7 RULES IN MY MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM | BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS

[@joiedevivre5157]

Thanks so much for this! It’s really helpful and easy to visualize. Your videos are like a having a veteran teacher mentor. Grateful ☺️

[@tarateachingmiddleschool2118]

Oh! My! Goodness! Hearing this video and visualizing my classes each day! No one knows how crazy this can be with middle schoolers! I have almost the same routines to keep my classes running smoothly and my sanity complete! Thanks for your videos!

[@JohnSmith86132]

I've been teaching for eight years. The best tip that I can give another teacher is to pinpoint three or four things that really get under your skin and make those your rules. Don’t create rules just because they were the rules when you were in school. If you're a beginner teacher, you're not really going to know what gets under your skin until you've actually taught.

[@cheyennemoore8380]

Yes. Definitely. Mine has altered a bit since I started. It definitely takes some experience to learn what makes your teaching the best for your classes.

[@joshuaguastella]

I found your channel about a month ago and I’m so happy I did! I moved from teaching high school social studies for seven years to teaching middle school this past year. Your videos have helped me come up with routines, procedures and expectations to keep students on task and engaged. One expectation I have in my class is no anchors. An anchor is a student that holds the class, their table, or themselves back from engaging with the content. Kids will call each other out and say no anchors. I have a sign printed and on the wall as well. Thanks again for all you do! I hope you have a great start to your school year!

[@cheyennemoore8380]

I love that one simple rule that cuts out so much! Thank you for sharing this! I'm probably going to try it tbh. So much easier than listing everything.

[@joiedevivre5157]

Thanks!

[@latishabrown4042]

Great video. I’ve been teaching middle school my entire teaching career and I’ve learned something new every year. Our school has a no hoodie policy(on your head) and no cell phones out. They are to be placed in the lockers or a designated area in the classroom. I also have gone from rules to expectations, I know it’s semantics, but I tell me kids at the beginning of the year absolutely through out, these are my expectations and they are held accountable to follow them. I believe the most important thing we can do as educators is stay consistent. I’ve had to make changes in the middle of the year, because I noticed if my consistency was off the kids would take that and run with it. Have a great year fellow educators(brave souls).❤😂

[@TheOldNewTeacher]

YES Megan - I am heading into year 9 at the middle school level and these are EXACTLY the kinds of videos that I need! Not to say we are jaded or anything 😏just operating in reality. Loved this one!

[@BellatrixVanDettaZwarts]

This video is hilarious. Loved it! After 9 years of teaching, I still don't get why they make animal noises from time to time. Enjoy the rest of your holidays!

[@kathybutler3709]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE ALL YOUR RULES! Great!

[@LorraineinPNW]

Veteran middle school teacher here. My rules are pretty much the same. Our school has agreed on rules everywhere on campus: "No hoodies on in buildings", "phones off and away until I say", "the teacher dismisses students not the bell", and we must have a bell ringer. As a Sped Teacher, I don't allow my paras to talk to the students during whole-group instruction time, because I have a lot of students on IEPs that are easily distracted. Most of the class period is either group work or individual work, so there's lots of time for having conversations. This summer, I became BeGlad certified, so we will be co-creating posters regularly. So, I'll have to come up with a procedure for that.

[@karenlimahai5946]

It’s so great that you made this. I recently watched your Year Four behavioral expectations and I wondered if your procedures had changed. Thanks. I guess I was wondering if you were still “not a nice teacher” as you put it. Middle school is middle school. Thanks for the no loud noises, that skibidi toilet was killing me😭

[@reneemolohon5300]

Skibidi toilet currently rules my 6th graders minds.

[@destinytaylor1143]

I do NOT let my students leave unless they’re in their seats either. We love to say, “Cheeks in seats!” 7th graders get a kick out of it and will chant it to remind others!

[@Heyu7her3]

That's cute! 😅 But I teach computer science so I want them to leave ASAP

[@gaellegoutain1286]

Wow, you don't have any prep time? When do you grade and prep your lessons?

[@Mckee4055]

I always dismiss them too from their seats. Randomly by row or group, depending on the current configuration. Desks and floor area needs to be clear before I’ll let them go. They learn quickly to encourage others to put away their things in time.

[@SarahtheDietitian]

I observed a high school geometry class of a veteran teacher. The kids put their book bags in an area in the back of his classroom, next to a board which listed/illustrated exactly what they would need at their desks. It was a very orderly classroom.

[@jcrane45585]

Love these videos. What are your best ways to quickly assess whether or not a student understands verbal instructions?😊

[@blippo]

Hi Megan! We sent you an email a few weeks ago! Have you seen it? Looking forward to hearing from you! 💜🥰

[@emeldabonilla7529]

Love all of these! I’m moving to the middle school from the highschool and I would say I did all the same with my freshman 😂 but question about the late work… is the student required to show you the late work during class? Curious about how you’re doing that.

[@toocoolformiddleschoolblog]

@@emeldabonilla7529 yes, they have to show it to me in full at that exact second or wait until the next month!

[@katyr7513]

Yessssssss!!! I can relate!!!😃🥰

[@ClaudiaSanchez-1991]

6th grade veteran teacher I really liked the rule about the Chromebook closed at the beginning of class!! I enforced the no phone in class, if I see it I confiscate, turn it in to the office! This year we are making it a rule to be off and in the backpack!!

[@photogrl73]

Great video! You run a no non-sense classroom like me!

[@ayyykassie]

do you by any chance have an editable version of the “booty on your seats” poster? i have elementary school school kids and we don’t have a bell 🙃

[@stavroulavickymatzaras880]

May I have the person's name that tweeted the goodmorning affirmation....thanks

[@toocoolformiddleschoolblog]

@@stavroulavickymatzaras880 Lin Manuel Miranda 💛

[@stavroulavickymatzaras880]

Thank you so much!​@@toocoolformiddleschoolblog

[@stavroulavickymatzaras880]

I ❤your channel. Thank you!🙏🏻

[@NLand-ol1jd]

What is your schools cellphone policy?

[@toocoolformiddleschoolblog]

@@NLand-ol1jd they can’t be out at all during the school day

[@johnlopez3996]

When it comes to kids playing with their plastic water bottles, I tell them that I don't want to hear Kris Crinkle.

[@toocoolformiddleschoolblog]

@@johnlopez3996 😂😂

[@MrGarciaTeaches-IG]

I am a paper teacher for the reasons you described. I did all on Chromebook one year and it was crazy. Now I do mostly paper and wow it has been great. I use Chromebooks for fun reviews on Blooket and for tests.