Teaching middle school is like no other teaching assignment - like no other task on Earth for that matter. As a teacher, you need to be just the right mix of cool and strict - but most important, calm. You need to have a good relationship with your students overall based on mutual respect. But that's much easier said than done. Here's the thing about middle schoolers in particular: They want to look good in front of their peers. What their peers think of them is of utmost importance to them (whether they are in touch with that reality or not). Therefore, they will "save face" if they think you, the teacher, are criticizing them or making them look bad in any way. (Meanwhile, you meant no harm; you were simply calling them out on a behavior they clearly exhibited). The thing is you can't call them out in front of their peers. I mean you can, but you shouldn't. Whenever possible, call out their less-than-stellar behavior one-on-one, without their peers hearing it. This could mean going to their desk and whispering, or waiting for a good time to call them to your desk ever so calmly. It's easier to call them out from wherever you are, but if you want your class under control and to maintain respect, somehow arrange a private convo instead. The Goal is this, which is my #1 Rule for Teaching Middle School: No Power Struggles Have you ever noticed how some kids act so differently when their peers aren't around? Let's say a kid in your class before lunch was really pushing your buttons and disrupting class, but then he forgets his lunch in your room. He comes back to get it. You two talk. He's really nice and respectful! You have a pleasant conversation. You're wondering if this is the same person or perhaps a twin brother you weren't aware of. What is going on? IT'S BECAUSE HIS PEERS AREN'T THERE! I'm using a boy as an example, but the same thing applies to girls. Do NOT try to address a student's behavior in full view of his or her peers (a.k.a. the audience). You could get yourself into a full-blown power struggle before you know it. At first, by drawing attention to his or her behavior in front of his or her peers, you may inadvertently say something or suggest something that makes the student, from his or her perspective, look bad or uncool or different in some way. If you're not careful, you might find that the child you're disciplining escalates the situation, essentially trying to look good at any cost, even if that means receiving a negative consequence. For some kids, receiving a negative consequence is just more attention (and even negative attention is attention) and the whole situation will most likely make most of the students in the class think you're the bad guy and he or she is the good guy. You don't want that. There should not be a bad guy or a good guy, just you the teacher calmly in control. What you want to do is simply find a way to calmly speak to the student one-on-one. Keep your voice calm, logically explain everything, follow through on a fitting consequence OUT OF VIEW OF THEIR PEERS and most likely you'll avoid the full-blown power struggle. And, whenever possible, DO POINT OUT POSITIVE BEHAVIORS IN FRONT OF THEIR PEERS. Give them the good attention they want deep down inside. Say something like "Hey everyone, I really like how Alex is using his notes to write his essay. Wow, he's almost done." I heard you are supposed to give five praises for every one disciplinary comment. I say I heard that, because I need to work on that lol. GOOD LUCK! Here's another trick I learned. When you provide your students with high-interest learning resources they feel are relevant to them and interesting in some way, they will actually behave better. They will get sucked into whatever you are trying to get them read, write, or do and forget about misbehaving. So, that's why I created these high-interest informational texts and tasks. I went out of my way to make the articles super interesting to middle schoolers by writing about things that interest them. And, guess what? It worked. I keep hearing from teachers how kids get so into these passages. They actually want to answer the questions. They even want to discuss the articles as a group. And teachers keep reporting how much time and hassle I have saved them. I did that by aligning every text and task to a specific Reading Informational Text Standard and did that 10 times to cover all 10 of them individually. Now teachers don't have to go searching for the right articles that bring out the right skills. Try both volumes and use them all year long! Your students are actually going to behave better because they won't be bored! I even made them in both PDF and interactive Google Slides in case you want the easy distance learning option! And don't forget to pin this so you can read it again or share it with a friend. Best wishes to you this year! You got this!
You can teach language arts without a curriculum. Get ideas for how you can use inexpensive resources to easily teach language arts in your homeschool!
Have you ever heard of Love Languages ? I use them all of the time in my marriage and I try to show care and kindness to my friends in ways that speak to their love languages as well. But have you ever thought about using them in the classroom to help your students interact with each othe
Unconventional Ideas for Homeschool Writing and Language Arts • We want to find engaing ways to cultivate a love of learning and creative writing.
Use stories and illustrations told by the Metis People to enhance your Indigenous art lessons with this ready to use activity.
Simple STEM Stories will help you merge literacy and STEM with fun and engaging, hands-on STEM challenges based on a children's book.
A lesson plan! A lesson plan! My kingdom for a lesson plan!
Looking for first day ELA ideas? Try these fun get to know you activities in your middle school or high school English class!
I'm breaking out of my blogging silence today with a post about a task I call "Word Graffiti." This activity is perfect before you have your students read anything with some vocabulary they've not seen before. I had my class read a short article I wrote on the Holocaust. There were some words I felt I needed to include in the text, but I knew they wouldn't have heard them in any other context. The words were: - corruption - devastation - inhumane - vainly - revolt - ghettos I wrote these words each on a whiteboard and placed them on table groups around the room. You could do the same with chart paper, I was just trying to be a bit environmentally friendly. Students traveled the room in table groups, and I gave them about 3-5 minutes per board. Each group had only 1 white board marker to use, so they had to work together to decide what they wanted to write. You can put down anything you think the word means or reminds you of. You are to read what groups before you wrote, but you don't need to agree with their ideas. That being said, you can't erase them either. As you can see, there were a lot of good connections and ideas floating around my classroom. My favourite is "electricity" for "revolt" because of the "volt" part of the word. Great ideas, but many were way off. I did have one student who knew "vainly" because I guess her mother tells her she is vain for looking in mirrors all the time. Ha! This task took us about 45 minutes from starting instructions to final discussion. We didn't read the article that day. However, the next day, after a night of processing they were all pros with those 6 big words! And, months later, they all still know what each 6 mean, which is most important. What do you do to get your students thinking about vocab before reading?
It's been a while since I've posted a project - it always seems to be that I'll have a couple of weeks where we are "in process", then sudd...
Looking for fun Color Worksheets for preschool? You've found them and a bunch of fun, hands-on, play-based learning centers as well. Recognition, sorting and more.
I'm really excited to share our 4th grade homeschool curriculum lineup. It's going to be an adventure filled year!
Love Language print - the word 'love' handwritten in several different European languages. Pairs wonderfully with our Hello Languages print. All our designs are giclée printed on to premium matte 230gsm archival art paper. Available as an unframed print or in an wood, white or black frame. All frames are handmade in th
Have I mentioned how creative my kiddos are!? I could shout it from the rooftop! They never seize to amaze me with their ideas and passion for learning. They remind me why I love my job so much. I love watching them learn. In writing, we have been working on our writers crafts. We have been trying to enhance our own writing by adding figurative language to engage our audience. Today, we focused on onomatopoeias. I introduced the lesson by reviewing what we already knew about the craft. In fifth and sixth grade, a lot of the things we are focusing on in writing is review. Most of my students have a pretty good handle on the idea. We talked about where we see onomatopoeias most often. They responded by saying things like, "children's books", "captions", and "comics". We centered our focus on the latter. Some many of my students are so interested in comic books. I decided this was a wonderful way to incorporate this! I gave the students each a blank comic consisting of a variety of frames. They were in charge of creating a comic using onomatopoeias! One onomatopoeias had to be present in each frame. They turned out wonderfully! I gave them mine as an example: The students' had so much fun reading their peers comics in the hallway. I loved hearing them standing outside my door reading the onomatopoeias with such emotion! "BANG! BOOM! CRASH!" The hallway has been filled with figurative language excitement.
Teaching reading can be challenging! The good news is that there are a lot of fun and exciting ways to help our kids fall in love with reading and writing without a boxed curriculum. In fact, I’m convinced we can teach our homeschoolers language arts without a curriculum. Reading and writing are probably two of...
We started the year with a new idea for our Language Arts. We are doing themes this year, which I just LOVE! We started out the year with...
This blog post shares activities to teach creative writing, along with creative writing prompts and lesson plans your students will love!
All-in-one Language Arts Curriculum- 7Sisters Style! Teens love 7Sisters' no-busywork style. Now they can have their ELA curriculum.
We all have a love language- find out which one is yours! Understanding love languages can help you nourish your relationship and maintain a strong foundation with your partner.
This year I decided to go all in with Masterbooks homeschool curriculum, including Language Lessons For A Living Education Level 1. I picked this language arts because it's open and go, lessons are short, and it covers spelling and grammar. I can't wait to show you what the inside looks like, why it's been a
Make learning figurative language fun with these engaging activities for elementary students! Activities to teach similes, metaphors, & more!
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
2nd Grade English Worksheets are such a fantastic way for kids to learn their grammar. Worksheets are fun and your kids can have fun while learning better communication. Adjectives, antonyms, compound words, verbs, nouns and pronouns can all be more fun with worksheets. When they’re done, they’ll make sentences like nobody’s business. Print them all […]
These quick, low prep vocabulary activities are perfect for studying key words and vocabulary in any subject area. These 6 Vocabulary Activities will get students talking and practicing vocabulary terms in a variety of fun activities in your math, science, language arts, history and other classes. In this download you will find the six vocabulary activity templates for use with your own terms, directions, and examples for use. The six vocabulary activities include: Fraher model concept maps- Vocabulary graphic organizer to use when introducing new terms. Student graphic organizer, student example, and directions included. Vocabulary Dice- Vocabulary review game to play with a partner. Directions and student game board included. Post-It with a Partner- Vocabulary review activity/game to play with a partner. Directions, student example, and game board included. Question Chart- Individual vocabulary practice activity which encourages students to make connections with words. Directions, student example, and graphic organizer included. Interview with a Word- Partner vocabulary review activity that gets students thinking more deeply about vocabulary words. Directions and question slips included. Six Squares- Individual practice and vocabulary review activity. Also serves as a great formative assessment. Directions, student example and graphic organizer included. You might also like: Quotes on Leadership for Students Real World Simple Equations Worksheet Comparing Functions Matching Game Scientific Notation Notes Presentation Lesson on Courage We hope you and your students enjoy this product! -Idea Galaxy
Fun ideas for teaching adjectives and descriptive writing that are just right for October and Halloween week in the primary classroom.
These book recommendations for high school students include new titles and classic literature for the English Language Arts classroom.
This post shares a collection of videos for reviewing or teaching figurative language, including metaphors, similes, hyperbole, and personification.
This Brave Writer review from a skeptic turned enthusiast will help you decide whether or not to try this unconventional homeschool language arts curriculum
Learn how to play this fun place value game and download your free Place Value Yahtzee score sheets.
Add the perfect finishing touch to your oasis with these AD-approved bedroom wall decor ideas, from gallery walls to tapestries
Fonts play a big role in creating classroom worksheets, activities and many teachers love making their own! Here are 42 free fonts that were created by teachers and will help make your classroom activities bright, whimsical and add just the right touch.
The pencils are sharpened, your classroom is clean and the bell rings…gulp…here they come! My feelings on the first week of school are conflicted. On one hand, it’s one of the most important weeks. Explaining and practicing the class procedures and expectations sets the tone for the rest of the school year. Success is vital. On the other hand, I’m so excited to start teaching my historical content that waiting until all the expectations are explained requires a lot of patience! Every teacher has their own plan of action for that pivotal time. Here are 5 things I can’t live without during the first week of school: One: An Icebreaker. I aim to try and make kids feel comfortable in my classroom on day one. One of my favorite little activities is Fact or Fiction. Each student receives a small slip of paper and they’re instructed to write one fact and two fictions. Then each person (including myself!) introduces themselves and we all try to guess which statement is the fact! It’s a great way to quickly learn about each other. Two: Classroom Information and Expectations. This is every teacher’s staple, I know, but it had to go on the list because it’s a must-have! When you’re making your own, spell everything out – from the obvious grading procedures and late work policy to how to pass back papers and when to sharpen pencils and go to the bathroom. Trust me, leave no stone unturned. Your classroom will function much better if you set the tone from day one. (Oh, and don’t forget a seating chart!) Three: Fun and Games. On the second day of school, I love to start class with a little game. It’s a great way for the kids to start practicing our classroom procedures and expectations while getting familiar with their teacher and classmates. Here are some of my favorite games that I use during the first week of school: (P.S. Some of these activities can be found in my Back to School Activities resources! Click the grade level you’re teaching to check them out: Sixth, Seventh, Eighth) InstaFriend: This activity gets students moving around the room and interviewing fellow classmates! Their InstaFriend paper has a series of descriptions and characteristics. When they find a student who matches the description, they write their name in the box. Each name can only be used once! Right or Wrong: I love skits. LOVE THEM. I like to introduce students to the idea of skits during the first week by allowing them to create their own based on our class expectations. I first divide students into small groups of 2-3. Each group then randomly receives one of our class procedures or expectations. As a group, they have to work together to create two mini skits – one showing the RIGHT way to follow the expectation, the other showing the WRONG way. They get to be silly and I get to reinforce my class expectations. After each skit I happily point out all the positive behaviors as well as each time a class policy was violated. It’s a light-hearted way to grab their attention and create a positive atmosphere all while practicing the laws of the land. Classmate Bingo: I love to play this game at the end of the first week. I give each student a blank bingo board with a large selection of personal characteristics, hobbies, etc. at the bottom. The students choose 16 off the list and create their customized board. Then, I randomly select characteristics from the list. If a student has that characteristic on their board, they have to write down a student’s name that matches the characteristic – but no cheating! They have to use what they’ve learned about others during their first week of school to try and win the game. Four: A Pre Test. After a few days of class information and fun, it’s time to start getting down to business. Each year, I make a short pre-test on the information they’ll learn about that year. It gives me a chance to see what the kids already know and gives them a feel for what subject matter they’ll be learning about in the coming weeks. FYI: Your pre-test probably won’t take the whole class period. Make sure to have plans for other activities, too, on the day you give your pre-test! Five: A Writing Activity. True fact: when I tell kids they’re going to do a writing activity, they groan every time. It’s a signal that the “real work” is about to begin. Luckily, they’re always relieved when I assure them that this activity will require very little research because it’s about a subject they’re experts in – themselves! I have a few different activities to choose from each year. Here are some suggestions: Student Survey: What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What do you hope to learn in this class? These are just some of the questions I ask students in the survey. The more I know about my students, the better I can help them achieve success in my class. Write Away: A staple of many: write a letter to a future you! I ask students to write goals for the year, dreams they wish to see realized, and questions they want to ask their “End of the Year” self. I tuck these letters away and revisit them during the last week of school. I’m Ready: Like every middle school history class, we do a lot of writing and students always have to back up their reasons, statements, etc. with evidence to support their claim. In this writing activity, students have to identify which class rule or expectation they believe is most important and provide evidence to support their claim. This activity both reinforces my classroom policies and secretly gives me a preview of their writing proficiency. Have I left anything out? If you have any fun plans for the first week of school, share them in the comments. I’m always looking for new ideas for my classroom!
Free Hands-On Math Printables for learning symmetry! Students LOVE these symmetry pattern block printables, great for preschool math learning centers.
Get your students settled and learning as soon as class starts by using bell ringers for middle school ELA!
What is blackout poetry? Poetry writing that all students can feel successful with. Here's how to teach it. Freebie included!
I am all done with parent conferences and it feels great! I had the most terrific year and I’m so happy to share my students’ progress with their parents. During parent conference time, I always love to have lots of student work to display. I absolutely love to incorporate student pictures into student work. This ... Read More about Silhouette Autobiographies and Read Across America
Kids will have fun learning beginning letter sounds with these free printable ocean-themed clip cards. Perfect for an easy preschool and kindergarten phonics activity.
Have you ever heard a word that sounds like the sound it describes? That’s called onomatopoeia. It’s a literary device that is used to describe a sound by imitating it with a word. For example, the word “buzz” imitates the sound of a bee. Onomatopoeia is used in literature, poetry, and even in everyday language. ... Read more
Embrace your students’ excitement about Halloween with these Halloween activities for grades 4-5, including math, science, and reading! Freebies included!
