Back to School: The First Two Weeks of Middle School (Part 1)

Are you getting your middle school classroom ready for back to school? Here are some of my top tips to help you ease into the school year and set up your classroom and students for success.

Classroom Setup:

• Arrange desks or table to accommodate groups of 4 (Sends the message that we will be working collaboratively this year)
• Keep posters, charts, and other decorations to a minimum, unless they have relevant academic or community information.
• Bulletin boards can be set up but primarily empty to accommodate student work~gives students the impression that this is their learning space. Remember you will be adding charts and visual artifacts as you begin to teach your content
• Any wall hanging that has not been used or referenced in the past few years should be taken down. Limit personal preference posters to small area of the room.

Create Expectations for Behavior:

• 3-5 general rules stated in the positive as an action. 
• IE Be safe. Work hard and be responsible. Be ready to achieve. Be respectful and take care of yourself, others and the school spaces and materials
• The rules should be posted prominently and during the first few weeks of school. Teachers can model and teach students how to follow these rules in various explicit ways.

Prepare for Proactive and Reactive Discipline:

Proactive: 

• Prepare students to follow rules by modeling all expected behaviors for students
• Use proactive teacher language in context to reinforce positive behaviors and to remind students of following the rules before activities or work periods begin.

Reactive:

• Use reminding and redirecting language when students forget rules
• Teach students about some logical consequences for breaking rules 

1. Reparation (you break it you fix it)
2. Time and Space (take a break in a different area of the room for a minute or two 
3. Loss of privilege (EVERYTHING in school is a privilege. If you don’t handle the privilege properly you lose the privilege for the time being. Students should always be given an opportunity to earn the privilege back.

Do Quick Community Builders

Use Four Corners and other Interactive Learning Structures to help kids get to know each other and practice speaking to each other.

Make sure to check for Part 2 and 3 where I break down what exactly to do the first two weeks!