Use this one page sheet as your student interview for your special education evaluations! It will give you important information about how they see themselves, their social connections, second language use, academics, extracurricular interests, current goals, and future plans after high school. This...
Use Mentor Sentences in your ELA middle school classroom to improve student writing! Find practical ideas to teach writing skills.
Motivate students with independent reading by adding engaging reading sprints...turn the traditional reading log upside down!
10 inexpensive rewards to use in your middle school class.
This is a great sheet and activity to use with middle and high school students to help them get to know one another while you learning about them! :) The activity portion of this includes current famous people, shows, and trends to help engage students as they are matching up into pairs! This set includes: -A secondary appropriate "About Me" sheet (#mylife) -An interview sheet for the partner activity (#interview) -Directions for use -2 Lists for having students get into pairs effortlessly
Do you want to find motivating games for the older students on your caseload? Although I do not work with that age group now, I have worked with them in the past. It is a very difficult group to work with. Curriculum expectations are getting more intense, self awareness kicks in, and planning can be a nigh ...
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.
10 inexpensive rewards to use in your middle school class.
Giving classroom jobs to middle school and high school students allows them to feel useful and creates a sense of belonging in the classroom. In applying for and carrying out classroom jobs, students will practice real world skills plus it takes a few tasks off your plate, allowing you to focus more on instruction. Read on for how to get started and ideas for jobs.
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.
Show your middle school math students the relevance of what they are learning with this fun bulletin board kit that answers the age-old question "When are we ever going to use this?" This bulletin board includes the letters to spell out "When are we ever going to use this?" and includes 15 cards that each feature a middle school math topic and 4 unique jobs that use that math skill. The topics included in this set are: decimals, fractions, integers, percents, ratios & proportions, angles, area & volume, transformations, equations, exponents, slope & linear functions, data analysis, probability, measurement, and problem solving. (Please see the preview for a look at all of the included cards!) Included in the zip folder that you download are both a printable pdf and an svg file. The pdf is for traditional printing and cutting by hand on 8.5 x 11 paper, while the svg can be used with your cutting machine to save you time and energy!! This is a great bulletin board for the secondary math classroom to remind your students of the importance of math! Check out more middle school math classroom decor here!
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!
Tessellations are so much fun to make! This post includes directions and examples for creating tessellations in middle school math.
Manage your middle schoolers during speech therapy with my 10 best strategies for behavior management to encourage and motivate!
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.
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.
Finding engaging TED Talks for middle school students is important task in inspiring and motivating your students. Find them right here!
I use this weekly grade reflection as a bellringer for my AVID elective and academic intervention classes. Each section is labeled with the day of the week that to be completed. It has helped students remain accountable for knowing their academic standing as well as talking to their teachers about...
Description: Do you need a syllabus or expectation letter for the start of a new school year? These templates are perfect for the first week of school and will help you lay out all your expectations, routines, and class information. These templates were designed for middle school classrooms but could work in any grade level. The templates come in six different versions and are 100% editable. The fonts, lines, headings, etc. can all be moved and adjusted. *MUST HAVE POWERPOINT TO USE THIS RESOURCE! What's Included: A PowerPoint file with 6 different versions of the Syllabus/Expectation Letter Template (100% editable) Two examples of the Syllabus/Expectation Letter filled out Digital Family Survey (Google Form) that is editable Headings on the Syllabus/Expectation Letter include: COURSE DESCRIPTION, COURSE OUTLINE, GRADING, SUPPLIES NEEDED, ITEMS NOT ALLOWED, CLASS RULES, REWARDS, CONSEQUENCES, HOMEWORK, LATE WORK, LEAVING THE CLASSROOM, TARDIES, How I Like to Use this Product: This is a resource that I use in my classroom every year at the beginning of the school year. I will pass this handout out to students during the first week of school and we go over the information together. I also insert a link or QR code to the Family Survey on the handout and ask parents to fill it out so I can get to know their child better. Thank you for visiting my store! I am SO honored you are here! Being able to share ideas with other teachers brings me great joy! If you like this product, please leave a review or share a picture on Instagram of this product in your classroom! Don’t forget to tag @mrsnelsonsmiddles!
It's the first week of Phys Ed and the start of a new school year which means a clean slate and new beginnings. The start of the school year is key because it sets the
I fell in love working in speech therapy for middle school! Don't let this awesome group intimidate you, but read about the pros and cons!
With so many of my BIG KIDS struggling with fluency, I worked to make it a part of my daily work with students, a Tier 1 intervention that the majority of the class could benefit from. Reading fluency incorporates three main components: speed, accuracy, and prosody, which directly impact comprehension. While I have shared a great deal about incorporating 6-Minute Solutions, here are a few other ways I worked to make fluency fun for my 6th graders.
Are you looking for a fun back to school activity for your middle school science class? This is the perfect activity for the first day of science class. You can use this as a way to teach your students transitions and rotations. I love using the final picture to decorate the classroom with student work! Download includes a PDF file with the following: - Teacher's directions and example - Bulletin Board Title - Student Bunting Banner to complete - 8 task cards with directions for the banner - Google Slides™ slideshow of the task cards Other products you might like: - Math Reference Bulletin Board (with hexagons!) - Math Hanging Calendars for Middle School - Math Affirmation Bulletin Board Are you using one of my products? Post one on Instagram and tag me @countonkupe so I can share! If you would like to see my products in action, check out my website COUNT ON KUPE. Questions? Email me at [email protected] ** How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases ** Go to your My Purchases page. Beside each purchase, you will see a “Provide Feedback” button. Click it and give a rating and leave a comment! You will have credits to use on future purchases. ** Be the first to hear about my new products and discounts! ** Click HERE to become a follower. You will then see my updates! Let me know what you think! Happy Teaching!
The immune system is such an important body system to teach your students. I love teaching the immune system lesson and other body systems!
These simple four ways to increase classroom student engagement and motivation are the key to running an effective classroom.
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…
Team-building activities in the middle school classroom are a great way to build relationships at the beginning of the school year!
Using Math Stations in Middle School can be daunting but when you have tried and tested materials you know that they can and will work in your classroom.
Engage students with exciting trashketball games! Discover fun back to school games for icebreakers, reviews, and learning classroom rules.
Interactive notebooks are useful in any subject area. In my science classroom, students used them for all of their Do Nows, all of their ...
30 social-emotional learning strategies for middle school kids to boost confidence and strengthen SEL skills students need for success.
I am incorporating many of the amazing ideas that I have come across on Pinterest and this is one of them. It's a missing assignment form, which you have students turn in when they do not have an assignment. I thought it would make it much easier to keep track of those who did not do something versus those who are absent. So here it is!
There are so many ways to use math task cards in upper elementary and middle school. This game uses math task cards with a bit of a twist!
Fun set of classroom rules posters appropriate for middle school and high school classes. Hashtags on each poster help the kids relate the rules to their favorite thing - social media. Posters have black and white stripes in the background with a small piece of "washi tape" at the top. Included in the package is a printable PDF file with all of the rules size 11 x 8.5. Rules: 1. Be on time, prepared, on task, and ready to learn every day. 2. Be responsible for your own learning and actions. 3. Keep all personal electronics, especially your phone, put away. 4. Respect your teachers, peers, school property, technology, and yourself. 5. Maintain a clean and healthy learning environment. 6. Keep trying until you succeed. Giving up is not an option.
Botany Homeschool Curriculum Review of Botany in 8 Lessons Grades 4-8. I'm having a guest review a botany homeschool curriculum. I have more tips on my how to homeschool middle school page.
Give your students a taste of adventure with over 20 free digital escape rooms to try at home or at school. Doing distance learning? These are perfect!
Introduce your students to the world of debate! When my students first heard the word debate, they imagined a shouting match with classmates. To help them understand that debates are a formalized process, I created this activity. It has helped my students understand the individual roles and process of debating in class. Included in this product are: * Detailed instructions for the teacher * 15 Student approved topics (plus one extra card for your own topic) * Student pages to guide them through the process Related Products ⭐ Book Talks - Student Led ⭐ Biography Research Report ⭐ World War II Photo Analysis (emphasis on the war) Grab your FREE Critical Thinking organizer here! ©MiddleSchoolCafé Please note: this resource is for use by one teacher only. Additional teachers must purchase their own license or if your school is part of TpT for Schools, they may purchase a transferable license. May this resource help engage each of your students in the learning process. Let’s stay connected! Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/552730182053905 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/ Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/midschoolcafe/
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 few years ago, I teamed up with my friend Noelle from Maneuvering the Middle to put together our favorite teaching strategies and class management ideas as
Interactive notebooks are coming more popular in all classrooms, but how do you know if you should implement them? Get the benefits of interactive notebooks
Ready to "cook up" a great first day of school? It's easy with this recipe for a successful start to the school year! PREP: ➤ Think about how you will set the tone for your classroom on the first day of school. ➤ Plan to keep students engaged and active. ➤ Prepare to build a positive rapport with students from the first instant that they become a part of the classroom community. INGREDIENTS: ➤ Warm-Up Activity ➤ Get-to-Know-You Activity ➤ Game that gets students out of their seats ➤ Get-to-Know-the-Teacher Activity ➤ Writing Prompt ➤ Extension Activity Once you've gathered your ingredients, you can get "cooking!" (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE RECIPE!) PROCEDURE: STEP 1: Begin with a warm-up activity. Place an activity on students' desks that they can complete independently. You might try a simple survey or poster. An All About Me poster is a quick way to learn about students. You can even gather them together for an awesome classroom display. Or, a survey is a wonderful way to collect information about students. You might include questions about where students like to sit, their favorite way to learn, and activities that they enjoy so that you can start connecting with students. Another awesome warm-up activity is an "All About You" name tag. Students answer questions about themselves while coloring in a name tag based on their responses. Then, students can place the name tag on their desks to help you learn your students' names. This activity is particularly awesome if you have multiple sets of students. You can collect the name tags and re-distribute them each day during each class while you learn names. Oh, and as a bonus, you can gather them together and leave them with substitute teachers throughout the year! If you'd like to check out ready-made Back to School Warm-Ups, just click here for the poster, here for the survey, and here for the name tags. STEP 2: Mix in a get-to-know-you activity. Give students a chance to share about themselves and learn about their classmates with an engaging get-to-know-you activity. One of my favorites is a doodle-inspired mini-book. Students transform a single sheet of paper into a doodley mini-book all about themselves. After students make the mini-book it's fun to hang them on a clothesline. Then, as students finish their work during the first days of school, you can encourage fast-finishers to grab a classmate's mini-book and learn about him or her. Check out the doodle mini-book HERE. Or, you could have students create this 3-D About Me Activity. Students create an infographic-style book about themselves. After answering some simple questions, they do a little cutting and gluing to create a 3-D "About Me" display. These are especially fun because students can set them on their desks and then everyone can tour around the classroom and learn about their peers. (These are awesome for Open House too!) Learn more HERE. STEP 3: Scatter in an activity that gets students moving. Since students crave opportunities to get up and out of their seats, plan to get your class moving on the first day of school. You might have students complete a scavenger hunt or even play a learning game that requires students to move around. I'm a huge fan of this simple get-to-know-you activity that gets students moving (and you can download it for FREE here.) First, students make paper airplanes. They write their name and 3 interview questions on the wings. Then, students line up shoulder-to-shoulder and launch the planes. Next, they pick up a classmate's plane, find him or her, and ask the interview questions. You can repeat the airplane launch as often as you'd like! Find everything you need to do this activity in this FREEBIE. If you'd like to combine movement and learning on the first day of school, then you and your students will love this Back to School Doodle Infographic. First students fill in the infographic with facts about school. There are 21 facts and you can hide them around the room to get students moving. Then, they put together the infographic to make a fun and doodle-y poster! Check it out HERE. STEP 4: Sprinkle in a chance for students to get-to-know-you (their teacher). On the first day of school, students are very curious about you. They want to learn about you, so you'll want to be sure to share about yourself. You can give a simple biography of yourself, or you might try these easy and engaging activities: Create a teacher interview question along with 4 or 5 prize cards for each student in your class. Then, tape the questions and the prize cards under students' seats before class begins. During class, explain to students that they all have something under their chairs. It might be a question and it might be a prize. If they get a prize card, have students keep it quiet. Then, call on students. They can either read a question for you to answer or reveal that they won a prize. If they won, you might give them a pencil, piece of candy, or a homework pass. You can find all my favorite questions HERE. Or, you might have students complete a "Teacher Guess" about you. First, they predict the answers to questions about you. Then, as you reveal the answers, they earn points for every correct prediction. It's a fun activity that students truly enjoy! You can check it out HERE. STEP 5: Add a fun writing prompt to your back to school activities. A writing prompt is a great way to gather a baseline for students' writing on the first day of school. You might give students a simple prompt about their summer or goals for the new school year. However, I love to add a fun creative writing prompt into the mix. For example, with this writing prompt students select a setting, character, problem, and 3 random objects. Then, they need to work them all into a story. It's fun, engaging, and a great way to see where your students are starting the school year. Find this writing prompt HERE or check out this collection of 10 creative writing activities. STEP 6: Top it off with a review of tomorrow's warm-up. Set students up for success during your next day of school by quickly reviewing what they will need to do when they arrive to class. If you're planning to have students work through warm-ups like these This or That ELA warm-ups where students choose to do the "this" or the "that" activity, then you might quickly review what will be waiting on their desks when they arrive. Taking the time to preview tomorrow's warm-up is a great way to set expectations for students! If you're looking for some daily warm-ups, you might want to check out these This or That ELA warm-ups or these This or That Writing warm-ups! STEP 7: Don't forget to have an extension activity just in case your lesson ends early. I love playing games like "Move If You..." which you can find for FREE HERE. While you may never get to the extension activity, it's a lifesaver if you need it! TIPS: When you're following this recipe for a great first day of school, you might want to: ➤ Greet students at the door and answer these questions for students right away: ➨ Where do I sit? ➨ Am I in the right classroom? ➨ What should I be doing right now? ➤ Also, be prepared to manage students' behavior on the first day of school. Ensure that you have a positive classroom management system in place and ready to use if you need it! Well, there you have it, my recipe for a great first day of school. Be sure to download all the ideas with links AND the FREE airplane activity HERE! CHECK THIS OUT! I've put together a 100+ page guide for back to school for teachers. It includes tips, tools, and printables for classroom décor, classroom organization, lesson planning, community building, and planning the first day of school. It's absolutely FREE! Just click here to sign up. When you sign up, you'll get access to 6 mini-courses that cover everything Back to School including classroom design, organization, curriculum planning, and ways to build a positive classroom community. There's also a TON of exclusive freebies, bonuses, and videos! If you'd like to learn more and sign up, just click HERE. Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. If you'd like MORE free resources for your classroom, be sure to join the Brain Waves Instruction club!
As a middle school science teacher, I always love teaching the scientific method to my students. There are so many routes you can take with teaching it, and I’ve tried many of them. If you’re gearing up to teach the scientific method, then you might benefit from reading this post. (See what I did there?) You probably have many questions. When should I teach the scientific method? What all should I include in my unit? What order should I teach the topics of the scientific method? How do I go about teaching the scientific method? In this post I’ll share what’s worked for me. Plus, you’ll find some links to FREE resources to help get you started. When Should I Teach the Scientific Method? I want my students to have a good handle on lab safety before getting started with the scientific method because it involves labs, tools, and sometimes harmful chemicals. The scientific method is important for studying science in general, so I teach it as early in the year as possible. It is my second unit (right after lab safety). I bring the scientific method up throughout the year, whenever we have labs. After winter break I have a week-long review to brush up on the more difficult aspects of the scientific method. What Should I Include in My Scientific Method Unit? In What Order Should I Teach the Topics? Obviously, all groups of students are different. My seventh graders always come in with very, very little experience with the scientific method. Knowing that, I start with the basics and go over everything I think they need to know to successfully use the scientific method. I recommend giving your students a preassessment before the unit to gauge what topics you can skip and which you need to hammer into your students’ skulls. Here are the topics I always include in my scientific method unit and the general order in which I teach them: The Steps of the Scientific Method Independent and Dependent Variables Scientific Questions Hypotheses Observations and Inferences Research and Procedures Constants/Controlled Variables Analyzing Data/Graphs Scientific Conclusions How Do I Go About Teaching the Scientific Method? In my class, each of the nine topics listed above starts with interactive notebook notes in combination with a PowerPoint. (See the video below of the interactive science notebook pages I use. They're all available in my store and you can get the INB pages in my Scientific Method Interactive Notebook Pages Bundle.) After introducing the topic via notes and a PowerPoint, the students get practice in the form of stations, activities, and/or worksheets. Lastly, I assess each topic with an exit ticket to determine if we need to keep working on the current topic or if we’re ready to move on to the next. The single most important scientific method resource I have is my Scientific Method Stations. I use them at least three times in the unit because they’re so versatile. They give students practice identifying variables, writing good hypotheses, designing procedures etc. I just post them around the room at the beginning of the unit and they stay there until the day of the unit test. I truly believe they are a great resource for the middle school science classroom. They are one of my most loved and best selling resources, so I decided to make a second set. I added my Scientific Method Stations V2 to my store in September 2023! But Really, What Do You Do for Each Topic? The Steps of the Scientific Method: I go over what the scientific method is, what it’s used for, the order of the steps, and what each step might look like. Independent and Dependent Variables: I go over the definitions of independent and dependent variables and how to identify them in an experiment. Then we practice. And practice. And practice some more. Eventually it clicks and then my students HAVE GOT IT DOWN. Scientific Questions: Students learn about what a good scientific question needs to have. We review variables again while examining good and bad scientific questions. Group work and games can be fun with this. Hypotheses: Students learn what a hypothesis is and how to write a good hypothesis. Even my best students need to learn the If/then version of writing a hypothesis because they have only been taught the “I think blah blah blah will happen” version. Hypotheses typically need a lot of practice. Here is a free coloring worksheet to help your students write good hypotheses and identify independent and dependent variables. Observations and Inferences: Students learn the definitions of qualitative and quantitative observations and how to use those to make inferences. Here is a free observation activity you can use in your class. Research and Procedures: Research is straightforward so we briefly discuss where to find accurate information. For procedure, we learn what it is, why it’s important, and what happens if a procedure is poorly written. Constants/Controlled Variables: This is hands down the hardest part of the scientific method for my students. We go over what constants are, why they are important, and how to identify them in experiments. Students need TONS of practice with this. Here is a free exit ticket to check if your students have mastered constants. Analyzing Data/Graphs: I go over where independent and dependent variables go on graphs, what good graphs include, and types of graphs. Then we practice interpreting graphs. I try to include as much data analysis throughout the year as possible because my students always need practice with this. Here is a free data analysis worksheet and a free data analysis Boom Deck. Scientific Conclusions: Students learn what should be included in a good conclusion and practice writing a good conclusion using a data table and graph from an experiment. I hope this post gives you a good starting point for planning your scientific method unit. I love teaching the scientific method and have created many resources for my students. You can find my scientific method resources here, including interactive notebook pages, activities, worksheets, and assessments. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to post a question below or message me. Thanks for reading and have a great school year! You can get another free scientific method resource just for signing up for my newsletter. Sign up for my newsletter here. I added an option in my store to get all of my scientific method resources in one discounted bundle: Scientific Method HUGE Bundle.
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
