Back To School: The First Two Weeks of Middle School (Part 2)

Today, I'm breaking down your exact schedule for the first week of middle school language arts! This step by step guide will help you get off on the right foot! (Make sure to go back and read part one for all the basics.)

Goals:

1. Build a sense of belonging and significance
2. Communicate a vision and faith in students as learners
3. Build a sense of competence and enthusiasm about the year ahead
4. Introduce rules, redirect student behavior as necessary

Welcome students at the door

Students pair up to introduce themselves. Model how to introduce yourself.

Post questions to get students talking.

“What’s your favorite book?”

“Name one thing fun you did this summer.”

“What are you looking forward to this year?”

Day 1: Introduce rules

Model following a few of the rules relevant to the first day (introducing yourself in a respectful way and tone of voice, polite listening skills, entering the classroom safely, etc)

Be prepared to redirect when students test limits. Be calm and respectful, but firm. Use reminding language. “Remember to look where you are going.” “Remember to listen to your partner’s response.” “Try that again”

Let kids know they will be setting goals in LA this year. So start thinking about that now.

Goals for the rest of week 1:

1. Foster positive teacher-student and student-student relationships
2. Create a safe, predictable classroom that is conducive to learning
3. Assess academic skills and give opportunities to practice applying them (read, write, brainstorm, talk to partners, etc.) Things to assess: (reading engagement, reading stamina and interest (give interest survey/observe them as they “work”) talking on topic, cooperation, working with others, look at any test scores you have from last year, give and review the narrative writing pre-assessment~observe students’ process and stamina as they plan and draft their on demand writing
4. Have students start thinking about setting goals for the reading and writing this year (think about something they feel good about and something specifically in reading or writing they want to improve…give them some examples)

All week use reinforcing and reminding language to highlight positive behaviors. “I see that you are moving safely in the halls.” “I notice everyone got to class on time.”

Day 2

Start class with a get to know each other social question for table mates:

“If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?”

Keep trying to learn names and students learn each other’s names

Do a group activity:

FOUR CORNERS:

Designate a corner and go to the one that aligns with your answer to the question: What types of books do you like to read?

RF, Mystery, Fantasy, Nonfiction

Give them some information about you, the year, some expectation like lockers, bathroom check out routines, materials they will need to complete their work, etc.

Day 3

Welcome to class:

Greet students at the door

Get to know each other activity:

If you love…then you have to read…

Teaching Content

Readers have interests and identities. Students complete a reading interest survey

Practicing Communication Skills

How to keep track of assignments

Interactive Learning Structures (Low risk content)

Numbered heads together (work with number partners to talk about what they are excited about this year, their favorite subject, a question they have)

Setting up for Goal Setting and Rules

Think about a goal for becoming a stronger reader/writer and how they relate to the rules

Day 4

Welcome to class

Teaching Content and

Practicing Communication Skills

Teach and model: How to talk to a partner about reading

Assign random partners (partner a, partner b) Do a short read aloud (picture book or accessible short story)

Options:

Preview a read aloud a text you will use as a mentor for the writing unit .

Grade 6: Everything Will be Okay

Grade 7: Thirteen and a Half

Grade 8: Last Kiss

Use the read aloud to teach kids to turn and talk, express opinions (I think..), ask questions (I wonder why…)

Listen respectfully (body language, share what the person said…What I am hearing you say is…”

You will use the text later to teach writing strategies so it will be useful for the students to be familiar with text beforehand

Goal Setting and Rules

Remind students that good goal can be to learn to be a stronger partner and develop skills of communicating

Day 5

Welcome to class

Teaching Content

Choosing books: Use interest survey responses to help students choose books. Series are a great way to set kids up with many books to read. See courses of study document in email from last week.

Understanding check out procedures

Filling out simple reading logs

Communicate goal of reading for longer and longer stretches of time and reading more books this year than ever before

Give time for students to read and take note of reading behaviors and stamina

Confer with readers as necessary

Practicing Communication Skills

Turn and talk about how reading for a stretch of time felt

Goal setting and Rules

Remind kids that maybe reading more books and for longer stretches of time might be a good goal for them. Or finding books they love. Or finding time to read, etc.

For week two, make sure to check out part 3. of this series!