student Behavior Tracking Sheets for Google Drive + PDF Bell Ringer Templates for Google Drive + PDF To Do Lists for Teachers Reward Coupons for Middle School Students Absent Work Form for Middle School Students Substitute Report Form for Middle School (Editable) Hall Pass Template for Middle School Students Parent Communication Log Class Sign Out Sheet Not Prepared Tickets for Middle School Students Tardy Pass Printable Leaving feedback on your purchases helps you earn FREE TPT purchases and provides helpful reviews for other teachers! Please contact us with any questions. Be sure to follow us if you want to be notified when we upload a new product (and products are half off for the first 24 hours!)
Calling a student out in front of their peers can be unavoidable at times. But this can be tricky when you're dealing with middle and high school students.
4 Classroom management tips for your middle school classroom. How to successfully keep and build positive relationships with your students.
Classroom procedures and routines are essential in creating a safe and productive learning environment. Here are 5 suggestions to add structure.
Utilizing classroom jobs save time! This applies to academics, character, and...helping you around your classroom!
Learn about classroom management routines and procedures for middle and high school classrooms in this blog post.
Calming corners for teens are an incredible way to offer a safe space in your classroom for students to reflect and regroup
The ticket system has been a game-changing classroom management strategy for my own high school science classroom.
Have a chatty class? Do your talkative students get louder and louder during small groups until it feels like chaos? Do they talk when you'r...
Classroom jobs work great in middle school, too! Learn about the 10 jobs I use in my classroom and the system I use to keep everything running smoothly.
Brain breaks for middle school students are extremely important not only for everyone's sanity, but for their brain development.
20 middle school routines and procedures to keep your students on the right track and out of trouble. Set your classroom up for success!
10 inexpensive rewards to use in your middle school class.
Use a good behavior grid as a part of your classroom management strategies for your middle school classroom to create a positive learning environment.
