Teaching middle school/junior high students is different than teaching the younger grades and the high school kids. There are things that are unique to middle school students that you may not encounter in the other grade levels and you need to be prepared for that.
In this article I’m going to share with you 20 strategies for teaching middle school students and be effective.
All of these I have used at some point during my teaching career, which has been middle school/junior high since the 2004/2005 school year.
Let’s get started!
If you prefer to watch the video I have that too!
1. Learn How To Talk To Them
Middle school students are no longer little elementary kids but are not quite high school students yet either.
It’s really awkward for them.
Turn off your 1st grade teacher voice, it won’t work anymore nor is it necessary.
Talk to them as though they are young adults, treat them with respect and they will appreciate it.
Don’t talk to them like they are 18 or 10, try to find a good place in between.
This is what works for me: Instead of telling them to stop doing something ask them, “What rule or expectation are you breaking?” They usually get the idea and get quiet.
2. You Are The Authority
Just being the teacher in the classroom you are the authority figure.
Don’t lose your authority, let students know you are willing to bend a little but ultimately the direction of the class goes where you want it to go.
3. Always Have A Plan B
Middle school students can smell when you are unprepared and if they sense it you are going to have a rough day.
It’s like sharks in the water sensing injured prey.
By the time they are in 7th and 8th grade you can longer get away with obvious busy work.
Make sure you know your plans and have something for them to do in case your plans fall apart.
4. There Is Going to Be Drama
Students at this age level are going to stir up some drama.
Let them have their drama and make it clear to them that your classroom is for learning the curriculum, not sharing or talking about drama.
I will sometimes ask students to simply stop talking about what they are talking about so that they can focus on their learning.
I am always surprised how many of them will stop talking and act more mature when you ask them to do this.
One more thing, don’t get drawn into their drama.
It is here one day and gone the next. You need to stay out of it and it will pass.
It always does.
5. Don’t Embarrass Them
Anything that embarrasses middle schoolers in front of their peers is going to doom your chances of having a good relationship with them.
It will often make things worse.
Also, reward them in private.
It’s at this time where it is no longer cool to be smart. Many students don’t want that attention.
Instead of giving a reward to a student in front of the whole class give it to them during study hall or immediately after class.
6. Reinforce the Rules and Expectations
No matter who the student is you need to reinforce rules and expectations.
If the best academic student you have is being talkative and the other students know it then you need to do something about it.
Don’t do favorites, let all students know they all have the possibility of getting in trouble.
Do this and the whole class will respect you.
Honestly, this is the one thing that allows me to control my classes more than anything else.
When the “bad” kids see that you will even hold the “good” kids accountable they will see you as being fair.
7. Challenge Them (A Lot)
My 8th graders love a challenge.
They like to know that they are doing real work and learning something that is challenging to them.
I make sure that the activities they do really make them think and put in the work and effort in order to be successful.
It’s true, if your class is too easy then some students will start misbehaving.
When I taught 6th grade (at the start of my career) I didn’t understand that, now I do though.
8. You Will Become Annoyed
Middle school kids can be annoying and rightfully so.
They are trying to gain their identity and how they fit into the world.
They will annoy you one minute and make you laugh the next.
They are maturing into a young adult but still have a child like view of the world.
Just go with it and enjoy their uniqueness.
9. Always Be Fair
Middle schoolers want to be treated fairly.
They are teenagers now and start acting like them.
Treat the worst behaved kids and the best behaved kids the same and you will win a huge battle.
Like I said earlier, it’s important that bad kids need to see you address the good kids too when they are being disruptive.
10. Procedures Need To Be Repeated
You may think they know how and when to do something but the reality of it is they don’t.
In my 8th grade science classes I make it a point to repeat everything and demonstrate things as much as possible.
I let them know that I want them to do verbally, I demonstrate it, and I write it on the board.
After that my students know not to ask me for help.
If they ask me a question that I repeated over and over I tell them, “That’s a possibility.”
After that they have to figure it out on their own or ask other students in class.
They almost always figure it out on their own, which is a valuable skill itself and it allows me to work with students that genuinely need the help.
11. They Move Around A LOT
Middle schoolers move around all the time.
They are fidgeting, messing with water bottles, rocking in their seats, finding excuses to get up and throw something away, or going to the bathroom.
They simply need to move, especially the boys.
Eventually you’ll get used to it but don’t let it bother you too much, it’s just the way it is in middle school.
12. They Lose Pencils
If they ask you for a pencil say NO and give them a crayon to write with.
Tell them to come prepared for class.
13. They Are Scared
Middle school students are still going to be scared of you and their parents.
Use that to your advantage as much as possible by keeping parents involved.
If you are having problems with a student make sure you contact parents and open that line of communication.
For my students it is sometimes enough just to tell them that I am going to contact their parents if they don’t stop doing something.
14. 8th Graders Are Cool
Something happens during the summer between 7th and 8th grade, they mature.
I went from teaching 7th grade to 8th grade and was pleasantly surprised how much more I like teaching 8th graders.
They can be challenged more, are more “chill”, and are able to happen more in depth discussions.
If you ever have an opportunity to teach 8th grade I recommend you go for it.
15. Don’t Argue With Them
This is true for all grade levels.
Don’t argue with a student in front of the entire class, just don’t do it.
Tell the student that they can talk to you about it after class or they can email you their concern.
Get them away from the other students (audience) and you’ll be shocked how much more manageable they can be.
16. Walk Around The Room
Be active in the classroom.
Let them know that you are checking in on them while they are supposed to be working.
I know it’s not practical to walk around all the time but try doing it just a little more.
Walking around the room is an easy way to show students that you are checking up on them and holding them accountable.
17. Have A Cell Phone Plan
Figure out what your school cell phone policy is and stick to it if it’s enforced by your administrators.
If it’s not enforced and you are on your own, this is what I recommend: politely ask them to put the phone (and earbuds) on your desk and pick it up at the end of class.
I’m usually reasonable with cell phones.
If they have it I remind them to please make sure the phone doesn’t ring or vibrate during class and it should not be out during class.
18. Start Off Strict
In my experiences, it is much easier to start off the school year strict and then ease up as the year goes on.
If you start of soft and plan on becoming more strict it is not going to happen.
They will see right through that and you are going to have a long year.
19. Treat Them Like Children If They Deserve It
Middle school is a middle ground, you will have some students that are very mature, some that are not far behind, and some that still behave like they are in 3rd grade.
Let them know that you will treat them the way they behave.
If they act like a small child then treat them like one.
20. Tackle The Bad Leaders
I don’t mean to actually tackle them.
I mean that you should be able to determine which students in your classes are the bad leaders of the class.
I call them the “spark plugs” because they spark disruptive behaviors.
Neutralize them by giving them a lunch detention, after school detention, redirects, phone call home, or office referral and your classroom management becomes a lot easier.
I usually make a list of who these students are in each class and focus on those students. If I can control them then the other students tone it down too.
Once you control them then the rest of the class can get back to learning.