Middle grade books are admittedly some of my favorites to read. Both when I was in middle school and now as an adult. My only regret is that I hardly read

Find your favorite classroom read alouds for upper elementary and middle school students

Here are a few of my favorite books to use as first day read alouds for middle grade students...

We are on to the second last list of classics! If you missed it you can check out the other lists: Classic Novels for Kindergarteners (ages 4-6) Classic

My favorite school days are the ones that find us in a bit of a routine, when my middle school students are to the point where they are energized and enthusiastic while knowing procedures and classroom expectations. One project that has exemplified this glorious balance has been our reader's notebooks.

After a decade of teaching high school art, I've recently moved to teaching middle school art. It's a blast and there is truly NEVER a dull moment. Through some trial and error, I've learned that some projects are more engaging than others. Below are some of my favorite middle school art projects that have yielded

Fun worksheet for your German students to talk about their favorite music! My Favorite Music Worksheet (German)

Here are six essential back to school lessons I’ll be using in my classroom this back-to-school season.

Organize your middle school ELA resources for standards-based learning by starting with the Common Core standards that work together and support each other.

Are you looking for the historical fiction books to get your middle grade reader excited about history? Check out these incredible historical fiction for kids recommended by one of our favorite teachers. These great chapter books will get your middle grade child reading and learning about history. 9 Historical Fiction Novels for Middle Grades from […]

Our list of essential math manipulatives to teach concrete understanding with a hands-on approach! Plus, ideas for how to incorporate them into your classroom.

My favorite grading tips for teachers! Learn how to grade like a boss! Grading papers can be so tedious if you are working inefficiently. These 7 teacher hacks will make you more productive, save you time and ultimately help you get more done! #teachertips #gradingtips #teacherhacks

Pinterest is an explosion of wonderful ideas, and at times can be overwhelming. I decided to wade through my "For School" board and pick the top 10 ideas I want to implement in my classroom next year. 1. Interactive Student Notebooks - I wish I had found these sooner! Source: themiddleschoolmouth.blogspot.com via Nasreen on Pinterest 2. T-Shirt Book Project Source: teachingmyfriends.blogspot.co.uk via Nasreen on Pinterest 3. Magnetic Boggle - What a fun easy game that is already differentiated! Source: facebook.com via Nasreen on Pinterest 4. Easy Dry Erase Markers with Erasers - I have dry erase markers, I have pom poms, I have a glue gun. Source: eberhartsexplorers.blogspot.ca via Nasreen on Pinterest 5. Adjectives Frame - not only would students be practicing adjectives, they would be building confidence in themselves! Plus the photos would be great on our end-of-year slide show. Source: fabulous-fourth.blogspot.com via Nasreen on Pinterest 6. Personalized Class Stationery - We write letters throughout the year and I know the kids would get excited about writing on their unique class stationery. Plus, I'd get to use them too! Source: Uploaded by user via Nasreen on Pinterest 7. Roll a Brain Break - I always forget the different Brain Gym exercises and get stuck doing the same few. This is easily posted on the wall/board and has tons of variety. Plus, it's FREE! Source: yourtherapysource.com via Nasreen on Pinterest 8. Cell Phone Pals - I'm always looking for fun ways to buddy up my kiddos. Source: lewislearninglibrary.blogspot.com via Nasreen on Pinterest 9. Organization! I'm not an expert at it, but I get better every year. My file cabinet is not backed up to a wall this year so I'll be hanging those file pockets up this year. Source: teacheristatales.blogspot.com via Nasreen on Pinterest 10. Classbook - The Social Networking Bulletin Board! Source: plug-n-plan.blogspot.com via Nasreen on Pinterest There are so many more pins that I want (and will!) use in my classroom this year, but these are on my MUST DO list. What are your favorite pins? Like these ideas? Follow my "For School" Board on Pinterest!

Excellent read aloud books for fifth grade. These are all books that I have read aloud and are perfect for reading aloud at home or in a classroom.

There are 9 templates included in this set directed towards Pre-K, K, and 1st Grade! Use this during teacher-led comprehension lessons to assess students ability to retell! Students will be directed to draw and depict their thoughts. Included are - -Beginning Middle and End Retell- Favorite Part Ret...

I develop curriculum for middle school math. I focus on using critical-thinking skills in my content so the math makes sense to the students.

Short stories for middle school - a list of the best short stories for your middle school classroom with tips and teaching ideas.

Tessellations are so much fun to make! This post includes directions and examples for creating tessellations in middle school math.

Finding engaging TED Talks for middle school students is important task in inspiring and motivating your students. Find them right here!

Free printable and digital world map activity worksheet and quiz. Black outline map included for students to locate and label the continents and oceans.

Okay- so this have got to be my FAVORITE new project of the year. I saw someone post a picture on Pinterest from Artsonia where a CD was a rose window and then the Cathedral was drawn behind it. I was like "DUH!!!! What a PERFECT project for using CD's! How have I not thought of this? GENIUS!" I have been waiting for what feels like months for clay to be over and such to try out this idea. I finally had the perfect moment to start this with a group of 5th graders! I first spent about 45 minutes of planning the lesson trying to find an interesting/short/information video on Rose Windows to show my students.... man was that a task. I could find short boring videos, or interesting documentaries - but nothing that fit my whole criteria... well, that is until I found this: Okay - so it isn't exactly perfect and I managed to talk over the part where the guy says "bloody hell" and then I skip the part about the commission for a new rose window. (I am okay with mentioning religion when it comes in context of art/architecture - but I didn't feel it was necessary to bring in the modern religious icons.) The thing I love about the video, other than the accents, is that it shows rose windows, a brief history, and even a few ruins. So, after the video (or before if I remember) I give a little history - set the scene for these mammoth buildings. I try to explain to the kids that these are not 'just stained glass windows' but that these are THE WINDOWS. It is hard to really explain a life to kids where there is no real visual stimulation - there were no billboards, signs, advertisements, ipads, tvs, photographs and such during the time when these were built. People were not use to seeing images at all let alone on such a GRAND scale. I then show some stills of these cathedrals and point out how little the people are, or the chairs on the inside. It is hard to describe how LARGE these structures are without a point of reference. After I get done talking at them (which I try not to do - but sometimes it is necessary), we discuss what they notice about the rose windows while looking at some still photographs. -- Round, symmetrical, colors, patterns go around the center.... etc. I then explain to them that they are going to create their own Rose Window. They can either: A) Start right away - but there is NO erasing sharpie so they will have to problem solve their mistakes. B) Get a scrap sheet of paper and practice a few designs. I hand out CD's and Sharpies and let them go. The next time they come we look at a slide show of Gothic Cathedrals - complete with Rose Windows. After a few photos I put up the picture shown below with 6 Cathedrals side by side. I ask the students to look at them. Compare, contrast the different buildings. What do they have in common, how are they different? They discuss these things at their table, we share a few as a class -- 3 door sections, LOTS of arches, steeples (though not always symmetrical), rose window in the middle, 3 layers (doors, middle, steeple), recessed doors. Next, I pass out 'stone' colored construction paper with a handout containing pictures of the Cathedrals we just looked at. Students use these pictures to help them make their own Gothic structure. They draw with pencil, trace with Sharpie. Then, the last we do is some shading to give the Gothic structures some pizazz. I explain about the sun making shadows and how that helps us understand depth and shape. We discuss that depending on where our light source, the sun, is will determine where our shadows go. I show them how to take a black colored pencil and draw a shadow on the left or right side every line on their paper (excluding where their building and sky meet). (Some struggle with this idea more than others - but its all good). At this point if students want to be done - okay. If they want to go above and beyond I have them go in with a white oil pastel and do the same on the opposite side of each line and color the sky in with a sky color. These are spectacular to look at! I love how each one looks completely different. Amazing!

Ahhh... the EOY PARCC testing is over... my SGO testing is over... all of my end-of-year paperwork is completed!! Happy May Everyone!! So, my question to you is: how do you end your school year? Are you a keep-teaching-until-the-end sorta teacher, or is projects-til-they-drop more your style? I'm the latter. I love projects! And usually, as I struggle to keep up with pacing guides and testing schedules, projects often get dropped from my plans during the school year, so I love busting out all of my most favorites during the last few weeks of school. Right now in math, we are working on this: I've used this project in my classroom for YEARS and it's always a hit! We just started it on Tuesday after our last day of PARCC testing. The kids are already loving it! Their favorite part is dreaming up their rides and giving them outlandish names! They also enjoy creating the menus for their concession stands. I had two boys spend 20 minutes today researching what foods can and cannot be deep fried!! And don't worry!! There is also math :) We started this project a bit earlier in the year than I typically do, because after we finish it, we will be starting on this: This might just be one of the coolest purchases I've ever made on Teachers Pay Teachers! I can't wait to see how it turns out!! I'm in the process of setting up two great projects in ELA, too, so stay tuned, as I'll be posting about them over the next few weeks! So, how do you end your school year? I'd love to hear from you!! Happy Teaching!!

Engage your math students right from the start! In this post, I share five engaging lesson hooks for math, including resource links to get started.

Looking to plan a comprehensive cells unit for your middle school class? Get all the worksheets, presentations, quizzes and tests you need in PDF format!

DISCLAIMER: I am offering these lessons, handouts and videos to you for free. PLEASE do not take my lessons and sell them. Because that would be super crappy of you (yes, someone is doing this. Yes, they are super crappy). Thank you. Going to NAEA in Boston next week? Need some sub plans? Y'all, I got you COVERED! Today I'm sharing my favorite VIDEO sub plans and my tips and tricks to planning for being out. There's nothing like the amount of WORK you gotta do just to take some time off. I'm here to make your life a little easier, I hope. So, without further ado, my Top Ten Sub Plans! Let me just start by saying that the sub plans I am sharing were created for my kindergarten through fourth grade kids. I ALWAYS make a lesson that's age appropriate for all my classes. This makes my prep life so much easier and the life of the sub all the better. For more tips and tricks, check out this video! Lessons like this require a lotta prep. Yeah, I will be keeping it much easier this time. More about how I prep for a sub can be found in this blog post. 1. James Rizzi Cities! This sub plan was a huge hit with all of my kiddos. They started it while I was away and I was able to easily slide back in to a low-mess/low-stress project for them to continue. Lesson, handouts and video can be found here! 2. Loud Mouth Collages! My kids thought these were the most fun ever...while I thought they were the most funniest ever. Complete video lesson and plans here! 3. A Colorful Village! Again this is another lesson that the kids work on while I'm away and we finish up with oil pastel and watercolor when I return. Easy, fun and super colorful. Video and lesson here! 4. Chris Uphues Inspired Hearts! Who doesn't love Chris Uphues and his happy artwork?! My kids love learning about him. I've not only got a video lesson but I have a short clip of an interview I did with Chris and his wife Jen. More here! 5. I am a Super Star! This lessons is so fun...it really incorporates so much, from mixed media to literacy to a good ole boost to the self esteem! I DID ask the sub to make the stars for the kindergarten before they arrived because I'm not that crazy. Lesson here! 6. Collage Monsters! Another fun lesson that the kids really enjoyed. This one required more prep than most, just an FYI. Complete details and video here! 7. Kerri Ambrosino-Inspired Still Life! Need a pop of colorful happy for spring? Try this sub plan on for size. So fun and we busted out the PUFFY PAINT! Lesson here. 8. Wings Mural! I know, you've seen it a thousand times...but the lesson originated here! The feathers were created while I was out on jury duty, I believe...and then we assembled it when I returned. Lesson and video here. 9. Britto-Inspired Collaborative! I love having the kids work on collaboratives when I'm out. It means we have a big beautiful work of art to hang when I return! Lesson video and details all right here! 10. Monochromatic Self Portraits! Lastly, here's a lesson that's always a hit: monochromatic self portraits. We love hanging these in rainbow order for a beautiful display. Have your kiddos follow along with me in this video! There are PLENTY more lessons and videos on my YouTube channel so be sure and give those a glance if none of these strike your fancy. And be sure to subscribe, I upload videos and content all the time. If you are gonna be in Boston, see you there!

Top 3 Units for Middle School General Music. Organized Chaos. Ideas and resources for project based learning with middle school general music students. World music, composition, and careers in music.

I recently developed a slight obsession with Shrinky Dinks. It was one of my favorite crafting activities as a child, and now as a mom, my daughter is having fun with it too. If you’ve never used it, it’s basically thin sheets of plastic that you can cut and color and then bake in the oven, […]

Establishing a positive classroom culture can be a tricky endeavor. You want your classroom to be a warm and inviting place for students to feel welcome and for learning to feel enjoyable, yet at the

The Great Wave off Kanagawa is one of my favorite artworks and beloved around the world. Katsushika Hokusai carved this image into woo...

Establishing a positive classroom culture can be a tricky endeavor. You want your classroom to be a warm and inviting place for students to feel welcome and for learning to feel enjoyable, yet at the

Planning the first day of school can be stressful! Learn my 3 favorite activities that will allow you to have the perfect first day of middle school math!

Middle school novel study favorites - top novel study picks for grade 5-9 to engage and encourage young readers.

in 2021, what should a middle school health curriculum look like? How can we teach health in a way that’s relevant, up-to-date, AND engaging for students?

A multiple choice quiz after reading is a quick and easy way to check student comprehension, but it doesn't allow you to assess deeper understanding and it certainly isn't fun or creative. If you are looking for more meaningful and engaging activities to use with students during literature circles or a novel unit, here's twelve ideas that are favorites in my classroom and the Common Core standards they align with.