Classroom management strategies for middle school are not the same as elementary strategies. Learn how to manage a middle school classroom.
9 valuable lessons I've learned about Classroom Management as a middle school teacher!
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.)
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.
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…
Effective classroom management strategies are essential for a positive and productive learning environment for middle and high school students.
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Middle school teachers are always looking for classroom management tips to strengthen their classroom environment. Check out these classroom tips!
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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!
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…
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…
The ticket system has been a game-changing classroom management strategy for my own high school science classroom.
Need tips for managing station work in middle school? Learn secrets that will ensure success for you and your students! TeachingELAwithJoy.com
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
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…
Classroom procedures and routines are essential in creating a safe and productive learning environment. Here are 5 suggestions to add structure.
Managing a chatty classroom is a skill that any middle school teacher must learn. These seven tips will help manage the talking in their classroom.
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…
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…
My rule #1 in a series about bringing out the best behavior in middle school students, Helpful tips for managing adolescents effectively.
These are the 5 Procedures Every Classroom Needs. From hall passes to supplies to absent work, find the procedures to make your classroom work.
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.)
Teachers are always looking for things to make their day easier. Check out these classroom hacks to make your day more manageable.
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
How to set up and implement a classroom behavior plan that really works, with advice from Smart Classroom Management's Michael Linsin.
So, are you itching for winter break to get here or what?!? I am drowning here, people! Between report cards, conferences (for my students and my own kids!), shopping, baking, parties, wrapping... DROWNING!Don't get me
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 […]
For many students, sixth grade marks the beginning of middle school. Middle school students thrive on independence and responsibility. Effective teachers recognize this and create classrooms to accommodate these student needs. Therefore, we have developed an awesome list of 15 favorite classroom management strategies for you to implement in your classrooms.
Middle school teachers are always looking for classroom management tips to strengthen their classroom environment. Check out these classroom tips!
Student rewards don't have to be expensive or complicated! Incentives for middle school students just have to be fun and consistent.
Motivating those fun middle schoolers can be tricky, right? Here are three incentives classroom tested incentives that you can implement right away to help manage your middle school classroom and make it fun! Seriously.
Necessity is the mother of invention! This Middle School Teacher’s Survival Kit includes almost all the forms and checklists needed to successfully manage a middle school classroom . . . a great inclusion to your files or Teacher Binder! THIS 38-PAGE CLASSROOM FORMS AND CHECKLISTS RESOURCE INCLUDES: Beginning-of-Year Checklist Classroom Expectations (Poster) Beginning-of-Year Letter to Parents Supply Lists (for the beginning of the year and the middle of the year) Student Information Card Homework Check Form Reading Log Form Lost Book Form Computer Protocols Information Sheet TLC Cards for Desks (to give students) TLC Cards for Lockers (to give students) Set Yourself Up for Success (beginning-of-day checklist for students) 2-Minute Countdown (end-of-day checklist for students) Geniuses Testing (to post on classroom door on test days) Substitute Survival Info Substitute Feedback Form Active Listeners (Classroom Poster) Birthday Forms No ELA Homework Coupons No Homework Coupons Late Assignment Form Parent Contact Form End-of-Quarter Assessment Form (for students) Parent-Teacher Conference Form Classroom Library Form Sign-Out Sheet End-of-Day Procedures (Classroom Poster) Teaching Tips and Terms of Use YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: First Days of Middle School: Games and Activities Tools for Positive Behavior Management in Middle School LET'S CONNECT: Follow Literary Sherri on TpT Newsletter with Exclusive Freebies FB Community for 6-12 ELA Teachers Literary Sherri Blog Instagram THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK! If you find this resource useful for your students, please help other teachers find it, also, by leaving feedback. If this resource can be revised to better meet your students' needs, please reach out to me via my email or Q&A tab. GET TpT CREDIT TO USE ON FUTURE PURCHASES: Go to your My Purchases page. Click 'Provide Feedback' to leave a rating and a short comment. Earn TpT credits to redeem on future purchases! I'm over-the-moon happy to create resources for you and your students! Thank you for stopping by. Questions? Please email: [email protected] © Literary Sherri www.literarysherri.com
Read 10 great ideas and solutions for solving the lost pencils problem in classrooms in this blog post.
20 middle school routines and procedures to keep your students on the right track and out of trouble. Set your classroom up for success!
Also known as sensory breaks, the energizing brain breaks help improve attention, focus, retention, self-regulation, and more!
Last school year, I had very ambitious dreams about starting a classroom economy system in my room. I was desperate for a way to tie in the ...
Routines help us accomplish our goals. Usually around this time of the year, we often start new routines with the hope of making good on our New Year’s Resolutions. This year, I’m resolving to start and revamp two of the most significant classroom routines: bellringers and exit tickets. I’ve been using both of these strategies
