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SPECIAL
RESOURCES FOR
NEW MIDDLE GRADES TEACHERS
2011-12
TAMING CLASSROOM CHAOS: THE SEQUEL
Several years ago Cossondra George wrote one of the most popular Teacher Magazine "Teaching Secrets" articles ever, "Taming the Dragon of Classroom Chaos." In a recent post at her "Middle School Day by Day" blog, George pens what we might call "the Sequel," in which she offers "some easy practical ideas for how new teachers (or old ones who want to become more effective) can structure their classrooms to meet the needs of students." She used the word "old," not us! If you missed the original, it's here.
FOR NEW TEACHERS: "MY 5 BIGGEST MISTAKES"
This blog post by teacher-author Robyn Jackson at ASCD's Edge social community has been a popular read (for its good advice) and drawn useful comments (from other teachers confessing their biggest blunders). Among Jackson's confessions: taking everything personally; waiting too long to intervene; and hiding out from parents. Good counsel - and while you're taking a look, check out the Edge itself: lots of smart teachers hanging out there.
TEACHING SECRETS: THE CLASSROOM MGMT COLLECTION
Your MiddleWeb editor also serves as editor for the Teaching Secrets series at Teacher Magazine. These articles from that collection, all written by members of the Teacher Leaders Network, emphasize classroom management strategies of particular interest to new and novice teachers. A new favorite: Marsha Ratzel shares organizational secrets that can create more than three weeks of extra instructional time.
TEACHING TIME MANAGEMENT
We all understand and sympathize with the distractions of tween-hood, says middle grades teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron, but "we still need to teach deadlines and responsibility." In an installment of her "Middle School Nuts and Bolts" series, the TweenTeacher offers ideas from her own classroom about helping students manage their minutes and their workloads. Wolpert-Gawron's blog post has been the most-clicked story from the daily Accomplished Teacher SmartBrief newsletter for over a week. Are we surprised?
NEW TEACHERS: WHEN YOU'RE UP AGAINST A WALL
"Middle schoolers are engaged in an experiment of how far their power to control their environment extends," says eighth grade teacher Susan Graham at her Teacher Magazine blog. "The variable is how far they can push before the test subject responds negatively; and the test subject is pretty much any adult they encounter." When Graham, a 30-year veteran, encountered "J.R.", she was reminded again of these developmental characteristics as her tried and true classroom management system collapsed. Then she recalled some wisdom recently gathered from a much younger colleague.
TEACHING SECRETS: MAKING MATH MEANINGFUL
Cossondra George, a veteran middle school math teacher with a background in special education, offers her ideas about how educators can engage ALL students in mathematics and help them become successful. Cossondra's Teacher Magazine article was last week's most-clicked story in ASCD SmartBrief newsletter. Her suggestions, she says, are aimed at helping "grow students who enjoy the processes of math, learn to appreciate the complexities of the subject, and find ways to relate math to their everyday lives."
TEACHING SECRETS: 10 TO-DO's FOR NEW MIDDLE GRADES TEACHERS
Veteran middle school teacher Marsha Ratzel offers advice about things novice teachers should do BEFORE the first day with students. A math and science teacher in Blue Valley KS, Ratzel's article has already received more than 20,000 hits at the Teacher Magazine website. Her ideas range from the practical to the profound and are a must read – the sooner the better!
TEACHING SECRETS: CULTURAL COMPETENCY
What is the most effective path for working with students who come from backgrounds different than your own? Middle grades instructional coach Elena Aguilar offers her ideas in this recent Teacher Magazine article titled "When the Kids Don't Share Your Culture." Aguilar's 13 tips will be of interest not only to new teachers but to all who work with children in multi-cultural classrooms.
TEACHING SECRETS: HANG ON TO THE MAGIC
New teacher mentor Gail Tillery is an honorary Friend of MiddleWeb. She's high school-based, but her frequent writings about teacher practice and the teaching life contain wisdom for all secondary teachers (6-12). In this recent Teacher Magazine article, "Teaching Secrets: Hang on to the Magic," Gail offers novice teachers eight ideas about how they can -- in these difficult times for schools -- defy the odds and hang on to the excitement and enthusiasm for working with young people that first attracted them to teaching. Come to think of it, this bracing article might be just the thing for weary veterans, too.
THE TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP BALANCE
What is the relationship balance in a classroom? Where is that exact point at which students feel cared for but also know that they must respect the teacher and they are expected to learn? Middle grades educator Cindi Rigsbee, a 2009 national teacher of the year finalist, shares her insights about "The Relationship Balance" in the new summer edition of Educational Leadership. It's a web-only issue with the theme "Good Teaching in Action," that includes interesting articles for newbies and veterans alike. Another must-read: "The Best Teachers I Have Known."
NEW TEACHERS: LET KIDS STRUGGLE
Veteran middle grades teacher Ellen Berg has sage advice for new and not-so-new teachers in this Teaching Secrets article at Teacher Magazine, "Don't Cripple with Compassion." Berg, an eighth grade language arts teacher in San Diego, had her personal aha moment about letting students struggle more with learning while attending a math conference, oddly enough. Berg offers a concrete example from her classroom describing how she's toughened up her teaching and the positive results she's seen.
FOR NEW TEACHERS: DEALING WITH SASSY KIDS
Check out the advice in this and other articles at the "Empowering Parents" website and see if the insights of behavioral experts James Lehman and Robert Myers might be useful to you and/or to parents and guardians of your students. "As your child gets into adolescence, he'll start to find ways to push your buttons," says Lehman in this overview of sassy talk. "I personally think that the less you challenge it, the less you give it power. Remember, the less power you give it, the more it's going to die its natural death."
TEACHING SECRETS: THE
ORGANIZED MIDDLE SCHOOLER
Little wonder that new middle schoolers are so disorganized, writes Laurie
Wasserman in this "Teaching Secrets" essay at the Teacher Magazine website. Most "have spent their first five years of school with a single
teacher for the majority of the day." When they enter middle school "they
are given a combination lock, a hallway locker, a homeroom, and a schedule
that often has four or more subject-area teachers...This is where the
child with significant organizational challenges becomes both overwhelmed
and frustrated." Wasserman, a sixth grade special ed teacher who works
with ADD/ADHD students, shares her secrets for building the Organized
Middle Schooler. (Free registration)
VIDEO ADVICE FOR NEW TEACHERS
There's a good no-cost video series at Teacher TV featuring Sue Cowley, a former teacher turned behavior management expert. Cowley is British and the series is filmed in British schools, so it feels a bit like The Nanny reality show. As you'll quickly see, kids act pretty much the same everywhere. "The enemy is not the kids but anything that gets in the way of them learning," Cowley believes. Among the topics: Starting the school day right; keeping a cool head in class; creating a good set of rules; managing group work; and establishing routines. Each clip is about 15 minutes long, and you'll see a mix of age groups, K-8. Also check out Teaching with [John] Bayley, who works with teachers in the upper grades. See "Too Much Talk," for example.
NEW TEACHERS: BRIGHT AND UNCONTROLLABLE KIDS
Novice teacher C.W. Arp writes about "that fatal combination [of a student with] severe emotional disequilibrium and remarkable intellectual ability." In this two-part post at the Gotham Schools blog, Arp describes the different approaches of two teachers he's observed: one who does not allow students to go off task and only recognizes students who raise their hands; and another who allows frustration, jokes and mistakes to become a part of the learning experience. He agrees with the second teacher's approach but confesses that his fear of student outbursts leads him to teach like the first.
NEW TEACHERS: ESTABLISHING CLASSROOM NORMS
We hope it's not too late to squeeze in one more article about establishing your classroom "cultural norms" early in the school year. We spotted this link in a recent e-newsletter from Stenhouse, the sponsor who keeps our MiddleWeb newsletter alive. It's an updated version of a long-time favorite at the Education World website, and (best of all) it includes a simple but clever activity first shared nearly a decade ago by a teacher who participated in our MiddleWeb chat community (now NMSA's MiddleTalk). All it requires is a stack of index cards, some tape, and a bit of clever teacher banter.
ADVICE FOR THE NEW SCIENCE TEACHER
If you're a new science teacher -- or know someone who is -- you'll benefit from the advice of expert Anne Jolly as she recalls her own puzzlement when she first started teaching in a middle school science classroom. Jolly, a former Alabama Teacher of the Year, emphasizes the importance of engaging middle schoolers through inquiry learning, which must begin by teaching them a critical skill: how to work effectively in small groups. Jolly even provides her email address for follow-up questions.
A MOUNTAIN OF GOOD ADVICE FOR NEW TEACHERS
What new teacher, fresh through the classroom door, wouldn't welcome a wise and experienced voice, ready with practical advice? This selection of 18 "Teaching Secrets" articles were written for Teacher Magazine by members of the Teacher Leaders Network eager to support new colleagues. For the price of free registration, novice professionals can take advantage of several hundred years of accumulated wisdom. The collection covers the fundamentals of classroom management and discipline, tips on surviving your first parent meetings, and the secrets of student engagement.
REALITY 101 FOR NEW SPED TEACHERS
New special education teachers (and their mentors and colleagues) will find some ideas, aid and comfort at this blog supported by the Council for Exceptional Children. MiddleWeb friend Elizabeth Stein is the host for September and brings her middle grades perspective to the mix. If you're a new teacher, feel free to ask a question and expect some help. If you're a vet, leave some tips of you own.
THE UNORGANIZED MIDDLE SCHOOLER
There are many middle school students who but for their poor organizational skills would be performing on a satisfactory level, says Susan Mulcaire, author of "The Middle School Student's Guide to Ruling the World." In this article, Mulcaire tells the story of Aman, who "might not be so quick to throw in the towel and label himself a failure" if he "truly understood that his organizational habits, not his intellectual ability are driving his performance." Mulcaire goes on to describe a successful intervention by Aman's teacher.
TEACHING SECRETS: FIVE TIPS FOR THE NEW TEACHER
Cindi Rigsbee, a finalist for 2009 national teacher of the year, shares her five favorite comments to new teachers in her school. Rigsbee begins with "Hit the floor running and breathe when you leave" and ends with "Don't hide your light under a bushel." This essay, one of a series written by members of the Teacher Leaders Network, is among the "most viewed" articles at the TM site. Other veteran teachers are leaving additional tips in the Comments section. You might, too! (Free registration)
TEACHING SECRETS: STUDENTS BEHAVE WHEN TEACHERS ENGAGE
Anthony Cody began his teaching career in inner-city Oakland CA almost 20 years ago. It was a rough first year in his middle school, with many lesson preps. “My credential program had not really dealt much with behavior issues. The idea was to deliver a rich curriculum, and the management would take care of itself. If you are already teaching, you know this does not always work.” After floundering the first year or two, he got some good advice from down the hall that he shares in this Teacher Magazine article. Follow his tips as a new teacher and you won’t have to way a year or two to establish a harmonious classroom environment! (Free registration)
More Special Resources for
New Middle Grades Teachers
FIVE
DAYS WITH RICK WORMELI AND FRIENDS
Rick
Wormeli's 2003 book Day One and Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle
Level Teachers provided the talking points for this five-day chat
among Rick, veteran teachers in the MiddleWeb discussion group, and a
passle of brand new teachers.
YOUNG
TEACHERS READY TO COLLABORATE
"Generation Y" (born 1977-86) has now
reached adulthood and is dramatically changing the composition of today's
teaching staffs, say Harry and Rosemary Wong in a smart article published
in the ASCD Express newsletter. Loneliness and lack of support exacerbate
the frustrations of beginning teachers and lead to early exits from the
profession. The Wongs advocate for induction programs that foster collaborative
work and are structured around learning communities that can mentor young
teachers more inclined to collaborate than previous generations. (PDF
file)
ADVICE
FOR BRAND-NEW MIDDLE GRADES TEACHERS
Get some tips from accomplished veterans in this archived MiddleWeb discussion.
In all began when the moderator asked: "What are the best two or three
pieces of advice you have for new teachers to help them get off to a successful
start—and hang in there?"
WHAT
CAN NEW TEACHERS DO FOR THEMSELVES?
"When I read articles about new teachers," writes Lisa Renard, "I
am confronted with such issues as, 'How can we better support new teachers?'
That's nice. But why don't I ever read about 'The top 10 ways new teachers
can help themselves,' or 'How to make your first years the best years'?
The focus of our efforts to help new teachers seems to weigh too heavily
on the schools, forgetting to encourage new teachers with practical steps
to help themselves." (from Classroom Leadership, ASCD, May 1999.)
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