Organization and setup for middle school social studies classroom with lots of pictures and social studies bulletin board ideas.

If you're looking to learn more about daily agenda slides to save time, you're in the right place! This post features agenda slides tips and examples.

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

Good study habits and techniques are critical to help students learn more efficiently, feel more academically confident, persevere through challenges, and ultimately do their best. Sometimes, it's easy to assume that learners already have these skills intact. The truth is that they sometimes don't;

Good study habits and techniques are critical to help students learn more efficiently, feel more academically confident, persevere through challenges, and ultimately do their best. Sometimes, it's easy to assume that learners already have these skills intact. The truth is that they sometimes don't;

Ask any teacher or parent and they will tell you: middle schoolers are terrible at studying. There are two main reasons for this.

"My 12-year-old can't keep track of papers, forgets to turn in assignments, and loses his notes. What can we do?" The ADDitude community responds.

Back to School Study Skills PowerPoint. Great study tips for middle school transition for back to school! Animated slides on basic study skills, such as setting up a study center, organizing papers, prioritizing assignments, and managing time, with ideas and photos to inspire organization! Use on t...

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.

Explore practical strategies for crafting effective lesson plans that cater to both seasoned educators and beginners alike.

Newly Updated!! So many of our students who have speech and language disorders also exhibit executive function (EF) deficits. We found that most of our students benefit from guidance in the many executive function domains including organization, short-term memory, time management, task initiation, goal setting, and sustained attention. There is growing evidence that suggests that EF’s continue to develop through late adolescence, highlighting the importance of focusing on these tasks in middle school and high school! This packet is full of activities and resources for your students! Each activity can be printed for use as needed. There are also study tips, test-taking strategies, a helpful study guide outline, and a comprehensive list of helpful apps for students! Resources include: *Daily Homework Logs *Daily Homework Logs *Weekly Homework Logs *Monthly Homework Logs *Daily Afternoon Schedule *Weekly Afternoon Schedule *Daily To-Do List *Project Task Analysis *Goal Setting: Goal-Plan-Do-Review *Strengths and Weaknesses Self-monitoring Worksheet *Daily Self-monitoring Checklist *Study Tips *Test-taking Strategies *Study Guide Example Worksheet *Helpful Apps for Students Check out our Editable Google Docs version: Executive Function Remote Learning Tools For Even more Executive Function Related Resources click the link to head to our Executive Function Category within our TPT Store: Executive Function Category

Use these ideas to help with your rotary classroom organization.

Unschooling is a method that works well for many families, but it sure can be a challenge to plan for! Here are my tips for staying on top of things.

Homeschool unit studies can be the perfect curriculum option. A giant list of unit study curriculum reviews, instructions and links to more!

As kids get older, organization becomes ever more important! While it is a critical skill for all ages, kids and young adults are often just learning to develop and strengthen their skills as more responsibilities are added on in their lives. When you think about it, kids and young adults can have a

hold students accountable while they independently read with these easy to implement reading tips and tricks and strategies

Help your upper elementary students prepare for their transition to middle school with this printable Middle School Transition student workbook. Students will share worries, excitement, and consider their questions related to middle school throughout the exercises, which cover opening lockers, hygiene, organization tips, study habits, peer pressure, friendships, and more! Included in the workbook: Resource cover Workbook cover Contents Same & Different Venn Diagram I’m excited about (3 pages) My worries (2 pages) Would you rather? My locker Opening a locker What if I get lost? (3 mazes) Making friends My questions Getting organized Study skills Peer pressure Healthy habits & hygiene Not alone True or False? My interests My talents My hobbies Elementary school memories (2 pages) Doodles page Answer keys for mazes and matching Terms of Use, Related resources, Credits The workbook does not assign a specific grade as elementary or middle (5th vs. 6th, e.g.). Your download includes a flattened 37-page PDF with printer-friendly blackline clipart (no color clipart included). All text and graphics are flattened per the clip artists' and font artists' Terms of Use. Page counts include a Cover, Terms of Use, related resource links, and Credits. The workbook is the perfect companion to my Middle School Transition Digital Lesson! Explore more middle school transition resources: Middle School Scoot Game Cruising into Middle School - Questions Commonly Asked by 5th Graders Writing Prompt - Advice for the Student Who Will Sit at this Desk Next Year Opening a Combination Lock 5th Grader Exit Interview Survey Writing Prompt - Middle School Transition Discover more lessons from Counselor Station: Time Management lesson Study Skills lesson Test Anxiety lesson Peer Pressure lesson Responsible Decision Making Skills lesson Leave a review to earn credits toward future TPT purchases!

10 inexpensive rewards to use in your middle school class.

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.)

Learn about executive function challenges in middle schoolers. Find out how to help kids in grades 6 to 8 with executive function skills like working memory.

Teach your students how to paraphrase, summarize and take notes with this paperless resource. Students will work directly in Google Slides or Microsoft OneDrive to complete the activities. This a fun, interactive way to help teach these skills to your students and provide them with practice so they can begin to master them. What is included: ⇒ Teacher directions – includes the access links and instructions on how to use this in your library or classroom⇒ Instructions for using this resource with Microsoft OneDrive⇒ Google Slide files 8 slides that can be used as anchor charts or an introduction/review of the concepts. They can also be printed off to use as posters. • Paraphrasing definition• Summarizing definition• How to paraphrase• How to summarize fiction text (SWBST)• How to summarize nonfiction or informational text• Differences between paraphrasing and summarizing• 2 note taking posters (note taking tips and the difference between Wow! notes and Blah! notes) 6 activity slides (4 with movable pieces) In Other Words - paraphrasing practice. Students will match the sentence that correctly paraphrases each of the famous proverbs/quotes. Paraphrasing Practice - students will paraphrase 3 different passages Summarizing Practice - students will summarize 3 different passages Sum It Up - students will read 3 short passages. They will choose the question that each passage answers and move it underneath the passage. Then they will summarize the passage. Wow or Blah Notes - students will move 10 notes and decide if it is a wow or blah note. A Wow note is written in phrases and paraphrases the topic. A blah not is in complete sentences, copied directly from the text or is off-topic. Note-taking practice: students will sort 9 different notes under the correct heading the note is about. The content is almost identical as my print Summarizing and Paraphrasing Activity pack, just in a digital version. This is not an editable resource. Advantages of using digital resources ⇒Paperless. No need to print and laminate the task cards⇒Engages students⇒Helps build 21st-century learners⇒Can use with Chromebooks, laptops, computers, tablets, iPads or other mobile devices Terms of Use © Copyright Staying Cool in the Library, LLC. All rights reserved by the author. This product is to be used by the original purchaser only. Copying for more than one teacher prohibited. Additional licenses are available at a discount. For librarians: you may use this product with all of your classes and students.

In many ways, strong executive functioning skills are the foundation for success. These are the mental processes that help learners plan through assignments, organize materials, initiate a task, manage time well, stay focused, try new strategies when stuck, and persevere until the completion of a go

Disclaimer: I know bell ringers and exit tickets aren’t for everyone. I started my teaching career not using them and now they are part of my middle school and on-level high school routine (f…

Teach students in upper elementary, middle school, and high school

Learn how to use social studies stations in the Middle & High School classroom to increase student engagement. Includes link for a free station activity!

Need homeschool unit studies ideas for theme learning approach and hands-on homeschool curriculum, incorporating a variety of subjects and topics like math, science, language arts, and social sciences? You'll learn: what are unit studies as a homeschool method or style of homeschooling and how to write your own learning unit, even using free homeschool resources for free unit studies for kindergarten / preschool and up! (YES, even middles school and high school aged student theme units!)

Sometimes, you just need a different hook to reach your students. The very same students who zone out over a worksheet or notes will become engaged when you present the activity in a new way! I love hearing about what other teachers are doing in their classrooms! Today I’m sharing comments from my Twitter, Instagram, and TeachersPayTeachers feedback of […]

Use these 24 time management tools for teens to increase their productivity, or just calm the chaos. Kid-friendly (& parent-friendly) too!

I have compiled a list of 40+ popular middle and high school Bible curriculum publishers that you are going to love! Perfect for grades 6-12 homeschool.

Discover my three NO-FAIL strategies for motivating your middle and high school students.

Whether your lesson plans are detailed multi-page documents submitted to your administration each week, or they’re mostly post-it notes with concise bullet points, effective lesson planning requires strategy and intent. Great lessons need clear direction, purpose, pacing, and solid pedagogy. (Side note: If you are looking for engaging step-by-step lesson plans for the ELA classroom – especially for sub plans – check out my ELA Lessons Bundle with over 60 individual plans). While planning such successful, well-balanced, dynamic lessons takes time (think of all those observation lessons), if you get into a strong habit of working through a few key steps, it simplifies the whole process. And, as with all habits: the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Soon you internalise the steps and find yourself doing them without even realising it. Below are the four simple steps - G.A.D.E - I go through in my mind every time I plan a lesson. Do I always write them out in detail? Nope, but I still always work through them as I plan. What do you want students to be able to do, know, or understand by the end of the lesson? The most effective way to plan a route for a journey, is to start with knowing where you are trying to get to, right? Instruction is most effective when you, and your students, have a firm idea of the goal. When they know what they are working towards, the lesson is far more purposeful. Your goal should be able to be expressed in a single sentence or two: the more focused it is, the easier it is for students to digest and understand. I even suggest writing this on the board at the start of the lesson, for students to be able to see and reference. Examples of Goals: - Students will understand the impact of varying sentence patterns, in term of creating tone. - Having read chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby, students will be able to explain how an author develops a character in a narrative through the use of indirect characterization. - Students will be able to effectively back up their thoughts and ideas with appropriate textual evidence. [Grab a free lesson plan template here] How are you going to break down the substance of the lesson, to help students reach the goal? This is the nuts and bolts of the lesson: the lecture, activities, exercises, etc. Ask yourself: What are the most effective methods to help guide students to the goal: A lecture? A group discussion? A reading exercise? Worksheet practice? A video? A writing exercise? Station work? The key here is breaking the lesson down into varied, manageable chunks: rarely should you plan a 60 minute lesson with just one single activity. You want to think about dividing the class up into 10-20 minute segments with varied activities and modes of learning: all geared towards the overall goal. [Check out Room213's helpful blog post on how to build in time for productive struggle when lesson planning.] Examples of Segments for a 60 minute lesson: 5 min: Provocation - some sort of hook for the lesson to pre-test knowledge, or incite intrigue and interest. 10 min: Paired work 15 min: Teacher-led lecture and discussion 20 min: Individual work to practice a skill 10 min: Reflection and assessment of learning How will you, and your students, know if they have achieved the goal? This does not always have to be a large assessment task: that would perhaps be a unit goal. However, you should be able to place small milestones in every lesson to assess whether or not students are gaining knowledge, or developing their skills, and this need to be intentional. It may be a summative assessment task, but in the daily lesson it would likely be formative assessment. This should be a conscious decision when planning the lesson. Examples of Opportunities for Demonstrations of Learning: - Ask strategic questions: “How do you know that? Why did you write that?” - Use exit slips - Have students produce something which requires them to use what they have learned - Anonymous class polls or quizzes (or Kahoots!) - Self-reflections or evaluations - Written work / Projects What do you physically need to do, to facilitate the learning? Once you know the purpose of the lesson, and have a firm understanding of the activities and elements of the lesson, think about what you need to do to prepare. While this might be gathering resources, photocopying, finding passages, etc., it also should be about the space of the classroom: how best to facilitate the most effective lesson for your purpose. Think about desk layout, visual displays, seating arrangements, etc. Example of Environmental Elements - Move the desks into groups / pairs / individual etc. - Print, layout and organize materials - Have a specific song playing which relates to the lesson, for when students enter. - Create spaces around the room for station work or gallery walks etc. FREE TEMPLATES: If you are looking for a template for lesson planning: Click here to access a FREE editable Google Docs template (just go to “File” and “Make a Copy” to save the document to your own drive for editing). Want a printable copy? Click here to access a printable lesson plan template. Do also check out: If you are looking at planning a whole unit of study, read this great post by The Daring English Teacher.

Those of you who follow me know I have a thing for chart paper and post-it notes. Nothing has changed. Last week I did an exercise that allowed me to give my students fast feedback in a way that was much more enjoyable than them writing another essay that I would have to mark. They […]

Ramp up engagement and motivation in your middle school class with these idea for free classroom rewards!

After my middle school guided reading posts, this post goes into how I teach my ELA curriculum and small groups in middle school.

Hi Everyone! I wanted to share with you one of my classroom management ideas I use with my 7th graders. You may have heard of Class Dojo, but if you are a middle or high school teacher, you normally do not see it used at our level. It seems to be used primarily at the […]

Are you looking for a new way to get your students out of their seats and engaged with your social studies content? Gallery Walks are a great inquiry-based activity that is easy to set up and implement. Check out some of my tips for holding an effective Gallery Walk in your social studies class.What is a Gallery Walk?A gallery walk is a classroom-based activity where students silently walk around the classroom to view images that are placed on the wall, just like an art gallery or museum. Typica

Do you use Interactive Notebooks in your classroom? I used them for the first time this past year. I really liked using them but found it overwhelming to get started at first so I rounded up some posts that helped me when I first got started using them. How to answer the critics of notebooking Why Should I Use Interactive Notebooks in My Classroom? Get started with Interactive Notebooks Resources to Get Started with Interactive Notebooks Left Side Versus Right Side for INBs What do you do when a student is absent? Tips to make Interactive Notebooks work for you Laura Candler's Page with a link party filled with FREE foldables for your Interactive Notebooks How to use the "Cutting Corner" method with Interactive Notebooks How do you grade Interactive Notebooks? For anything relating to interactive science notebooks, you need to check out the Science Penguin. She is my favorite! This was the bulletin board in my middle science classroom last year that displayed for the students how to set up the input and out pages of their notebooks. Printable Left and Right Side Ideas for Interactive Notebooks Not sure of the source for this picture but it is a great way to demonstrate how to apply glue to the notebook. Do you still need more ideas? Check out my Pinterest page... If your idea was featured in this post, please grab an "I've Been Featured" button and display it proudly on your blog! You can get the html code for the button on my Buttons page

I am sharing tips for using Cornell Doodle Notes to teach in your middle school science class!

Learning how to teach digital photography in your homeschool is as simple as the click of a mouse. You don't have to an expert; help is out there!

A technique of movement and negotiation that prompts students to consider connections not previously seen in their own reading of course materials.