My Partner In Crime Lindsey (Co-Dept Chair & fellow 6th grade teacher & friend) and I have been planning all summer for the upcoming school year. This will be our second year teaching in middle school after many years of teaching elementary school. We have learned a few things from our first year with the big kids. Here are a few reminders for any new middle school teacher...
First, BE ORGANIZED. I rolled into middle school thinking it was going to be so easy because I was going down from 7 million subjects to just one. While this was a nice change (I hated teaching math and science) it does not mean you can be slack about your organization. Why? Because instead of 20+ kids, you now have 80+ kids. You have got to have your stuff together! Know where you are going to have students turn in stuff and where they are going to keep and find certain things. Also, know where you are going to keep graded papers and when you are going to pass them back.
Second, have a PLAN. Map out a calendar of everything you want to teach- at least for the first 9 weeks. We are planning for the entire year with our calendar. It's going to make my life so much easier. I won't always be running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
Third, give your students JOBS. Yes, just like in kindergarten, your students can and should have jobs. It will make your life so much easier. I plan on having Paper Passer Outers, Paper Picker Uppers, Desk Wipers, Library Organizers, and Absent Student Helpers. I plan on having my kids keep their jobs for the whole year but you can certainly rotate every 9 weeks. I want mine to volunteer. I suspect it will many of my girls or maybe some fidgety boys!
Fourth, make your room PRETTY. I flew in last year from a wedding in England the night before Teacher Work Week. I got in at 1 am. I had to report to work at 8. As you may or may not know, teacher work week is NOT the week to get your classroom organized! If your principal is wonderful, they will let you in the building before that week to get set up. My room last year looked like a total blah wreck. I always said it had thrown up on itself. This year I am already planning my layout and design. I will post pictures when I start working on it in August! I can't wait! If you can't get in before work week, at least have a plan. Map out what you want it to look like and where you want everything to go, including the walls. This is something I have been working on since June.
Fifth, have your class schedule DONE. You can always make tweeks as you get to know your students and abilities but at least have some idea of what you are going to do everyday! See calendar above. I have separate reading and writing days for my students. It's really the only way you can focus on their reading or writing craft.
Here is my schedule:
Our Schedule
(We will have Reading OR Writing days. Never both. You need to have chunks of time devoted to each discipline!)
Writing Days: Mondays and Wednesdays
You will need your Homework Folder/ IR Book and Writing Binder
Article of the Week-5 Minutes (10 minutes on Mondays)
Independent Reading-10-15 Minutes
Status of the class-2 to 3 minutes
Writing Mini-lesson: 5 to 10 minutes (Writing traits/editing/ideas/Author’s Examples)
Writing: 35 minutes (during this time, I will be floating around the room checking on your writing/helping with editing/ discussing your goals or sitting at my desk conferencing with you or other students)
Share Time: 3 to 5 minutes
Clean Up: 2 to 3 minutes (Organize notebooks or binders/clean up floor/empty and clean desks)
Reading Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays (Library is every other Thursday)
You will need your Homework folder/ IR Book/Reading Notebook and Read Aloud Notebook
Article of the Week: 5 Minutes (10 minutes on Mondays)
Mini Lesson:-10 to 15 Minutes
Small Group Time:-10 to 15 Minutes
Status of the class: 2 minutes
Independent Reading-20 to 25 Minutes (during this time I will float around the room conferencing with you about your reading and goals)
Notebook reflection/sharing: 5 minutes- (Notebooks/ Discussion of what you are reading)
Read Aloud: 10 to 15 Minutes
Clean Up: 2 to 3 minutes (Organize notebooks/binders/clean up floor/empty and clean desks)
Fridays will consist of your Independent Reading Time and/or Socratic Seminars/Journaling Responses with Partners/ Read Aloud Time and Notebook Checks & Vocabulary quizzes or tests.
This is going to make my life so much easier next year. Lindsey and I both dealt with deaths in our families last year and we were not adequately prepared like we will be this year if anything happens. Thankfully we have phenomenal teammates but this will make everyone else's lives a lot easier! What are your suggestions for starting the year off on the right track?
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