Top 10 Tips for Middle School Teachers

Top 10 Tips for Middle School Teachers

Written by: Bruce J. Stewart (A former middle school ELA teacher)

Tip 1.

Always be respectful to your students, even if they are disrespectful to you.  Some middle school students are hard-wired to be defiant, impulsive, and rude. Usually, their misbehaviors are corrected when their emotional intelligence develops.  Remember, if we engage in an argument with a student, we always lose. 

Tip 2.

Middle school students respond positively to learning through games.  Be creative and develop some games that include critical thinking.  Ensure that all students are actively engaged and have the opportunity to share during the lesson. The learning games I created for my students always followed the 4-F formula: Fast, Fun, Friendly, and Focused.  The 4-F formula worked especially well for review sessions.   

Tip 3.

Greet all students at the classroom door as they enter the classroom. I stood in the hallway near the door and welcomed each student by name and thanked them for being there.  Your sincere greeting may be the first, and only, polite words they would hear that day.  When students arrived late for my class, I always gave them the same gracious welcome I shared with each of their classmates. Try to share a kind word with each student during the class period. I concluded each class with a positive comment, and a genuine thank you.  

Tip 4.

Post the lesson’s agenda in a prominent location so that all students can read it.  The agenda is a subtle reminder that I was prepared and the students knew what to expect.  Students thrive in a welcoming and predictable environment.  The agenda should include specifics, such as page numbers in the books you are using. Page numbers are helpful when multiple students ask, “What page number did you say Mr. Stewart?”  Rather than repeat yourself, the students knew where to look.  Small steps build independent learners and thinkers. 

Tip 5.

A point to remember: middle school students are closer to a 10-year-old child than they are to an 18-year-old student. You can expect middle school students to act like children, therefore refrain from comments such as “How many times do I have to tell you?” or “Who taught you how to behave like that?” or “When will you ever learn to listen?” That comment may be the only thing they heard that day.  Middle school students do not understand sarcasm.  Our choices in language, along with tone, has a profound effect in establishing harmony in the classroom.

Tip 6.

Here’s a teaching secret I learned from a brilliant teacher who became a mentor for me.  She called this secret, “Invitational Language.”  For example, she would say to her students, “I invite you to open your books to page 158.”  Or “I invite you to share your response with your seat partner.” Here’s another one that worked well for me, “I invite you to ask a classmate for some positive feedback on your essay.” Middle school students do not like to be told what to do.  (I never did.)  I invite you to try this technique during your next class period.

Tip 7.

I always gave students permission to use the restroom. There would be occasions when I might ask them if they could wait 2 minutes if we were nearing a transition in the lesson. In almost all cases the student gladly obliged. Many teachers instruct students to use hand signals so as not to interrupt the class.  Follow your school’s procedures while understanding that bathroom use is a personal matter. Another point to consider: some students choose not to use the restroom during passing periods for fear of being bullied.  Rather, they choose to visit the restroom during class periods because they feel safer.  Our school used daily planners and I would sign my name in the planner note space to authorize the visit.  I kept all procedures simple, but knew where all my students were located at all times.

Tip 8.

Let’s take another look at the language we use. Middle school students do not like being singled out; and many students do not want to be known as a school-boy or a school-girl. Self-identity is rapidly developing during their middle school years.  The message here is, be careful using praise. Rather than responding to a student by saying, “That’s a great answer.” Or “You’re so good at math.” I responded by saying, “Thanks for taking a risk to respond to the question.  Who would like to add to what we just heard?”  Another comment that works well for students when they are engaged in a lesson is “It looks like you are enjoying the challenge of this assignment.”  Or, “I like the choice you made to use a question to open your essay. It gets my attention.” Brief, positive comments, without praise, are memorable for students.

Tip 9.

Teach bell to bell.  That means no free time.  Some of my colleagues completed their daily lesson then allowed free time.  My observation was that nothing good happened during free time. The solution is to always have a sponge ready to use.  Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) is an excellent source for sponge activities.  Sponge activities should have a learning objective, be engaging for all students and free of a teacher’s lengthy explanation.  A favorite sponge activity that my students insisted upon was a word game very similar to the New York Times game of Wordle.  When the students were successful in finding the solution in 7 guesses, the entire class earned a Starburst candy.  This small reward had great power.  

Tip 10.

Enthusiasm.  Sounds simple, but is not always easy to do.  Your students need to know how much you enjoy teaching, and how much you enjoy their company. Enthusiasm is a teacher’s super power.  I always replayed John Wooden’s memorable motto, “no whining, no complaining, and no excuses” when I needed a quiet reminder.  The students did not want to hear how many times I was stopped by a red light on the way to school. They certainly didn’t care about the student essays I would be reading – but they would care about the constructive feedback I always provided.  I gave those essays, along with my comments, my full attention.

In conclusion, be kind to yourself and be grateful for another day to influence tomorrow’s leaders today.