And we all know that providing incentives for 5th grade can add up quickly, so when brainstorming this list, I only chose ideas that can be implemented without spending any money and without challenging systems to navigate.

Tips for Providing Incentives

I want to remind you that you do not need to give out an incentive every time you want to see a desired behavior. Verbal and physical recognition (thumbs up, high five) is a necessary part of managing a classroom and developing strong relationships. I recommend coming up with a system for how students earn these incentives after displaying the desired behavior numerous times over the course of a day, week, or month. 

Choose a day for all of the incentives to happen. Wearing a hat? Chewing gum? Bringing a stuffed animal to school? This only happens on Friday or whatever day you choose. This is one less thing to track or manage. In addition, you can use this same idea for when passes or incentives are distributed.

Have students contribute to your incentives! Put out the call to caregivers for items for your “treasure box.” The number of tiny trinket plastic stuff that I am itching to remove from my household at any given time is in the millions. 

Batch process creating your incentives and passes. Make your hat pass, print on colored paper and have a stack in your desk. Passes are only validated by your signature or special stamp. 

Ask your students what they like or want! While my ideas were loved and used by my students, your students may enjoy other things. Culture is ever evolving! One year my students could earn time flipping a water bottle (this was 2016 I believe). Capitalize on current trends and use them to your classroom’s benefit. 

Here are some ideas for free incentives to use in your 5th grade classroom:

 Incentives for the 5th Grade Class

• Extra Recess/Outdoor Time – This was far and above always picked by my class. I liked it too! Choose a positive behavior you would like to see, and everytime your entire class displays it, they get a letter. (Think: F R E E T I M E or O U T S I D E)
• Extra Tech Time – With a list of approved websites, this was a popular choice too!
• No Homework or shortened assignment – You will have to plan for something else to do in class if you don’t already assign homework.
• Fort Day – I saw this idea from a teacher Facebook Group. Students bring blankets to school and create a fort using their desk as the structure.  Students can still work on assignments or read during this time. This is such a great idea!

Incentives for Individual Students

• Bring in a stuffed animal (desk pet) – This could be the cutest idea on the list.
• No shoes in class/wear slippers – Create a pass for students to carry around to show their special teachers or anyone else who may inquire about said slippers.
• Wear a hat/hoodie for the day – See above for making a pass.
• Sit in the teacher’s rolling chair or other special seat – Since I rarely sat, this was an easy incentive to provide for my students.
• Chew gum in class – The kicker? Students have to bring their own gum.
• Be referred to as King or Queen for the day (a class crown seems like a great addition here). What a fun way to liven up your classroom. 
• Positive note or phone call home – This was a surprisingly popular choice!
• Choose a song for packing up – Create a teacher-approved playlist ahead of time, and have students choose from the list.
• Be the first in line for the cafeteria/lunch – Simple but effective with your lunch enthusiasts. 
• Prize box (students donate fun things) – Ask parents and students to donate on a rolling basis. Expect lots of goodies in August and January.

What incentives for 5th grade would you suggest? If you want to read more, check out 15 Creative Incentives for Middle Schoolers here.

The post Creative and Free Incentives for 5th Grade appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

Homeroom is often the last thing I think about, but I have found that my school day and school year is so much more successful when I have taken the time to make the most of my homeroom.  Whether your homeroom is 30 minutes or 15 minutes, here are a couple of ideas.

Read until the end to find out what I did on each day of the week and get free homeroom slides.

1. Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.)

This is my favorite one by far!  On days where you are having to pass out papers from the front office or you are needing to collect and track the variety of permission slips that never end, students reading silently makes your job so much easier.  I like to keep Scholastic Magazines available for students to grab and read because they are super engaging, even for your most reluctant reader.  Incredible graphics, interesting stories, and real-world connections are just a few of the benefits. You can find out more about what’s included here.  

2. Character Building/Community Circles

I use community circles to build community and character amongst the students in my advisory.  We decide on norms for how we have discussions (this is key) and then I ask a question that we go around in a circle and answer.  The questions can be super light-hearted (if you had a superpower, what would it be and why?) or a little deeper (what is the biggest challenge that you are facing?).  You have to gauge the maturity of your students, but it does help you know your students better and for them to know you better.

3. GPA and College Preparation

To invest students in their grades, I talk about what grade point average means and what is required to get into various universities.  Because I live in Austin, many students want to go to the University of Texas, which requires a GPA of 3.75.  After I teach decimal operations, every Wednesday students receive a progress report, and they calculate their GPA.  To make it even more impactful, I have a list of colleges and their respective GPA requirements on the tracker.  Their middle school GPA might not count towards college, but there is no time like the present to invest students in their learning and grades.

4. Missing Assignments

Homeroom is a great time for students to work on missing assignments! After students receive their progress reports, students with missing assignments can spend this time making up their work. Ideally, this is best for assignments that can be submitted digitally.

5. Student Helpers

Designate some “teachers’ aids” who have a dedicated job that they are capable of doing on their own.  This could be updating student work bulletin boards, feeding a class pet, double checking attendance, writing the objective on the board, or a variety of other things. You can read more about student jobs here.

6. College Pride/Shout Outs

My school’s homerooms are all named after the college the homeroom teacher attended.  I went to Texas A&M University, so I refer to my students as A&M.  I have a wall of A&M memorabilia, including a flag.  Fridays are Flag Friday.  I award a student who has shown the values of A&M that week by highlighting a specific action that I saw.  The student is awarded with the school flag and they get to wear the flag as a cape for the rest of the class.  My students love it and are super invested!  Every Friday, they ask “Who is wearing the flag?” as soon as they walk in the door.

7. CNN10

CNN10 is a kid-friendly, 10 minute news program that covers current events. There is a new episode each day which makes it a reliable option for homeroom. You can have students jot down a summary or put it on for students to watch as they are eating breakfast.

8. Homeroom Slides

These homeroom slides are a perfect way to start off your time in Advisory! Make your daily announcements, find out how your students are feeling, and share some inspiration – all great ways to start your students’ days!

Grab these free Homeroom Slides!

This list is not exclusive, but they are things that I do regularly in my homeroom.  In an ideal week, I do a wide variety of the items above. Paperwork is usually passed out on Mondays, D.E.A.R. happens the day I collect paperwork so it varies, GPA is tracked on Wednesdays, Thursday is reserved for community circles, and Friday is for building college pride through Flag Friday.  It is a flexible schedule that changes based on what we have going on that week. What are the ways that you use your homeroom?   

Maneuvering the Middle has been publishing blog posts for nearly a decade. This post was originally posted in November 2017; it has been updated for relevancy.

The post Ideas for Homeroom appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

However, there are so many interruptions that you can minimize to maximize the effectiveness of your classroom time. Every minute counts!

Let’s chat today about common classroom interruptions and some ways to combat these time wasters. Plus, I have included a freebie to help get your time back.

Locker and Bathroom Requests

Problem: You see a raised hand and anticipate a math question or observation only to be met with, “Can I go to the bathroom?” 

Or perhaps, a student left their math folder in their locker. Whatever the reason, a student needs to leave the learning environment and we all know class time is precious. 

Solution 1: Know what a student needs before you call on them. Our classroom poster pack has hand signs for RR, locker, answer, question, and more. You don’t need our classroom poster pack to implement this procedure, but having the visual will serve as a reminder for students.

Solution 2: Use our MATH FAST PASS to hold students accountable to the number of restroom breaks or locker requests you deem necessary based on the length of your class period. I am not a fan of limiting restroom breaks for students who genuinely need it (and passing periods do exist for this very reason), but this tool can serve as a way to manage that interruption.

Personally, 3 emergency passes per grading period usually did the trick!

This freebie also has some helpful math tables and concepts to keep in students’ folders or binders, so it is a win-win for math teachers everywhere. Before a student could ask to use the restroom, they have to have their MATH FAST PASS out for you to sign and date.

GRAB OUR MATH FAST PASS FREEBIE

First Aid Needs

Maybe it is a math teacher thing, but if you aren’t actively vomiting, then I think you are healthy enough to learn math.

Keep band-aids, mints, and paper towels in your classroom for these small ailments. Your nurse or front office staff will thank you.

A wet paper towel across the forehead will satisfy the needs of a student with a headache and the student will feel cared for. Another win!

Keep in mind that in most cases, the nurse won’t be able to offer anything stronger and they will be sent back to class anyway.

Pencils Needing to be Sharpened

Pencils. Pencils. Pencils. These writing utensils are a necessary evil in your classroom.

Start by establishing a pencil routine that you feel confident you have the stamina to maintain by the end of the year. Here are 2 ideas that I have personally used:

• Pencil Library. This is a trading system. A student who needs to sharpen their pencil can get up, drop off their old pencil, and grab a sharpened pencil. No need to run the sharpener. A student in my homeroom would sharpen the allotted amount of pencils for the day (around 10-20). The old traded pencils would get sharpened to use the next day.
• Pencil Parking Lot. This idea comes from To The Square Inch. I love this system! I like it because I can SEE the pencils. 5 pencils are clipped to the whiteboard. Students sign out a pencil by writing their name on the whiteboard with a dry erase marker. At the end of class, I would remind students to bring my pencils back and I would erase their names as I clipped the pencils back up. 

After my pencil sharpener broke, my pencil sharpener stopped being for public use. If your pencil sharpener is for students to use, I recommend sharing your expectations for use:

• How to ask to use it (use hand signs)
• When they can use it (never during instruction)
• Proper use (no colored pencils)

Cell Phones

Cell phones are tricky! Personally, I only ever worked in a school that had a school wide policy that they were off and stowed away. This made my job easier, but I know that is not always the case.

Phones aren’t going away anytime soon, so how do you manage the distraction? As I was doing research about this topic, I found that the teachers most successful with cell phones had 3 things in common:

• A why
• A clear and consistent routine and procedure
• Allowed the occasional use with boundaries around usage, complete with consequences

A Why

Students need buy-in before they detach from their device. You can show them studies (like this one from The University of Chicago) regarding how the mere presence of phones reduces available cognitive capacity.

Ask students to reflect on their own relationship with their phone. Does it distract you? Do you find yourself stopping what you are doing to check your phone? 

A Clear and Consistent Routine and Procedure

When developing a procedure for cell phones, it is important to be super clear about everything! Power struggles usually occur over ambiguity.  

Let’s say that the procedure is for students to put their phones in an over-the-door shoe rack during class. Here are all of the details to go over with your students:

• Phones go into the pocket before you sit down for class. (I would stand at the door for the first few days and send students over to the phone storage upon entry)
• Phones are turned off or on silent. I would explain to students that I don’t want any phones making sounds during instruction.
• I would have assigned pockets. Students need to place their phones in their designated spot.
• Phones will be picked up when class is dismissed. Exceptions will be made only with permission from me. (Example: they need to call their parents)
• Lastly, I would remind, remind, remind students at the beginning of class. It would be posted with their start-of-class instructions, it would be posted permanently on a wall, and I would also verbally tell students that, “If your phone isn’t put in the pocket in the next 10 seconds, I will have zero grace if you are caught with it or if it goes off.”*

(This procedure is just a suggestion to model the level of detail required.)

I recently saw a teacher, Mrs. O, suggest giving students brown paper bags to place their phones in, stapling the bag, and leaving it on their desk if they are struggling with looking at their phone during class. 

Boundaries + Consequences

If you have done everything from above, then I suspect you will have fewer problems (not saying zero!) with cell phones. When a student chooses to use their phone during class, they will know that a consequence is coming. Be sure to check with your administration, grade level team, or student handbook regarding appropriate consequences.

I wouldn’t recommend consequences that include first offense, second offense, or third offense since that is hard to track. 

Classroom interruptions are inevitable. How do you manage these common classroom interruptions?

The post Solving 5 Classroom Interruptions appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

The post Utilizing Classroom Jobs to Save Time appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

Sidenote: Before implementing any incentive system in your classroom, make sure to approve everything with your administration and grade level team. 

While my reward didn’t quite work out quite like I had hoped, I hope that this list of incentives and rewards that middle school students will enjoy and work extra hard to earn will help you out!

And while I have you, check out this Kindness Challenge I implemented with my sixth grade students. You can use this method to motivate your students to earn one of the rewards below.

Group/Whole Class Rewards

1.  GO OUTSIDE FOR A CLASS

The best types of rewards are when learning can still get done! Take the class outside after the notes to complete their daily work.  If it is a big reward, take the day off from math and watch as your students play soccer.

2.  MUSIC

Play music during the warm up or during classwork time.  For bigger rewards, allow students to choose or make a Spotify playlist...school appropriate, of course.

3.  Computer Time/Tech Time

Vet and then provide a list of websites that students can access that are fun and academic.

4.  Dance Party

Reserve this reward for Fridays and for your last class of the day.  Students will love trying to teach you the most recent viral TikTok dance.

5.  Show Funny youtube videos

Teenagers love YouTube videos!  Be sure to screen it for content and use a popup blocker for any inappropriate ads.  I found that Dude Perfect videos were a safe bet for my sixth graders.

Individual Rewards

6.  Homework Pass/Late Pass

There is no shortage of students who will gladly accept this as a reward!  Make sure to indicate when the pass can be used or when it cannot be used.

7.  Pick a new seat/sit in a fancy chair/help create the seating chart

While working on a seating chart, an early finisher asked if he could help, so I gave him the job.   He did an excellent and diplomatic job, and I only needed to make two adjustments.  What was surprising is how many students asked me if they could make the next seating chart.

8.  Choose a partner

This is a perfect example of a reward that is only a reward if you don’t always allow students to pick their partners.  In my class, partners are assigned, so allowing one student to deviate from the norm is particularly exciting.

9.  Raffle or Give Away a Ticket to the Dance or Sporting Game

This not only rewards students, but it also fosters school spirit.  It might be worth mentioning to your team and working on something collectively.

10.  Board writer

Is it just me or does every student want to write on the whiteboard?   This reward might look like a designated student writing the homework on the board..

11.  Problem Solving Activity

This could be a minute-to-win-it game at the beginning of class.  One of my fellow teachers had a Bop It in her classroom, and students could earn the privilege of playing it and making it to the leaderboard.

12.  STICKERS

We asked our Maneuvering the Middle VIPs Facebook group about incentives their students love and the most popular response were these vinyl water bottle stickers. Students love to stick them to their notebooks and water bottles.

13. CANDY

Dum-dums, jolly ranchers, and hi-chews were also highly recommended. Teachers shared that Costco is the best bang for your buck when it comes to purchasing candy.

14. PRIZE WHEEL

Why didn’t I think of that?! Giving students a chance to spin a prize wheel is an incentive in itself! The prizes can be anything from this list, but the prize wheel makes it special. I love that it’s wipeable (making it easy to edit the prizes) and compact enough for easy storage. 

15. TICKET SYSTEM

Remember that these prizes don’t have to be given out when one student models the desired behavior. Let’s say you pass out tickets (or scraps of paper) when you see students on task and working hard. You can pass out as many as you want in a class period. Students write their names on the slips of paper and then are put into a raffle that happens at the end of the week/month/grading cycle. You draw X amount of names and then students receive a prize. This helps your dollars stretch further!

Don’t forget to ask your students at the beginning of the year what incentives they would like.  This will create buy-in from all the students and give students a voice.  Some students want to work with their best friends, while some students would love to have the night off thanks to a homework pass. The best part is that almost all of these incentives are free and require no planning.

What incentives do you use in your middle school classroom?

The post 15 Creative Incentives for Middle School appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

Is this really necessary?

You know your students and what is happening in your classroom best. For me, it was always a yes. I didn’t go into nearly as much detail as I would have in August, but I did spend a little time everyday reviewing a routine or procedure the first week back.

Consider how December went and make the decision based on how well your students were modeling those procedures before winter break. Even if your students would earn an A+ for your class routines, a refresher after 2+ weeks out of the classroom won’t hurt. It also shows students that it is still important enough to you to repeat. 

We spend time reviewing math content, so why would we not spend time reviewing classroom routines and procedures? 

Which Routines and Procedures need reviewing?

Going over every single routine and procedure might overdo it, so what are the parameters for which routines and procedures to go back over?

• Do you want to introduce a new routine and procedure? Start here. Perhaps, you want to introduce a new way to earn points for a class incentive. Or maybe your Chromecart has been a mess, and you have a new method for organization that will be a community effort. 
• Is there a procedure that you noticed starting to slip back in December? Are students taking too long getting their materials out? Are students not pushing their chairs back  in when dismissed?
• What routines are the most vital to the day-to-day functioning of your classroom? Review them! Being proactive can prevent future encounters where you are having to correct students. 

Explain, Model, Practice + Fun Activity Idea

This method for reviewing routines and procedures (or sharing them for the first time) is perfect for the spring semester. 

Explain – This is exactly what it sounds like. Tell your students in detail what the procedure should look and sound like. You can present this information via slidedeck or in note format. 

Model – This is how you get your students involved! *Fun activity alert* Grab a group of students. Four or so are going to model the routine perfectly, and one is going to be your non-example. Secretly assign your model students and the non-example. The students + you (the teacher) complete the routine as a skit. Let some hilarity ensue! Then have the rest of the class discuss what was correct and what wasn’t via turn and talk or group discussion.

Practice – Now it is time to practice with everyone! Depending on the routine, you may only have to do this once. Praise the students who are doing a great job. 

This activity can take as little as 10-20 minutes, so there is still time to include math practice too. Complete this activity once a day until you have covered each routine you want to review.

Top 3 Routines and Procedures that Frequently Needed Review

• Classroom Entry – This topped my list every year. My classroom entry set the tone for the entire class period, so it was vital for it to be seamless. Silent, straight to their desks, materials out, and starting on the bell ringer by the time the bell rang. This was aided by my class posters.

• Group Work Expectations – We reviewed what being on task would look and sound like. In addition, we reviewed what students needed to do if they were stuck and needed help. 
• Attention Getter – This expectation would start softening over the course of the Fall semester. It was a good reminder for myself that I needed to wait until all students were silent and looking at me before giving directions.

What classroom routines and procedures will you be reviewing this Spring semester?

P.S. Want more on routines and procedures?

• 20 Must Teach Middle School Routines and Procedures 
• 15 More Middle School Routines and Procedures
• Routines and Procedures to Teach on the First Day
• Technology Routines and Procedures 

The post Classroom Routines and Procedures for the Spring appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

Note: These tips are more general in nature. Please follow any guidelines provided to you by your school or district.

Inside of the Classroom

Be Inclusive

My first experience in co-teaching was when I was hired in the middle of the year to support an Algebra 1 class. The Algebra 1 teacher made sure I felt like it was also my classroom the day I arrived. My name was on the board, and she ended each lesson by asking, “Mrs. Brack, did I miss anything?” It wasn’t her classroom; it was our classroom.

Try New Methods

There are 6 methods of co-teaching: 

1. One Teach, One Observe – The observer is gathering information to be analyzed together at a later time.
2. One Teach, One Assist – The assistant circulates to provide additional help.
3. Parallel Teaching – Both teachers are teaching the same information, but to two different groups simultaneously.
4. Station Teaching – Both teachers teach different information to a different group and then repeat instruction to the subsequent group of students.
5. Alternative Teaching – One teacher takes on the large group while one teacher works with a smaller group.
6. Team Teaching – Both teachers are delivering instruction at the same time together.

While it can be easy to fall into One Teach, One Observe or One Teach, One Assist, I recommend trying each method at least one time. My personal favorite was Station Teaching. Specifically, for skills with multiple ways to solve. For example, one teacher models solving equations with algebra tiles while the other demonstrates solving equations with the algorithm. Additionally, this creates opportunities for grouping students in a way that can target specific needs. 

Here are a few ways our MTM Team Members co-taught:

“We planned a lot of small group instruction so we could each take a few groups, instead of one person taking all of the groups (not enough time). We would each try to have a “low, medium, high” group in an effort to finish at the same time.” – Marissa

“We planned a few days where the co-teacher got to teach the entire lesson.  She would also walk around and help all students. That way they felt there were 2 teachers in the room, not just one teacher and someone else they didn’t really have to listen to or who was only there for certain kids. When either of us were teaching we would ask the other if they had anything to add.” – Ashleigh

“During independent work time, we would often sit at different tables in the room (teacher table and small group table) and pull small groups of students (low, medium, high) to do a reteach if necessary or assist in any way. We would each take turns walking the room and checking on students working independently.” – Jenna

Align Yourself on Classroom Expectations

Everyone runs a classroom differently, so upfront communication about expectations, routines, and procedures is non-negotiable. I recommend going through this Routine and Procedure blog post to discuss how you want your classroom to look like, sound like, and feel like.  Students need consistency, and both teachers must agree on expectations and how to follow up if expectations aren’t met.

Outside of the Classroom

Meet Weekly

With both of my co-teachers, we had a scheduled sit-down time once a week. We used this time to plan for the upcoming week, divide responsibilities, look at student work, and discuss student progress. While I did the bulk of the lesson planning, it did give my co-teacher opportunities to give me feedback about the lesson or provide additional ideas. 

Build Your Relationship

Building relationships with your students is vital! Building a relationship with your co-teacher is just as important. Go to Happy Hour! Find out their coffee order! Learn their dog’s name! Building that rapport will be seen and felt by your students.

Do you have a co-teacher? What tips do you have for co-teaching?

The post Tips for Successful Co-Teaching appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

I strongly suggest teaching routines and procedures and building relationships during that time, but presenting a slideshow explaining how to turn in papers is not compelling class time. The best thing about all of these activities is that you can use them to teach routines, build relationships, and develop class pride. 

Make sure to grab the activities mentioned below here!

1. How to work in groups with an Interview Activity

This realization came to be once a couple of years ago when I found out that in November some of my students still didn’t know the names of their table mates!  Say what!?  In order for students to be successful in class, they have to have the full support of their teammates.  Knowing their classmates’ names seems like a necessary first step.

The Routine: Students in my classroom must ask the help of every person at their table before asking me.  I explain to my students that they learn by teaching each other!  

The Activity: The activity that I am going to try out this year is table interviews. You give students a list of questions and they take turns asking the questions to their table mates.  This breaks the ice, is non threatening for students who struggle with math/reading/science, and is an activity where you can float around and answer interview questions from students, but only after they have asked everyone at their table. Practice makes permanent!

2. How to Move Around the Classroom Safely with a Matching Activity

The most stressed I felt as a teacher is when students are out of their seats without permission.  This does not mean that students must always remain seated in class, it just means that I have very specific procedures around moving safely around the room. 

The Routine: Students must learn how to stand, how to push in chairs, how to wait for their tables to be called, the volume, the speed, and the awareness of our bodies when we walk around the room. It may seem like overkill, but when I didn’t cover this skill, I would find students laying on the floor or using their bodies in an unsafe way.

The Activity:  To build culture and practice this routine, students participated in “Salt and Pepper.”  Essentially, students will all have words taped on their backs (one student might have the word ‘salt,’ and they will have to walk around until they find their match (‘pepper’) using only descriptive clues.

A spin on this activity is to make students get in birthday order without talking.  They get to release their wiggles, practice how we move around the room, and use their brains.

3. Other Activities

Although these first week of school activities don’t align to a procedure, they can still help build culture and break the ice with students.  

• Two Truths and a Lie – Quick ice breaker that requires no prep work.
• This or That – Builds camaraderie among classmates.  You could have students defend their answers and practice answering in complete sentences.  (Stand if you prefer waffles to pancakes.  Call on students and ask them to explain why.)
• Rock, Paper, Scissors, Posse – This teaches students to cheer their teammates on even when they lose.
• Telephone – If you have 2-3 minutes to kill and you need students to be quiet.
• 4 Corners – I saved this one for last because this is my absolute favorite. The way to survive in this game is to remain as quiet as possible. This game practically ran itself in my classroom and could keep quiet the most spirited students. 

Even if you don’t have extra days allotted for culture building in your scope and sequence, having some of these activities on hand will make sure you stay prepared. Lessons sometimes run short, or if you are in Texas, you could be required to stay inside for recess due to the extreme heat. It is always better to have this stuff on hand, ready to go! 

If you are interested in more activities to build culture in the first week of school (or really anytime), check out this bundle here.  The activity includes the Interview Questions Worksheet, the Salt and Pepper Matching Activity, a paper version of This or That, and 8 more activities.  If you want to be extra prepared for this school year, be sure to grab our Back to School Starter Pack which includes these ice breakers, classroom posters, homeroom activities, and a substitute binder.

What are your go-to first week of school activities?  

The post Easy First Week of School Activities for Middle School appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

On Preparing your Mindset

Prepare yourself to lead your classroom confidently and effectively. Back to school requires preparation in heart and mind.

• 5 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers
• First Year Teacher Advice
• Tips for a New Math Teacher – This is a series that was just published. This is the first in the series, so be sure to read all 4 that are linked inside the first post.

On Preparing Your Classroom Environment

Get the biggest bang for your buck finding supplies, decorating on the cheap, and setting up your classroom in a methodical and organized way!

• Middle School Classroom Tour
• Classroom Decorations on a Budget
• 6 Tips for Setting Up Your Classroom
• Things Every Teacher Needs at Their Desk (not necessarily school supplies)
• 20 Must Have Teacher Supplies
• Student Organization in Your Classroom

On Preparing Your Students

Your classroom will not operate smoothly without student buy-in, strong classroom routines, and a mistake-friendly environment. Learn some ways to do that here. 

• 20 Must Teach Routines and Procedures for Middle School
• How to Teach Routines and Procedures that Stick
• How to Create a Positive Classroom Culture
• Promoting Perseverance in Math

On Preparing Your Lessons

Start your year strong with an appealing syllabus, a finished substitute binder, and some fun ideas ready to implement in your back pocket. 

• 3 Tips for Your Syllabus (and a free digital or printable syllabus download)
• How to Turn Any Worksheet into a Fun Activity – Engaging activities that you can implement on the fly!
• Organizing a Substitute Binder
• The Self-Paced Classroom 
• Why Maneuvering the Middle All Access is All You Need

On Becoming Tech Savvy 

• How to Use the MTM Student Video Library
• Tech Spotlight: Go Formative
• Digital Activities in the Math Classroom

How are you feeling about back to school this year? What are you doing this summer to prepare? We hope this post (and the many posts linked) are helpful to you. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments!

The post Back-to-School Round Up appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

The end of the year is upon us! While there is no tired like teacher tired, I would argue that there is no tired like end of year teacher tired. If you are reading this, hopefully, state testing is behind you and you are looking for some easy ways to make the end of the year memorable but doable. Here are 8 end of the year ideas for middle school.

1. Try Something New

If there is something you have wanted to try for the next school year, then run a trial run with your current students. It could be a new technology program, a new classroom management strategy, or a new instructional strategy. Work out the kinks, so that in the fall, you can roll it out with confidence.

2. Student and Teacher Reflections

Reflecting is an important part of the learning process. Give you and your students the opportunity to look back at the school year and record what your class (the content, environment, pacing, etc.) should keep doing, start doing, or stop doing. Surveys are great, but you can also get some hilarious thoughts from your students by asking them to write advice to the upcoming grade level about your class. When you give students a creative way to talk about your class, then you are more likely to learn something you would have not thought to ask.

3. Countdown to Summer

My favorite end of the year ideas always were countdown related. You can countdown to summer in a variety of ways:

• Balloon Pop Countdown: Miss5th shares this idea on her Instagram. Each balloon has a student name inside and each day a balloon is popped. That student gets to be celebrated in whatever way you see fit for that class period. Think: shoutouts, they can sit in a special spot, they can write on the white board, etc
• Paper Chain Countdown: Our freebie includes a practical and fun idea for each day. Print on colored cardstock, cut, and staple, and you have yourself a colorful and fun countdown.

4. Escape Rooms

Escape rooms are a fun way to continue to teach and reinforce skills throughout the year while still keeping things fresh and new! The escape mentality keeps it engaging, and since they work inside Google Forms, students can work both in partners or independently in-person, virtual, or hybrid. Grab a copy by checking out this blog post. (Note: digital escape rooms don’t allow students to move on until they get the correct answer, so make sure you have a plan in place for students who get stuck)

5. Projects | Project-based Learning

Incorporate a project or try a cross-curricular project. While projects typically do require more upfront work than the typical lesson, Maneuvering the Middle has released Math Projects that make the planning a breeze. The payoff is that students can work on a project over the course of many school days, so you have fewer days of lesson plans to prepare. There are so many opportunities and ways to help students apply all that they have learned at the end of the year.

You can read about the benefits of including projects into your classroom by checking out this post. The projects cover a variety of topics, but financial literacy is a great way to end the school year.

6. Staff Awards

Finishing strong extends to staff too! I always looked forward to the end of the year because every staff member earned an unofficial award. Over the course of 3 years, I received The Mama Bear Award, The Mary Poppins Award, and the “I got it” Award. 

If you want to start small, you could organize staff awards for your grade level or your department. Similar to Secret Santa, everyone who is participating needs someone to give an award to, prepare some kind words, and create some sort of award certificate. The morale boost is the best!

7. Next Year’s Content

Get your students ready for next year! If you teach 7th grade, go to the 8th grade teacher and ask them what skill would be helpful to review or teach for their class. It’s a win-win!

8. Get Outside

Fresh air is good for everyone. Grab some clipboards and head outside! Many inside activities will translate outside. 

What end of the year ideas do you have for your classroom?

Follow Us: Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook

The post End of the Year Ideas for Middle School appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

If you are interested in incorporating more projects in your classroom, then grab the book and follow along.

Update October 2022 – If you want to include projects in your class, but aren’t sure where to start, then grab our Math Projects!

Math projects are now available for purchase! You do not have to be an All Access member to implement these standards-based projects in your classroom.

Click here to learn more about each project!

Why Projects?

The world is turning to collaborative projects. At Maneuvering the Middle, everyone works on teams to complete various projects. None of our work is done in isolation. 

Why Culture Matters

”Positive culture doesn’t get built with a one-day team builder. It’s an ongoing effort to create an inclusive community of learners.”

Classroom culture is necessary in order for students to feel safe making mistakes and asking questions that are required during Project Based Learning. We have a whole post about how to make your classroom feel positive and safe, so be sure to check it out. 

4 Strategies for Building Strong Culture

After reading through the strategies for building strong classroom culture for Project Based Learning, I was so relieved to read nothing brand new. If you are a teacher reading a blog post about teaching, you are probably already doing many of these things!

1. Beliefs and Values

In this section of the book, many teachers that the authors have interviewed share examples of how they show students their core values and beliefs. Examples include: asking students for feedback about what they like or would change about class so students feel like their voice matters, reminding students that they are all capable of solving big problems, and providing projects that are relevant to students’ lives.

2. Shared Norms

“Norms … are shared agreements about how classmates and teachers treat one another and what they value as a community of learners.”

I agree that the most valuable norms are the norms that students have a say in. Creating buy-in is crucial in any classroom! These should be posted and repeated often by both teachers and students. Here are examples of norms I used in my classroom:

• Everyone contributes
• Respect each other
• Share the mic
• Follow directions 
• Good attitudes only

I love how Todd Finley establishes norms in his classroom. He has students brainstorm examples of actions that have impeded learning. Here is an example from his classroom:

• Example: If students laugh when I make a mistake, I don’t want to participate. 
• Norm to counteract: We learn from mistakes. 

3. Physical Environment

Your classroom environment also contributes to a strong classroom culture. Make sure students have access to technology and other tools that will help support their learning. Here are 4 ideas that Project Based Teaching recommends considering:

1. Flexible seating and arrangements that support working in partners and groups
2. A project wall: “By dedicating a bulletin board… to the project currently underway, you create a central location to manage information, highlight upcoming deadlines and milestones, remind students of the driving question, capture need-to-knows, and point to resources.” A digital space could serve this purpose too. 
3. Sentence starters: Since student voice is so important in project based learning, it is important to provide support for ALL students. These sentence stems can help students engage with each other productively and appropriately. 

4. Evidence of the messy middle: Keep rough drafts and unfinished work visible. It provides opportunities for questions, discussion, and feedback.

Routines and Habits for a Student Centered Classroom

We are no stranger to routines and procedures! Routines and procedures increase learning time. Here are the routines and procedures that are necessary for PBL (or truly any classroom):

• Active listening – all voices in a group are heard and valued
• Providing feedback – how to give and receive feedback in a way that is helpful and kind
• Morning meetings – check in time with class that helps strengthen relationships
• Thinking routines – like “think-pair-share”
• Closers – ending class with shout outs or to state a class norm

Starting Small

If you are interested in a PBL classroom, start small with a small team building challenge. 

• Community Counts is a great place to start – it helps building relationships between students and teacher and student to student

“If you build that culture early, students will be ready to tackle longer, more content-heavy projects later in the school year.”

To learn more about incorporating project based learning into your classroom, check out Project Based Teaching. 

Do you use project based learning in your classroom? What are ways you build your classroom culture?

The post Strengthening Classroom Culture Through Projects appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

Here are some reasons you may decide to group students:

• You may group students because you believe that students can learn from one another.
• You may group students because you believe they will complete more work together.
• You may group students because you believe it will create a positive classroom environment.

Note: In all cases of grouping students, I recommend having an upfront conversation about being respectful. I never wanted a student to express distaste regarding working with someone. Similar to assigning new seats, I would tell students that I didn’t want to hear a single word, smacking of the lips, or eye rolls regarding their group. 

Heterogeneous Groups

This type of group represents students with varying abilities. This group will have a mix of your highest students, lowest students, and everyone in between. 

Pros of Heterogeneous Grouping

This represents a typical class. This grouping supports peer tutoring. Sometimes students can explain concepts in a way that makes sense to another student better than me, the teacher. 

Cons of Heterogeneous Grouping

This type of grouping puts pressure on the highest student to be the de facto leader while those around them might disengage.  It is argued by critics to increase the achievement gap. 

Homogeneous Groups

This type of group represents students with similar abilities. You could take the most recent data point like an exit ticket and group students based on how they performed. All students who earned a 100 would be in a group together while students who earned a 70 would be in a group together. 

Pros of Homogeneous Grouping

In this type of grouping, teachers can provide individualized instruction and vary the activity to engage students where they are at. Meanwhile, ‘the lower group’ can receive more support from the teacher. 

Cons of Homogeneous Grouping

From my personal experience with grouping students, I often used heterogeneous grouping to help spread out some of the off task behavior. This made classroom management slightly easier. Being a teacher is always a balance of classroom management and pedagogy. 

Random Groups

Random groups are truly random. This can be as random as having students draw from a deck of cards and being grouped accordingly (example: all 4s work together). 

Pros of Random Grouping

After reading Building Thinking Classrooms by Peter Liljedahl, I learned that random groups have shown to increase students’ engagement and thinking.

According to the book, groups that were created by the teacher meant “80% of students entered their groups feeling like they were going to be the follower rather than a leader – to be a follower rather than a thinker.”

By creating visibly random groups, students were more willing to collaborate, their enthusiasm for learning math increased, and social barriers were eliminated. 

Cons of Random Grouping

According to the book, for random groups to work, you have to regroup them about everyday. That requires moving seats or reassigning groups which can eat up some class time. Personally, the lack of control would make me feel a little bit anxious, but if you are randomizing the groups every single day, then you only have to live with a challenging group for one class period.
If you read the book (which I highly recommend you do), Leljedahl does address many teacher concerns.

Ideas for random grouping

• Students pick out a numbered popsicle stick when they walk into class that corresponds to a seat number
• Students draw a colored tile that assigns them to a grouping of desks
• Students grab a Starburst out of a bag as they walk into class. The color they chose corresponds to a table group.
• My personal favorite – Walk around the room and count off students, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5” and then repeat. Requires zero prep!

Best Practices

Whatever method you use for grouping, and there are benefits to all of them, I recommend these best practices:

• Change up groups frequently
• Set expectations for each group member. Post class norms like “everyone contributes” or “we work together” and then positively narrate when you see groups meet those expectations.
• Hold everyone accountable for work completed together. If students are working on an activity, everyone fills out their own paper to turn in.
• Keep group sizes around 3-4. Larger groups can make it easier for students to disengage.
• Roles like recorder or timer provide structure to a group and can ensure everyone participates. Communicating that your role is not the only thing you do is vital to encourage all students to participate in the thinking part of the activity too.

You can grab our “Group Roles” posters from our Classroom Poster Pack. Included are group roles for:

• Timer
• Leader
• Scribe
• Supply Manager
• Presenter

How do you group your students?

The post Grouping Students in Math appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

You don’t have to be a teacher long to see that a worksheet full of problems does not incite the excitement and enthusiasm of many of your students. 

However, try any of these easy math activities, and you will experience unprecedented levels of excitement from your class.

Now that I am a parent, I see this in my 3 year old. “Let’s go get our shoes on” leads to a slow, distracted exercise where I have to keep reminding her to stay on task. But… “let’s race to see who can get their shoes on first” results in shoes on in about 10 seconds. 

How to Use these Easy Math Activities

• Use these ideas for test review, or any 20 minute time period too.
• Use them on the fly. There is little to no prep; I could easily implement them if I noticed students were off task.
• Most of these activities can be played for as little as 10 minutes all the way to 40 minutes, so they are flexible!
• Use them when your students request to. Because they will! These activities were often used as an incentive.  

One other thing that I love about these activities is that you can hold students accountable to your standards. You see, students REALLY want to play. You may have those students who refused to show their work. Well, students have to show work in order to move the magnet, or sign their name, or get a tic-tac-toe. You are the gatekeeper!

1.  Tic-Tac-Toe

• Prep Time: 15 seconds
• Materials: whiteboard and Expo marker

• Project or draw 4-5 tic-tac-toe boards onto your whiteboard
• Make half of the class Xs and half Os. You could do boys v. girls or split up geographically – window v. door. 
• Students work in pairs or groups. As soon as a group has completed a certain number of problems, they raise their hands with symbol for done, you go check, and if they did everything correctly and to your standards, they can take an expo marker and play an X or an O. 
• I instruct students to complete a game board before moving on to another, but you could play multiple boards at once. 

2. Connect Four

• Prep Time: 30 seconds
• Materials: whiteboard and sticky notes in different colors
• You can see that the concept is super simple — be the first team to connect 4 sticky notes in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. My students loved it, especially when they could block! This is similar to tic-tac-toe but it allows for more than two teams. Idea is from Miss 5th.

• Place students into groups. Draw or project a grid or table of 8 by 5 boxes. Each box needs to be able to fit a single sticky note.
• Similarly, students work in their groups. As soon as a group has completed a certain number of problems, they raise their hands, you go check, and if they did everything correctly and to your standards, one student is sent to the board with their sticky note and they place it on the grid.
• To manage the excitement and some of the behavior, I would create barriers for teams who were too rowdy. Example: if more than 1 student left their seat to move a sticky note, then I would remove one of their sticky notes. Using these types of tactics only has to happen once or twice before students internalize the expectations. Before you know it, the students who struggle the most are the ones policing other teams! 

3.  Magnet Race

• Prep Time: 1 minute
• Materials: whiteboard, number line, two different magnets

• Similar to Connect 4 and Tic-Tac-Toe, the magnet race was my first introduction to engagement by way of racing. 
• Materials needed: number line on a whiteboard with two or more different colored magnets. You could also do this with clothespins and a string or even a pushpin on a bulletin board.
• All of the magnets begin at 0 on the number line. Students earn the chance to play after working together to solve problems, then one student from the group would stand and make a move. They could either move their magnet two spaces in the positive directions, or move the opposing team two spaces in the negative direction or split it. Whichever team had their magnet at the greatest value at the end was considered the winner. 

Get a free vertical number line here.

All of those activities have the same type of appeal. Group style, positive peer pressure so everyone tries because you can’t move ahead if someone in your group isn’t working, and high engagement. I will be honest, it can get a little loud! 

A couple of things to consider –

• Blatant copying – this is going to happen if you aren’t careful. I think spending time upfront about what is helping someone work a problem versus just letting someone copy is a good practice.
• I wouldn’t use these activities for either brand new concepts or on days where I needed really precise work to be done. For example: I wouldn’t use these when I am asking students to draw and model fraction division. That requires lots of focus and precision. I also know that I will need to be really available to help. 
• I would use these activities on the day we are covering a skill that most students will excel on. Volume for example.
• If you are choosing to run one of these activities in class, you will be highly involved with classroom management and answer checking, so you cannot pull a small group during this time.

4. 100s Grid

• Time: 30 seconds
• Materials: Either print or project a 100s grid. I found this colorful one here as a free download.

This was my secret to review days! Review days tended to be a struggle for my students (and myself). I had 90 minute blocks, so playing a game for that entire time would get a little wild, but I needed something to keep students engaged the entire time — enter the hundreds grid. 

• As students complete problems (whatever number you decide), they raise their hands, you check, and then let them know if they need to fix any. If they are all correct, a student can sign the grid. 
• Students put their initials in one of the numbered boxes. The more problems students complete, the more opportunities they have for their initials to be in more boxes.
• At the end of class, I would google a random number generator to select 3 or so winners. Those students would get to grab something from my prize box. 
• For the first half of class, I would allow students to work together. The second half of class would be completely silent as students needed to practice independently (they were having a test the next day after all).  This game worked throughout both collaborative and independent work time. 

5.  Grafitti!

• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Materials: butcher paper and markers

Graffiti is a fun and easy math activity. It requires more preparation than the others mentioned above, but it is great for math problems that need more space to be solved. You could even just give students an expo marker and they could work directly on their desks.

• This is a great activity if you need extra space. Anything with models – integer operations, fractions, bar models, maybe drawing algebra tiles. 
• Give a variety of marker colors and see students incorporate colors into their strategies.
• Checking work is really easy because their work is large and easier to read.

6. Math Musical Chairs 

• Prep time: 0 seconds
• Materials: Chairs
• Play music and students walk around the room. When the music stops, students must rush to find a seat. While seated, they have to complete 2 problems. When finished, they have to jump up and find another empty seat to do another 2 math problems. 
• The teacher said that her students love it, and all they are doing is completing math problems.
• Students work better when they have the opportunity to stretch their legs and this keeps the momentum going.

7. Digital Activities

• Prep Time: Varies
• Materials: Devices

• Our digital activities require little prep too. Assign via your school LMS, make sure your computers are charged, and watch your students work. 
• Many of the activities are matching, drag and drop, or error analysis.

8. Try our Autumn Freebie

• If you haven’t had a chance to grab our Autumn freebie, now is the time. These are self-checking, and they have a fun fall riddle that you get the answer to when you unscramble all of the letters. All you have to do is print for these easy math activities.
• Grab them here.

• Great for review if you have covered rational number operations or solving equations this semester. 
• You could actually pair this maze with tic-tac-toe, connect 4 or a magnet race!

Do you have any go to easy math activities?  What are your students’ favorites?  I would love to hear your other ideas for how to turn any worksheet into an activity.

Maneuvering the Middle has been publishing blog posts for 7 years! This post was originally published in May of 2017. It has been revamped for relevancy and accuracy. 

The post Turn Worksheets into Easy Math Activities appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

You may have the best routines and procedures planned for your classroom, but if you don’t effectively teach students HOW to implement those routines, then you and your students will not reap the benefits of time and energy saved.

LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY

Step 1: Brainstorm the Routines You Want to Teach

The first thing you as the teacher need to do is KNOW all of the routines and procedures you want to teach.

Brainstorm all the things that you plan to frequently do in your classroom.  Do you plan to use stations throughout the year? Do you have devices that need to be picked up on a daily basis? 

Think through the things that will happen regularly in your classroom. 

Once you have your list of routines and procedures that you want to teach, plan situations in which these routines and procedures can be taught. 

Then, I like to group these into days and what makes sense to teach together. For example, teach the procedures for stations on a day where they will go to stations. Shorten the content of each station to build in time for practicing rotating and cleaning up after themselves. 

Step 2: Students Need to Practice the Routine

You want to chunk this into three parts — modeling and explanation, student practice, feedback, and then repeat. And repeat a few more times after that.

As a teacher, I liked to model the routine in the most dramatic fashion. I could get pretty comedic doing a non-example. 

Let’s look at collecting and turning in papers. Without much direction, this can lead to chaos, a line of students at the turn-in bin, and the messiest turn-in tray you have ever seen.  

So here is an example you may consider teaching. 

• Students check that their name is on their paper 
• Students hand their papers to the table captain
• Table captain makes sure that all of the papers are facing the correct direction, and then passes the papers to the next table. The pile moves to the front of the classroom.

Then, you could time them to see if they could do it in less than a minute…or any arbitrary time. Timing makes it a little more exciting and can bring some healthy competition between class periods.  Once all the papers make it to the correct spot, ask students how they could improve on their time. Then, pass those papers back to them to try again. Simple but effective!

What routines can my students benefit from immediate practice with feedback?

Step 3: Get Student Buy-In

Share the why! A functioning classroom allows for more time to learn and, more specifically, more time to do fun things!  

Another way to gain student buy-in, is to ask students their opinion. For the routines and class expectations that you don’t feel strongly about, you can cultivate students’ buy-in by asking them what they think. This can be as meaty as – how do we show respect to the teacher, the school, and the other students in the classroom? Create a list of do’s and don’ts that are brainstormed together.

Or it can be as light as – what’s the best way to ask for help? 

Students always surprise me with their perspectives. And this helps foster a strong sense of community when students’ voices are heard.

You could facilitate a gallery walk. Place large white paper around the room with questions you want students’ input on. Students walk around the room and write their ideas. Students can put checks by ideas they like to show their support. 

Step 4: Have Students Teach It

Get students involved by having them teach the routine, procedure or policy to each other.

Speed Dating or a JigSaw are two fun ways to incorporate collaboration. 

If you aren’t familiar with a jig saw, here it is: 

• Break students up into 5 or so groups. (Number of groups will depend on how many routines/procedures you want students to learn)
• Each group is responsible for learning a routine and procedure. They could do this by reading a syllabus or student handbook. Group A reads about the late work policy, Group B learns about how to get supplies, and Group C reads about the phone policy, etc.
• Set a timer, and then have students make new groups consisting of one member from each previous group – So now, one group consists of someone from Group A, B, and C. Each group member shares what they learned to the other members of the group.

If you do decide to have students teach the procedure, then you want to make sure to allow time to go over it together at the end. A Kahoot or a Quizizz is a great way to do this because students get immediate feedback and you can clarify what the expectation is.

Point 5: Reflect, Revise, and Repeat

Reflect, revise, and repeat!

The beauty of teaching is that each year you get a fresh start, so it is really important to reflect on the way the routine or procedure was taught, see how well it is sticking, and then revise it as the year progresses. This can be as simple as saying, “I have noticed that when we pick up materials as we come into the classroom it is causing a big build up of students in the doorway, instead we are going to…”

Don’t be afraid to tweak or change anything that isn’t working. Just be consistent in what you have taught and follow through with those procedures. 

Consistency is key in teaching and classroom management…and as teachers we can build our consistency muscle though routines and procedures. 

The post How to Teach Routines & Procedures that Stick appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

The first day of school is upon us which comes with the question – should I teach rules/expectations on that first day or do something fun? I believe that you can do both.

Routines and procedures are built into everything that happens in your classroom. Whatever you decide to do on the first few days of school, teach the routines and procedures that are required for them to be successful in that activity. 

You are doing this now so that your classroom can run smoothly in November and March. Your future self will thank you!

For more routines and procedures, you can find part one and part two here.

LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY

1. Group Work Expectations

Hands-on activities are super important, but without clear expectations, they can lead to off-task behavior.

So right off the bat, we need to communicate to our students exactly what we want to see happening while working in groups. Here are some ideas to consider:

• How to ask their partner for help and not just copy or just let their partner copy
• How to treat the materials – task cards, technology, manipulatives
• How to use your voice appropriately during group work
• How to get help if they are both stuck
• How to get up from their seat if they need a supply

The first day of school was great for this. You teach the routine, they start their group or partner work, and then you can circulate to meet your students! 

2. Entering the Classroom

This is important to teach because this will happen everyday.

• What do you want students to do when they come into class? 
• Where should they look to get directions?
• Can they chat with their friends until the bell rings? 

I wanted my students to enter and be able to get started right away.You could do this with a Welcome Slide which had both the agenda, the materials needed, and a warm-up so no time in class was wasted. I left my expectations on the board all year long because they more or less stayed the exact same.

3. Cell Phones

*Before determining your classroom cell phone policy, make sure it is aligned with the policy set in place by your school. 

Cell phones are amazing tools that you can utilize as a teacher to create maximum learning impact.  With that said, they are also HUGE distractions. 

Whatever you decide, be consistent in this routine and procedure. Are students going to use their cell phone in class today as a part of the lesson? Add it to your agenda slide. Problems usually arise when communication is unclear. 

Have you heard of Pocket Points?  It is an app that rewards students for staying off their phones.  

4. Technology

After last year, it is much more likely that your students will have access to a device. Here are a few questions to ask yourself and plan to teach your students:

• How should students treat technology? 
• When do the devices need to be charged?
• What are the consequences of damage? (Most students require students to sign an Agreement so start there)
• What websites are ok for early finishers?
• Can students listen to music? 
• What happens if their device isn’t working?
• How do they get help logging in?
• How will you know that they are listening to you while their devices are out? I liked to show a pacman and ask students to fold their screen to 45 degrees, like pacman, when I was giving an instruction or needing their attention.

On the first day with technology, the objective should be just to get them logged in. Plan to have something paper based for them to work on while you help students navigate the various technology challenges.

Teach students how to make a bookmark to your LMS or class website, so that they always have a central location to go to. 

If you are flipping your classroom, then you may have some additional routines and procedures about how to use the technology at home.

5. That One Thing

Every teacher has a specific thing that drives them nuts.  

Whatever that one thing is (and if this is your first year, you may not know it yet, but you will!), decide on how you will prevent students from doing it and how you will enforce what you want.  

What routines and procedures do you teach the first day of school?  What about the first week?

Need more routines & procedures?

• 20 Must Teach Routines & Procedures
• 15 more routines and procedures to teach your students
• 5 Routines to Teach in the Digital Classroom

Maneuvering the Middle has been sharing blog posts for 6 years. This post was originally published in the summer of 2019. It has been updated for accuracy and relevancy.

The post First Day of School Routines and Procedures appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

With so many classrooms virtual this year and so many websites promising to engage your students, it can be challenging to know where to start. Or perhaps, what was once working, is no longer working. Here are 5 ideas for engaging students online.

LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST  |  SPOTIFY

#1 Blooket

If you haven’t heard about the Blooket website by now, go look right now! It is a website with various games that are preloaded for you to play with your students. This is not a new idea, but what sets Blooket apart is the games are themed – so while your students are solving math questions, they are also unlocking treasure or going on a racing adventure!

When planning, keep in mind that these problems are going to be skills-based practice. Make sure that students are also seeing higher level thinking problems in some other form. If you haven’t checked it out, the games Battle Royale, Santa’s Workshop, Racing, and Treasure Chest come highly recommended as a good starting point.

#2 Gamify your classroom with badges

Digital badges are a feature on various learning management systems. These are easy ways to “gamify” your classroom. Students earn badges for completing different things — and you get to decide. It could be as simple as being logged into Zoom on time, turning on your camera for the lesson, or submitting an assignment on time. Really whatever pain point you are trying to fix can be turned into a “badge.”

If your LMS doesn’t have badges, then check out Badgr. Badgr allows you to create, design, and distribute your own badges, and then use them in your LMS. 

If you are ready to take gamification to the next level, check out ClassCraft.  The free version allows you to use badges as incentives and the paid version allows you to create learning quests and interactive tools. 

#3 Digital Math Activities

Our Maneuvering the Middle digital math activities are interactive through Google Slides and have a formative assessment through Google Forms.

UPDATE: ALGEBRA I DIGITAL ACTIVITIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE!

I personally love that they provide high quality supplemental practice that isn’t drill and kill and really allow students to apply what they are learning! Classroom technology that is effective and engaging. Grab a free set for 6th, 7th, 8th, and Algebra by clicking below.

This way you can try them out with students and see if they are a good fit! If you love the freebie, you can find more here. 

#4 GimKit

GimKit has changed since we last blogged about it. Their free version only allows for 5 players at a time, but since there are so many fun interactive games, I would recommend trying out their free 30 day trial to see if it would work in your classroom. The paid version starts at around $5. 

GimKit is always creating new interactive games, but also pulls down old games too. They keep things interesting! 

If you are looking to try GimKit, then be sure to play Trust No One and Boss Battle if they are available.  And be sure to check out our GimKit blog post to get other ideas and inspiration for how to utilize this fun game!

#5 Chrome Extensions Form Limiter and Quilgo.

Chrome extensions are some of my favorite classroom technology. Form Limiter is an extension that puts a due date on a Google Form assessment. It allows you to close the assessment to students which will (hopefully) cut down on late assignments.

Quilgo allows you to put a time limit on the Form. So, you can tell it to only allow 15 minutes for a short quiz or an hour for the test. This keeps students on track and limits their ability to use outside resources because of the time limit. This wouldn’t work for students that require extra time on their IEP or 504. But, you could easily copy that form and set a different time limit as needed.

This is also perfect for our MTM teachers because all of our assessments are now in Google Forms – mini-quizzes, quizzes, and unit tests to save you time and energy!  If you want all of your assessments written AND in Google Forms, check out our curriculum here. You can also find all Maneuvering the Middle digital assessments here.

What classroom technology keeps your students engaged?

The post 5 Tech Ideas for Student Engagement appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

As teachers, we have all heard the statement “set students up for success” probably more times than we can count. Sometimes these statements can lose their meaning, but don’t let this one! If students feel successful in your classroom, then your workload will be less. Less make up work to follow up on and grade, less classroom management, less … fill-in-the-blank.

LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST  |  SPOTIFY

#1: Make Everything as Easy as Possible

There is a physics principle called the Principle of Least Action that basically states that the path between two points will always be the path that requires the least amount of energy. You may be more familiar with the path of least resistance. Either way, humans (not just students) are wired to give up when faced with one too many challenges. Think: how many times have you gone to purchase something online, only to give up when you realize your wallet is out of reach? Check out the book Atomic Habits by James Clear to learn more.

EVERYTHING should be as STUDENT-FRIENDLY as possible: directions, finding assignments, completing assignments, submitting assignments, and the list goes on.

In the classroom setting, you could always course correct in the moments of confusion. Not to mention, there were so many visual cues to bolster student success: an agenda on the board, a tray for students to turn in their work, and your physical body there to direct and engage. 

The online setting is a little more complex. Course correction could mean a student has felt confused, logged off, leading you to hunt down their (completed?) assignment. Add in the fact that sometimes students are in school and sometimes they are at home and nothing feels consistent anymore!

So here are some questions to consider when thinking through the students’ experience.

1. Is this easy to accomplish? Notice I didn’t say the content is easy, I am referring to the process.
2. Is there a way that I can provide up front directions that will help students and keep them from continuing to ask the same questions? Create a video library that anyone can access. This could be as simple as a Google Sheet that has organized video links you record on Loom or ScreenCastify (make sure it is ‘view only’).  
3. Is there anything that we can do as a school to minimize confusion? If every teacher is using different software or platforms or expectations for submitting assignments, then students are more likely to feel frustrated and give up. 

One thing that our MTM teachers are loving is the Google Hub Template.

This is a super easy-to-use template that we lovingly call a Hub because you can put all the links, directions, and assignments in one spot for the day or week (we have provided both). It gives students a checklist to reference and it is super colorful and easy to use! You can get yours here and you can learning more about how to use it here.

Read how you can set your students up for success teaching these 5 remote learning routines and procedures.

#2 Build Those Relationships

Nothing ground-breaking here, but the importance of building student relationships this year with students in and out of the classroom has never been more important! When students know you care for them beyond the classroom, they will do more, try harder, and be more successful.

In a typical year, this comes naturally – you would high five students in the hallway, you talked to students at lunch, or maybe you ran a club after school. So much of the fringe time we once had fostering relationships with our students is gone, so teachers will need to brainstorm new ways to engage students and build rapport. 

1. Scratch the math warm up/bell ringer for fun get-to-know-you type questions or activities
2. Host a virtual scavenger hunt or show and tell 
3. Cut out the automated emails — it teaches kids to ignore your emails
4. Send a personalized message instead — create some templates and copy/paste
5. Create a menu board that is not content related for students to complete
6. Put a sticker on your face each time a student participates. Check out some other incentives here (may require some tweaking for a digital classroom)

These are just a few examples of super simple ways to build relationships with your students.  Remember that building relationships with students doesn’t just happen in August and September; it is an ongoing effort! 

Clear directions + cared for students = more student output + less work for teacher + student success. How do you set your students up for success in your classroom?

The post 2 Tips to Set Students Up for Success appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

Note: Rookie Mistakes is a series of common pitfalls that we make as teachers, and tips to rectify and/or prevent them from happening.  No judgement here; the reason we know these pitfalls exist is we have fallen into the proverbial pit.  We have made each and every one of these mistakes, and sometimes we still make them.  

Rookie Mistakes Round Up: 10 Common Mistakes Teacher Make 

Mistake #1: Not Starting Class Right Away

The bell rings, you look around to see students are not seated, not working, and talking like it is no big deal. Have you been there? Each minute of class is valuable, and students need to know that class starts as soon as they walk in the door. Some teachers greet students at the door as a signal that it is time to learn; I prefer to stand at the front of the classroom and positively narrate students who were starting their bell ringer right away. If students walked in rowdy, they were asked to try again. A calm start always led to a focused class period. Students silently working as soon as they walked in allowed me to take attendance in peace, check homework completion, and check-in with various students. 

Further Reading: 6 Ideas for Bell Ringers | 20 Must Teach Routines and Procedures

Mistake #2: Grading Everything

You do not have to hand grade everything your students touch. Who has the time?! Research shows that standards based grading is optimal anyway. Give feedback by having students complete a self check or by circulating in class. You can find more ideas on how to give feedback here.

Further Reading: Grading Versus Feedback

Mistake #3: Not Planning for Your Planning Period

No one could waste a planning period like me. Puttering around straightening up desks, chatting with my co-teacher, shuffling papers — why did I waste so much time? After I attended a Together Teacher PD, I learned that I needed to have a plan for my planning period. I started to hit the ground running as soon as 9:05 came around — lesson planning while I ran my copies, grading papers while I waited for meetings to start; I didn’t let a second go to waste. It meant I could (usually) go home before 5 aka best teacher mistake to correct ever!

Further Reading: Free Printable Planner Pages  | Time Saving Hacks

Mistake #4: Not Having a Seating Chart

Enforcing a seating chart HAS to happen the first day of school. Wait any longer and students will begin to think that they make their seating decisions and any attempt to enforce a seating chart later will lead to a power struggle. You can always ease up later in the school year or have students move seats during different parts of the lesson, but an enforced seating arrangement will prevent many headaches later on.  Also, seat choice makes a great incentive for middle schoolers.

Further Reading: Creating a Seating Chart  |  12 Incentives for Middle School | Routines & Procedures for the First Day of School

Mistake #5: Trying to Do Everything

If you are a teacher who is being asked to take on additional roles, congratulations! This means you are considered reliable and capable of more work, but please remember that you do not have to do everything. If another role will take away from your family or will compromise your ability to teach effectively, then adding to your plate is not worth it. 

Further Reading: Advocating for Yourself  | Teacher Organization Hacks

Mistake #6: Talking Over Students

What happens when we talk over students? Do they listen or do they start talking louder? Don’t lose your voice this year. Here are our tips to avoiding talking over students. 

Further Reading: Talking Over Students

Mistake #7: Falling into a Rut

Routines are great! Students thrive over the predictability of class running on a certain schedule; however, don’t fall into the trap of doing the exact same notes and worksheet day after day. Here are our favorite ways to engage students by turning any worksheet into an activity. 

Further Reading: Turn any Worksheet into an Activity  |  10 Ideas for Task Cards

Mistake #8: Moving On Before Students are Ready

If you have ever graded something only to be shocked how poorly your students performed, then chances are, you didn’t have a clear picture of your students’ comprehension of the new content.  We can often fall into the trap of calling on the students with raised hands, assuming that all students are *getting it,* and feel like we are crushing it as a teacher. If you need some guidance on how to make sure you are keeping a pulse on ALL of your students’ understanding, then check out the posts below.

Further Reading: What is the Gradual Release Model? |  Why You Should Use Exit Tickets 

Mistake #9: Not Explicitly Teaching Every Routine

If you think students surely know the right way to, let’s say, throw away a piece of trash, then you will be equally surprised when a student catapults trash across the room yelling “Kobe!” (RIP) while you are in the middle of explaining interquartile range.  (Maybe just middle schoolers?)

Anything you care about has to be taught. I once devoted 5 minutes to practicing pushing in desk chairs correctly because I couldn’t stand it any longer. I showed students how to do it. And then I made them do it over and over again. I stand behind this because I never had to push in another chair for the rest of the school year. 

Further Reading: 15 More Must Teach Routines & Procedures | 5 Technology Routines & Procedures | Routines & Procedures to Teach the First Days of School

Mistake #10: It is Your First Year Teaching

(not really a mistake, but it can feel like it)

Rick Smith said, “Being a new teacher is like building a plane while flying it.”  I had enough work to do my first year that I could have worked 18 hours days, and it still wouldn’t have been finished AND I struggled with classroom management AND I wanted to cry at least 3 times a day!  If you need some help spinning all of the plates, read our post for first year teachers below.

Further reading: Dear First Year Teacher | Tips for a First Year Math Teacher

The post Teacher Mistakes and How to Avoid Them appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

This list is not exhaustive but will hopefully provide you with a place to start. One recommendation is to think backwards. Start by thinking about how you want your classroom to look and feel when the students are working and you are teaching. Ask yourself, “What did I have to teach my students in order to reach this ideal state?” 

I have outlined some essential middle school routines to teach to your students.  Some, I have seen effective teachers implement as well as ones that worked wonders in my own classroom.  (Sometimes routines are born out of necessity)

20 Must Teach Middle School Routines & PROCEDURES

Daily Routines

1. How to enter your classroom

This fell into the – surely I don’t have to teach students this – category.  Turns out, I did.  It is better to be proactive than reactive as a teacher or you will have students who take advantage of the ambiguity. I used these posters to guide my students. “Take the most direct route to your seat” was a game-changer for me.

2. Warm up/BELL RINGER

Where do students get the warm up?  When should they start on it?  Are they allowed to talk during this time?

3. Sharpen pencils

When students need to sharpen their pencils, they raise their hand and make the letter P in sign language, so I can simply nod or tell them to wait.  That is one procedure that has worked for me.  Students know that they must always ask permission which eliminates any rude interruptions while I am teaching. Some teachers have a trading system so that the pencil is never sharpened during class. 

4. “I don’t have a pencil” 

There is no combination of words strung together that I despise more than these (except perhaps “I don’t get it”).  Seriously, can someone solve this problem for me?  My sister and I joked about buying these for every table in my classroom.  What is so hilarious, is that I frequently go to meetings where I have to ask to borrow a pen.  #teacherfail

5. Hand Signals

When students raise their hands, you are subjecting yourself to Pandora’s box when you call on them.  By using hand signals, you are placing a filter on some of this ‘spam.’  I have a hand signal for needing a tissue, asking to go to the restroom, asking a question, answering a question, and sharing a comment.  This will save you so much energy.  While working with my small group, I would stop what I was doing to walk across the classroom to address a raised hand, only to be asked to go to the restroom.  Stop the madness! Use hand signals! 

You can get Hand Signals and so much more in our Classroom Poster Pack.

6. Restroom 

When are students allowed to use the restroom in your class? Do they have a certain number of times they are allowed to go in six-weeks? How do you track that? Check out the brilliant procedure Noelle used in her classroom. 

7. Dismissal procedures 

When can students start packing up?  Do students just leave when the bell rings? What are they responsible for cleaning up? Do they need to stack chairs? 

8. Technology

Learning with technology is a privilege.  When you threaten to take away the iPad or computer, make sure to follow through.  Have a packet of work copied and ready to hand out to students who are choosing to be off task or treat the technology with disrespect.  Another procedure to consider is how the technology gets distributed and put away.  Remote learning has created more of a need for technology routines and procedures. Watch for that post – coming soon!

9. Cell phones 

My school has a strict policy that if you have your cell phone out or if it goes off, teachers collect them and parents have to come pick them up.  Most schools are not like that though.  While phones can be tools, they can also serve as a distraction.  Be specific about what phones are used for in your classroom, and stick to it. You could try this or try this. Or check out Pocket Points – an app that rewards students for staying off their phone.

10. Calculators

There are many procedures that must be taught regarding this equipment especially if they belong to the school.  I found that having calculators on the wall and students picking one up on the way in seemed to work pretty well.  Make sure that you have a routine in place when calculators stop working or run out of batteries. 

11. Passing in papers

Do students make a pile at their table?  Do students get up and turn in the assignment to a tray?  What about tests?  If you have individual desks, do students pass the paper up, back, or across?

12. Attention getter

When you get students’ attention, what are they supposed to do?  Get silent? Stop moving? Look at you? They probably need to do all of these things, so be prepared to practice this with your students several times. Make sure that you wait for 100% compliance before making your announcement or giving direction. Many teachers love using this wireless doorbell.

Weekly Procedures

13. Trade and grade papers

After realizing that I only use ‘trade and grade’ on assignments that weren’t actually going to be a grade, I stopped. I allowed students to grade their own assignment to get feedback and ask questions easily. If the assignment was going to be a grade, I would use Google Forms or a bubble sheet. 

14. When someone enters

Do your students talk to office aides or other teachers when they enter your classroom?  Yep!  Mine too.  Teach them that only the teacher addresses guests and if they have something they must add, they have to put up the hand signal for comment or question.

15. General group procedures

How do students get into groups?  What is the expectation of the group members?  Do you have roles?  My students sit at tables, so they naturally have a group to work with.  When I had desks in pairs, we addressed how to move the desks, where to move them, and what the expectations were of each role.  I personally reserved roles for larger assignments/projects.  

`16. Small group procedures

Check out this post for some of the routines I practice for small groups. 

17. Supply procedures

Routines in place – what to do when my glue stick runs out?  What if I need to sharpen my colored pencil?  Who picks up trash?  I use table bins with just enough supplies to keep things manageable, and I have a student organize them at the end of each day.  The table bins are only out on tables when we are using glue, colored pencils, or scissors, so students aren’t tempted to play with the materials.

Less Frequent Procedures

18. Emergency Procedures

Most schools are different, but one routine has remained the same during every emergency procedure, students are silent.  This is a hard one to execute if your entire school or grade level isn’t consistent. I explained to students that teachers need to be able to hear instructions or take attendance and silence helps that move along faster. 

19. Band aid/nurse/I have a headache

To get a bandaid in my class, you have to be bleeding, and I keep bandaids in my room so that no class time is missed. .  For headaches, I ask them to take some deep breaths and drink some water.  I rarely allow students to go to the nurse because then it will never stop.  Get into the habit of sympathizing with your student and telling them that they are strong enough to tough it out.  Then walk away.  Exceptions: vomiting and blood. 

20. Quiz and test procedures

This is a procedure that you do not have to teach the first few days of school, but you need to teach the first few times you give a test or quiz, so make sure to allow enough time for that.  Teach how you want students to turn in their tests, what they need to do after they have finished, and how to treat testing folders (if you use them).

Need more routines and procedures?

• 15 more routines and procedures to teach your students here.
• Routines and Procedures to prioritize the first day of school.
• 5 Routines to Teach in the Digital Classroom

Editor’s Note: We have been publishing content for the Maneuvering the Middle blog for over 6 years! This post was originally published in June of 2016 and has been revamped for accuracy and relevancy. 

The post 20 Must Teach Middle School Routines appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

1. Flipped Classroom Model

I relied on the flipped classroom model in my remediation Algebra 1 class. It allowed me to pull small groups while the other students completed assignments on Khan Academy. Many teachers use screencasts to teach individual lessons and post assignments on Google Classroom, Pear Deck, Nearpod, or Canvas.  This instructional strategy is great because students can work at their own pace, rewind lessons, and receive immediate feedback.

2. Head-to-Head Challenges

In middle school, I relied on head-to-head challenges for students to internalize multiplication facts. In high school, I used the same strategy for students to internalize squaring and cubing numbers, square roots, cubed roots, and logs. Students would beg to play head-to-head challenges, which made it a handy instructional strategy to use in my classroom.

(Basic premise — students form two lines facing you.  You ask a math fact, the student who responds correctly and the quickest goes to the back of the line for another turn. The student who loses, sits down. Last person standing wins.)

UPDATE: ALGEBRA I DIGITAL ACTIVITIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE!

3. The Jigsaw Method

I thought Jigsaws were just for English and Social Studies. Turns out, Jigsaws are great for math too.  I used them on review days, breaking students into groups based on the number of concepts I taught in a unit. Each student became an expert and reviewed their skill with other students. To learn how to implement the Jigsaw Method, watch this video.

4. Experiment – 3 ACT Lessons

Who said experiments were just for Science? I tried this stacking cups activity from Math=Love (adapted from Dan Meyer) with my Algebra 1 students. While it felt like craziness at times, it was hands on and brought the math to life. I posed the question, “How many cups tall am I?” and put students to work using actual cups. Ultimately, I led the students to solve the problem with a linear equation.

Here are some other experiments:

• Exponential Relations – Penny a Day 
• Writing Expressions to Solve Problems – Hot Dog Eating Competition
• Systems of Equations – Do Hybrid cars pay for themselves?

If you haven’t checked out this Ted Talk by Dan Meyer, I highly recommend it.

5. Interactive Notebook Activities

Interactive notebooks are not just for elementary and middle school. I used “foldables” whenever I had a vocabulary rich lesson – graphing quadratics is a great example with vertex, axis of symmetry, zeros, minimum, maximum, domain, and range.  Students’ faces light up when colored paper is involved, and I never see my girls quite as happy as when they get to use their 20 flair pens. My favorite, complicated foldable. If you are interested in learning more about foldables, I would encourage you to check out this book.

6. Twist on Think-Pair-Share

I often fall into the rut of relying on raised hands to answer my questions. Think-Pair-Share is an easy remedy, but to spice things up, I would make it a competition. Each table group’s individual chairs were labeled 1, 2, 3, or 4. After students shared with their table, I called out a number. The student in that spot who stood up the fastest would share their answer. To combat students who deliberately stand slowly, we would have secret slow rounds, where the slowest person was called on.

What games, activities, or instructional strategies do your students enjoy? 

The post 6 Instructional Strategies to Try in Algebra 1 appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

In fact, the straw that broke the camel’s back was when I saw a student drop her tray in the lunchroom and as I (the teacher) was helping her pick up her mess, two students walked by and pointed and laughed.  They pointed and laughed while the teacher was there. I was shocked. When I tried to have a conversation with them about the incident, they struggled to understand how that was unkind. Clearly, we needed a lesson on kindness.

Teaching Kindness to Middle Schoolers

Model Kindness

Middle schoolers are easy to tease and joke with.  Regretfully, some of my best jokes have come at students’ expense, and I have had to apologize.  I learned early in my career that while teasing might build rapport with some students, it can also damage your relationship with others.  If you are going to expect kindness from your students, then students must expect kindness from you.  

After all, teachers should be demonstrating the character that they want their students to model.  It all makes sense and sounds easy until it’s time for your most challenging class (after lunch, of course), and no one seems to want to behave.  A few quick ways to model kindness:

1. Greet each student when they come into your room.
2. Find one positive thing to say to each student while they are in your class.
3. Ask them how that one extracurricular is going.
4. Acknowledge their hard work and effort verbally.

Acknowledge It

After my experience in the lunchroom with those two students, I received some advice from Noelle about how to encourage kindness in my grade level. She suggested using a Bingo Board from Ashley at Teach Create Motivate. Any time I witnessed sincere kindness in my classroom, I would have students draw a Bingo piece.  The class that scored a Bingo first would earn a class party. This worked because students liked the positive reinforcement, but also because when I heard/saw the kindness, I would publicly acknowledge it to the whole classroom, so students heard another example on how to be kind. 

Kindness  Agreements

In my experience, I think that teaching students to “not bully” is not nearly as effective as teaching students to “be kind.”  It promotes a positive action.  It’s the same idea as when teachers say “walk” instead of “stop running.”  We want to tell students what they SHOULD BE doing, not what they SHOULD NOT BE doing.  

You may have heard of respect agreements.  Respect agreements are a contract that everyone signs in your classroom, including the teacher.  They can also be kindness agreements. Generally, the kindness agreement answers the questions:

1. How do we show kindness to each other – peer to peer?
2. How do we show kindness to the staff – student to teacher/principal/lunch lady/front office workers?
3. How do we show kindness to the students – teachers to students?
4. How do we show kindness to the school – the supplies/technology/bathrooms?

One idea is to write each question on chart paper and participate in a Gallery Walk, where students write an example of how to show kindness in these specific circumstances. (Or you could have students complete a Gallery Walk using dry erase markers on your tables).  Type up the ideas that students come up with, copy it, and have every student sign it. Post it somewhere in your classroom as a reminder of the ways you have all agreed to be kind.

Hold Students Accountable

In middle school, holding students accountable for every interaction that students have with each other is impossible, but you can hold them accountable by just being around.  Make an effort to stand in the hallway between passing periods; students may choose kindness when they know that a teacher is watching. 

I held those laughing students accountable by having a quick private conversation with them.  I asked how they would feel if they had dropped their food and then were laughed at. Their response — bad.  I asked them to tell me what they should have done.  Helped her.  I asked them what they should do.  Say sorry.  I told them to go do it.  The whole conversation took one minute, and I watched them apologize. 

Teaching kindness may not be a required standard for teachers to teach, but it is just as important as any math or reading skill.  Do any of your students struggle with kindness? In what ways have you taught kindness in your classroom?

The post Teaching Kindness to Middle Schoolers appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

The post 5 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

The post Combatting Work Avoidance appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

The post Rookie Teacher Mistake: Talking Over Students appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

9+ Extension Ideas for Early Finishers

1. Scholastic Magazines

Having a subscription to Scholastic Magazines can be super helpful when it comes to engaging your students with new information that they are interested in.  The articles are high-interest and written with a middle school student in mind.  I like how they can open a student’s worldview and perspective by piquing their interest with different concepts that aren’t frequently discussed in school.  Honey bees, current movies like A Wrinkle in Time, the Girl Scouts, and icebergs are just a few intriguing topics to learn about!  Students loved the following:

• “The Long Fight Over Immigration” from Junior Scholastic addresses immigration from a historic standpoint and discusses the recent debate over DREAMers and ideas for reform.  Students loved the political cartoon, the timeline graphic, and the map of origin, which are great non-fiction text structures to discuss!
• “Does Technology Make Us Lonely?” from Scholastic Choices brings up the way communication has changed over time and how it has impacted our ability to connect with each other.  A great topic to debate within your classes!

Want to learn more about Scholastic Magazines and their specific features? Read this post.

2. Brain Teasers

Students love brain teasers — from puzzles, to sudoku, to Brain Quest!  Keep a deck of the Brain Quest cards in your classroom, or a sudoku book from the dollar store, in an early finisher section of your classroom.  Students will use their problem-solving skills without even realizing!

3. Interactive Bulletin Boards

Interactive bulletin boards can be as complicated and intricate as you wish!  The simple version could be a set of challenge type problems that are placed in a tic-tac-toe board.  Students use a recording sheet to solve the problems and get three in a row. A more complicated version can include students using Boggle Math, where students use the numbers to create expressions and equations.  Lastly, you could extend beyond math and include character qualities with reading and reflection.

4. Math PROJECTS

If you have the same students who repeatedly finish their work early, then assigning them a project for them to work on over the course of the semester might be worthwhile. Check out our Math Projects to learn more!

5. FDP Flash Cards

Fractions, decimals, and percent conversions are such helpful concepts to have memorized.  Much like multiplication tables, they are highly useful in middle school and can make so many problems and concepts easier.  If you know that ⅛ is 12.5% and 0.125, then you have just saved yourself several minutes dividing and you have more energy to answer the question.  Use these handy cards to practice matching the equivalent forms of the numbers!

6. STEM Online

STEM and coding are very popular in education right now.  They are an excellent way to incorporate math, and they tie directly into a future profession.  Students also can see the fruit of the coding through various apps and websites.  Code.org is a great resource for those of you getting started and is designed for classrooms.  Jump on the coding bandwagon and host an Hour of Code with these great online activities that are free of charge!

7. Webquest – Aligned Extension Activity

If you have access to an iPad or a computer, then utilize the internet for students to take the skills they are learning in class and apply them to the real world.  Learning about percents? Consider asking students to research the different sales tax rates and then determine the different amounts people pay across the country based on a few specific purchases.  Learning about geometry? Consider asking students to use a floor plan tool to create a space that meets specific criteria.

8. Reflections

We know that when students reflect on their learning they are more likely to move their new learning from short-term memory to long-term memory.  By using reflections as an extension activity, we can promote that deep understanding of the concepts learned in class. Students can use simple prompts to reflect on what they have learned.  To get kids more interested, consider having them draw a picture or make a poster to display their thinking.

9. Graphic Novels

Recently, graphic novels have become increasingly popular!  I know that Brave, Spill Zone, and The Time Museum were super popular last year.  If you are new to the idea of graphic novels, then check out this post because it gives a great correlation about how graphic novels can be used to hook kids and to increase their love for reading.  

10. Listen to a Podcast

I absolutely love podcasts!  There are such a wide variety of topics available with different people’s perspectives shared.  From the environment, to storytelling, to learning a new skill, a podcast is a great way for students to continue learning about something they are interested in without interrupting others.  Check out these to get you started:

• Wow in the World from NPR
• Science Rocks
• But Why

I would love to hear other ideas that you utilize in your classroom as extensions for early finishers!  

The post Extension Ideas for Early Finishers appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

The post Activities for Engagement: The Scavenger Hunt appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

The post Implementing a Classroom Economy appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

The post How to Handle Student Conflict Resolution appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

I know that classroom management can be a point of tension, especially at this point in the year. So, I wanted to seek out some books that might be a helpful resource for those of you looking to shake up your classroom management.  Or at least provide a few new ideas to browse and try in your classroom.

I love recommending and reading books. Charlie Jones says, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”  True confession, I actually struggle to actually sit down and read books but I love listening! I subscribe to Audible and am able to listen to several books while I drive, do laundry, cook dinner, etc.

5 classroom management books for middle school

Better Than Carrots and Sticks

Longtime educators and best-selling authors Dominique Smith, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey provide a practical blueprint for creating a cooperative and respectful classroom climate in which students and teachers work through behavioral issues together. After a comprehensive overview of the roots of the restorative practices movement in schools, the authors explain how to:

• Establish procedures and expectations for student behavior that encourage the development of positive interpersonal skills;
• Develop a nonconfrontational rapport with even the most challenging students; and
• Implement conflict resolution strategies that prioritize relationship building and mutual understanding.

Classroom Management in the Digital Age

Don’t fear the devices! In the willing teacher’s hands, this is a new and welcome age to harness for exponential learning.

Update your own operating system for the digital age by:

• Getting attention from those device focused faces
• Establishing procedures for daily class routines that harness the power of technology tools
• Cultivating a culture of student ownership and responsibility
• Developing routines that increase on-task behavior and lessen teacher anxiety

• Communicating with parents on best practices and consistent school to home behaviors
• Decreasing distraction with simple, helpful tips
• Letting go of being the expert and taking charge by partnering in learning

The First Year Teacher’s Survival Guide

I would love to hear what other classroom management books you have read and enjoyed.  It seems as though finding ideas specific to middle school can be tricky.

The post 5 Classroom Management Books for Middle School appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

Cultivating Growth Mindset in Math

Communicate That Everyone Can Do It

A fellow math teacher has a poster in her room that says “we are all math people.”  Boom!  That is true.  Everyone is capable of learning, understanding, and believing they are strong in math.  In order for students to believe they can be successful in math, teachers must believe and communicate this fact to their students. How do we communicate this to students?  Posters on the wall are great, but what about sharing valuable research with students?  In Mathematical Mindsets, the author, Jo Boaler, cites a study that occurred over two years-

In one study, seventh grade students were given a survey to measure their mindset, then researchers followed the students over two years to monitor their mathematics achievement.  The results were dramatic, as the achievement of the students with a fixed mindset stayed constant, but the achievement of those with a growth mindset went onward and upward.

This is a great paragraph to share with your students.  My students will read this and studies similar to it, answer reflections questions, and dialogue as a class about the concept of growth mindset.

Build the Relationship

Students will work hard for teachers they like.  You will not get very far by strong arming them into doing math problems.  Sometimes it is necessary to keep them after school or tutoring or to pull from electives because they didn’t complete work or need extra support.  However, this is not something you should rely on consistently.  Here are some ways to build a relationship with these students:

• Be consistent
• Greet them, smile at them, use their name
• Cheer them on
• Emphasize growth over achievement
• Focus on the positive: A great rule of thumb – for every correction, you want to have 3 positive interactions

One year, many of my students rode the bus and arrived at school at least 30 minutes before the bell rang for breakfast.  I am a morning person and made myself available for homework help and tutorials each morning.  It just so happened that a group of eight sixth graders, with tons of potential, were there each morning for breakfast having a grand old time in the cafeteria, but would appear in class without their assignments.  My greatest pet peeve is wasting potential.  So I began setting my alarm and marching down to the cafeteria each morning.  I would ask to see completed assignments and then bring any students who had yet to complete it to my room to eat breakfast and work with my other students.  At first, this was a pain.  I was annoyed; they were annoyed.  But, soon over time, it began to be a bit of an inside joke.  They would see me coming and hold up their assignments.   On days that I had a meeting, they would ask me where I was.  They started seeing that their work had a direct impact in their learning.  They wanted to make me proud.  They began to take pride in themselves.  Was this the best strategy?  I’m not sure.  Should they have been more responsible for their learning?  Maybe.  Was it worth the two minute walk to the cafeteria each morning?  Hands down, yes.

Emphasize Growth + Celebrate Successes

Reluctant math students are usually struggling students (if not always).  That is why you must emphasize growth.  My students take benchmarks 3 times a year before they take our state standardized assessment.  When they get their results back, some of my students, will never learn their actual score.  They will only learn how many points they grew from the last benchmark.  And you better believe, I make a huge deal when there is substantial growth.  This usually involves dancing, an announcement to the whole class, and placing their name along with their growth on a bulletin board.  

It’s difficult to talk about growth and communicate the importance of learning and then be judged on an assessment that only measures the number of questions you got right and wrong.  However, by emphasizing the growth that each student made over a period of time, they are more likely to believe that they can grow their mathematical ability.

Do not give up on these students because students can sense when you have.  Push them, encourage them, celebrate with them, and do not settle for anything less than their potential.  If you have more ideas, please share in the comments below.  This is an area that I know is tough to master and we need all the help we can get.  How have you had success in cultivating a growth mindset?

The post How to Cultivate a Growth Mindset in Math appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.

Middle schoolers have the best sense of humor, are unintentionally funny, and they still think your jokes (well, sometimes) are funny.  These students bring me so much JOY.  Coming from someone who spent 2 years in a high school, middle school is where it is at!  Now you can only have this experience with this age of students if you are creating positive classroom culture that is safe, respectful, and engaging.

This culture is not easy to accomplish, but when you have mastered setting a positive culture in your classroom, student learning will flow out of that.  Today, I am going to share a couple of things that have made all of the difference in creating positive classroom culture.

Creating Positive Culture in the Classroom

Sidenote: To begin, you must have strong routines and procedures and clear and consistent expectations and consequences.  In order for some of these ‘joy factors’ to work, students must know what to do and when to do them and what happens if they don’t do what you ask.  This is not that post, but click here to read 20 must teach routines and procedures and click here for to read 15 more must teach routines and procedures.

Manners Matter

Shawn Anchor, author of The Happiness Advantage writes “based on a wealth of data they compiled, they found that happiness causes success and achievement, not the opposite.”  In order for students to be successful, they have to be happy.  You only have so much control of the happiness of your individual students, but you do play a role of how your students feel in your classroom.

• Are you polite to them?
• Do you speak to them kindly?  Do you speak to them kindly even when they are making poor choices?
• How do you speak to students when you are frustrated?  I often would fall into the trap of having a frustrating class period, and then taking it out on my next class.  Anyone else guilty of this?  

A former administrator once snapped at me after I asked a clarifying question in a staff meeting.  I knew she wasn’t frustrated with me, but it absolutely affected how I felt about our relationship, and how I felt going to work for the remainder of the year.  If a reasonable adult can be affected by something like that, how much more will a 12 year old?  One way to foster a positive classroom culture is through manners.  Just like you would expect your students to say please and thank you, you must demonstrate this in all of your interactions.  This is very hard to do.  Especially at 3 pm on a Friday.  

Be Funny and Relevant

Me telling you to “be funny” is just about as helpful as you telling your students to “learn math,” so let me give you an idea on how I do this. I use fill-in-the-blank notes.  

Andrea  went to the store to buy pineapples.  She bought 4 pounds for $12.20.  What is the unit rate for pineapples?

This question wouldn’t necessarily be engaging or solicit laughs, but middle schoolers are SO much better at being funny. Instead, the student notes would look like this.

_________________ went to the _____________ to buy ______________.  S/he bought 4 pounds for $12.20.  What is the unit rate for _________________?

Students LOVE coming up with scenarios.  What ends up happening is that you develop inside jokes with your specific class periods.  For example, I had a student named Monica this year.  Every time she volunteered a fill in the blank problem, she would reference cats.  Every. Single. Time.  Well, because of her love for felines, our class coined the nickname, Monicat for her. 

Another reason that fill in the blank notes are helpful is that it allows you to stay relevant.  You do not have to go back and change your dated One Direction reference in word problems.  Less work = happy teacher.

Saying Every Students’ Name

I realize that most middle school teachers have 100+ (okay 150+) students.  This is the exact reason why I believe saying every students’ name each and everyday can be an influential habit to form.  In a busy day with only hour long classes, it is very possible that a quiet student could go all day without being acknowledged by name.  Whether that be greeting them at the door by name or using their name when you call on them to answer a question, it builds rapport.  

I liked incorporating this quick acknowledgement during the warm up as I walked around to check homework and then throughout again the class period.  By utilizing a student’s name you are communicating that you value them and their contribution to the classroom.

It also gives a bit of ground to stand on when students refer to you as “Miss”.  I would remind them that I was able to learn 100+ names, they surely were capable of learning seven.

Brand Your Classroom

Give your classroom some kind of identity besides what the subject is or who the teacher is.  This does not have to be a theme, but can be.  What can students say about the time they spend in your room?  Could they talk about how hard they work?  Do students get an opportunity to see how much growth they have made?  Could they share an activity that they love or something funny that the teacher always says?  

My class brand happened organically.  I was explaining how 2x+4=16 using inverse operations. I asked students to remind me of how order of operations work.  Students replied that multiplication and division comes before adding and subtracting.  Then, I asked what order we used to solve the two-step equation. We subtracted 4 and then divided by 2.  As a class, we made the connection that when solving equations, we are using order of operations in backwards order because we are undoing the operations that altered the variable to begin with.

A slow clap began (or maybe I imagined that part) and I said “Math is magic!” while doing some embarrassing dance with my arms.  The next day, one of my artistic students brought in a poster that read “Math is magic!” to hang in our classroom.  I decided that I needed to bring my Harry Potter wand into class to use when I needed a good pointer or when I needed to cast a spell or two.  I then began to tie the magic brand to the close of class by asking “who wants to explain how math was magical today?”

If you haven’t watched this yet, this will be the best thing that you watch today.  Educator, Rita Pearson, gives a Ted Talk about how important relationships are in creating a positive classroom culture.  Totally worth the seven minutes of your time.  

What do you do in your classroom to promote joy and create positive classroom culture?  

The post Creating Positive Classroom Culture appeared first on Maneuvering the Middle.