Teaching 6th grade has it’s own unique challenges. Students in 6th grade are often classified as middle school/junior high students but they are much more like elementary kids rather than 8th graders getting ready to move on to high school. In this article I’m going to give you 12 strategies for teaching 6th grade.
If you are going to be teaching 6th grade or are currently teaching them then I want to help you out. I know what it’s like.
I have taught middle school my whole teaching career which started in the 2004-2005 school year and have seen the differences between each grade level.
The biggest difference is their maturity and ability to problem solve on their own, 6th graders still need a lot of hand holding and confirmation from their teacher.
No worries though, after reading this article teaching 6th grade will be a breeze!
Here we go, 20 tips, tricks, and strategies to help you navigate teaching in a 6th grade classroom.
Note: These are not subject specific, they are for all types of 6th grade classrooms.
1. Show Them, Don’t Tell Them
For 6th grade students structure is everything.
During the first week or two of school you have to teach them routines and how to learn.
Take the time to show them how to maintain a journal dedicated to one specific class.
Demonstrate to them how to pack up their belongings before the bell rings. Remember, many of them have never had to constantly switch rooms in 5th grade, they were assigned only one room.
Show them what you want them to do when the bell rings.
Discuss classroom rules and expectations.
Review them every day during the start of the school year.
Don’t forget the curriculum though, don’t spend all your time with ice-breaker activities and “fluff” activities.
You also want students to know that they are expected to learn and achieve learning targets.
I know it sounds like a lot but if you can do this then it makes teaching sixth grader easier.
2. You’ll Get More Respect (typically)
6th grade students typically don’t have as much attitude and will respect you more than older middle school students.
They are still little and will seek approval and positive attention from their teacher.
I have found that teaching 8th and 7th grades are different than 6th in that the kids get a little more attitude and disrespectful as they get older.
Getting more respect doesn’t always happen so don’t go into a 6th grade class expecting every single student to be respectful, that is never going to happen.
3. Teach Organization
Up until 6th grade most of the students are coming from an elementary school where they were pretty much in one classroom for all their core subjects like math, science, language arts, and social science/studies.
In 6th grade they will often have a locker in a hallway (usually) and have to suddenly stay organized all by themselves.
Some students will do fine with this extra responsibility but some will not.
You should take some time to teach them how to be organized.
For my 6th grade science classes I would show them how to organize their science journals and how to organize their papers into one folder. We would practice doing this daily.
I know it sounds really simple but a lot of them have never done this kind of stuff before so take the time to do it and it pays off in the long run.
4. Teach Note Taking
Hear this: 6th graders don’t know what note taking is.
If you want to have them take notes in your class you have to show them how to do it.
It is time consuming but in the long run it pays off.
Show them how and where you want them to put their notes. In my classes I always had them have one specific notebook for science.
Don’t forget to let them know that notes includes things like table, graphs, diagrams, and drawings.
Taking notes means that they have something they can reference in the future that will help them.
5. Get Some Air Fresheners
At 6th grade they haven’t figured out what deodorant is yet, that will happen in 7th or 8th grade.
Your room is going to stink at times, especially after PE on a hot spring or summer day.
What makes it worse is when they leave the room the smell lingers.
Get yourself those Glade Plug Ins like these on Amazon.
Just plug it in and you don’t have to worry about them stinking up the room anymore.
The pleasant scent also adds to the comfort of the room which makes for a better learning environment.
The nasty smell is no longer a distraction.
If it get’s really bad then send a note to their PE teachers asking for some help or a mini unit on the importance of good hygiene.
6. They Are Fun To Teach
Teaching 6th grade is fun, they are less mature and have a different energy than older students yet a more mature than 4th and 5th graders.
They are still kids and for the most part still enjoy learning and trying new things.
They won’t complain too much and are easy to please.
I remember teaching science lessons and they would get excited to do them and learn.
It was great to see and be a part of. It’s one of the things I miss about teaching 6th grade.
7. Beware: Second Half Of The Year
All that fun and excitement to learn will start to fade throughout the school year.
The biggest change you will see is usually after winter/Christmas break.
Some of them will come back to you and will interact with you a little differently.
Suddenly you are the enemy.
They may talk to you less, get involved with bad drama, or change their mood 4 times during one class period.
Don’t worry about it though, it’s a part of growing up and they have to grow up too.
You get to literally see some personalities change in just a few months. It’s interesting to be a part of.
Keep them accountable and stay consistent with your classroom expectations so that know that even though they are changing you are not.
8. There Will Be Maturity Gaps
There are going to be big gaps in maturity.
In one class you will have some students already contemplating dating (I know, it’s crazy) while others are still into Pokemon and playing chase games.
Sixth graders are all over the place regarding maturity, social awareness, puberty, and independence.
At this age you have to expect that they are going to make poor choices but just remember that it is a part of development.
We all went through it at some point of our lives.
Try teaching them to be self-aware, most likely they have never been taught it before.
You’ll be amazed how much change can take place throughout just one school year.
9. Don’t Forget The Parents
The parents of sixth grades are all over the place too.
Some parents are still clinging on to their child and still feeling the need to help them with everything.
While some other parents have already taken off the training wheels and their child is on their own.
You will also get everything in between and beyond.
Let parents know that you want their child to become more independent and to learn from their mistakes.
I usually do this early in the year during “open house” or “curriculum night” at my building.
This is usually your first chance to meet parents face to face and to let them know more about your classroom and your expectations.
10. Build Relationships With Students
Sixth graders want you to respect them and listen to them.
If you take the time to do this early in the year then the rest of the year is easier for you.
Take the time to build a positive relationship with students so that they trust you and understand that when they do something wrong you have to hold them accountable.
If you have a good relationship with them then they are likely to accept the discipline a little easier
How do you build a relationship with them? It’s easy. Take the time to talk to them about their lives.
At the start of a new week have them do a journal reflection about their weekend.
Ask them to share it or turn it in to you. You don’t have to take a long time going through them, just a few minutes to read what they wrote.
Use that information to start conversations with them and build a relationship.
For example, if you notice a student is always writing about playing in soccer games over the weekend you can ask them if they had a game and how their team played.
11. Have An Agenda Posted Daily
Most teachers are already doing this but make sure you are posting an agenda in your room every day.
This will help your students with transitions and let them know what they will need for that day.
In my room I list every single thing that they will be doing that day, including the homework and the learning standard.
My school district also requires we add an SEL (social emotional learning) standard as well.
12. Give Them Time To Move
Sixth graders have a ton of energy and like to move around.
Try to build movement activities into our plans so that they aren’t expected to sit all the time.
It’s not always possible so at the very least if they are coming from a few classes in a row where they are seated you can give them a quick minute movement break before getting started.
