Is your teaching assignment moving to middle school for the first time? Don't panic! Today we're talking about what you need, like mental tools, physical tools, and all the in-between to not just survive but thrive during this season of transition.

Topics Discussed

• Mindset Shifts – “You’re Not Starting Over”
• The Practical Toolbox
• Emotional & Social Tools
• Expect Chaos... and Embrace It

Ellie’s blog posts about routine:

Routines during 1st week: https://cognitivecardiomath.com/cognitive-cardio-blog/teaching-classroom-routines-the-first-week-of-school/

Beginning of class routines: https://cognitivecardiomath.com/cognitive-cardio-blog/middle-school-classroom-routines-to-begin-class/

End of class routines: https://cognitivecardiomath.com/cognitive-cardio-blog/middle-school-classroom-routines-to-end-class/

Related Episodes

Episode 10: https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/show-notes/classroom-transition-ideas/

Episode 12: https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/show-notes/classroom-economy-systems/

Episode 14: https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/show-notes/effective-morning-routines-and-classroom-greetings/

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This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

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[00:00:33] Brittany: Hello.

[00:00:45] Brittany: And now it's time to flip that lens because let's be real, students aren't the only ones who transition.

[00:01:20] It wasn't supposed to happen during the school year. Suddenly I was there for open house and then I was gone and somebody else had to completely pack up my classroom to be moved to another school, so that was a good time for them, I'm sure.

[00:01:44] Ellie: oh, no.

[00:01:54] Ellie: Hmm.

[00:01:56] Ellie: good mouse stories too, but that's for another time.

[00:02:14] or buildings. I changed classrooms 9 out of 11 years when I was in the elementary school I worked in. And then I did make the jump to middle school, but I stayed in sixth grade, so that was comforting. And I never had to move my classroom once I got to middle

[00:02:46] Brittany: Oh yeah, definitely.

[00:03:04] Yeah. Like because we were restructuring and changing from junior high to middle school. So I moved from one elementary school temporarily to the next one, which is the one I was in when I had my daughter and that one had to get them packed up and move to the next elementary school, all in that process of restructuring.

[00:03:39] And after that, I moved to middle school and spent 12 years in the same classroom. So let's think about when you're switching grade levels and think about the mental side of transitions, because when you move from elementary to middle or middle to high school or high school to middle school, it's easy to feel like you're a brand new teacher again.

[00:04:01] Brittany: Oh yeah, but guess what? You're not starting over. You're leveling up. You're bringing everything you've learned previously, and now you're just like playing in a new arena.

[00:04:32] Brittany: Right. I bombed my sixth grade student teaching experience.

[00:04:40] my, college professor was like, maybe sixth grade's not for you. And then I went and did my high school experience and I flew through it. It was awesome. I loved my high school experience. And then when I got hired, it was for a sixth grade position.

[00:04:59] But then I ended up loving it. I fit right in, and I did 17 years at 6th grade.

[00:05:06] Brittany: So you never know what will happen, but.

[00:05:25] And then when I got hired, I was hired for a sixth grade, but then the person who was supposed to retire changed her mind and I didn't get that job. And then a fifth grade one in the same school opened up the following week. So I ended up in fifth grade to start. And I really did love that. And then when I went and tried second grade, halfway through my teaching career, I liked it, but I really missed the upper grades.

[00:05:55] Brittany: Nope.

[00:05:58] Brittany: And Andrea from History Gal reminded us that even with a whole new setup, like high school block scheduling, your purpose really stays the same. You're still there to support and empower students.

[00:06:26] Brittany: All right, so let's dig into the real toolbox, the things we wish someone had handed us with a big red bow when we switched roles.

[00:06:45] Brittany: Oh yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah.

[00:07:09] Brittany: I always custom made my own planner.

[00:07:13] Brittany: And then right behind that is a system. So something like Google templates, a good file structure, a grading routine. Bonus, if whatever you choose is color coded

[00:07:32] Brittany: for like. your classroom,

[00:07:48] Middle schoolers, benefit from anchor charts, timers, checklists, classroom routine lists, even if they roll their eyes at them, and you might think that maybe they're too old for some of those things, they're really beneficial.

[00:08:12] of the school and stuff,

[00:08:19] Brittany: I should be expecting from the students.

[00:08:24] Ellie: Okay.

[00:08:44] Ellie: Okay.

[00:08:49] Ellie: Right. And that's a really good point because in the same school district, you might even be from one middle school to another, but because the principal is different or the administration is different, some of the expectations may be different. So yeah, that's really important to find out right away.

[00:09:05] Brittany: Yeah. And I came from a charter school into a public school, and so I had no idea what they we're allowing or not allowing, what was different. Charter schools are much more restrictive than public schools.

[00:09:22] Brittany: so classroom setup might be different too. You might want a cozy reading corner, or you might want spaces where students can collaborate.

[00:09:46] Ellie: Yeah, I definitely had those posters up and I had a carpet area, which was really nice. It was a nice little section on the side of the room where we have a carpet area and some beanbags until all the little beanbag thingies started falling out. But that was really nice to have a cozy spot like that. And you might have to retrain yourself when it comes to

[00:10:38] So you had some fun paper passing experiences?

[00:10:52] Ellie: That's funny.

[00:11:22] Ellie: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's true. Once you get really into things, sometimes it's hard to pause and, and look back at those things. It's nice to map things out as best you can

[00:11:52] Ellie: map things out, air quotes. Um, I was really good at mapping things out. Not so good with the, sticking to the schedule.

[00:12:01] Ellie: Yeah. Um, you'll also wanna have like a stash of flexible activities like bell ringers, exit tickets, quick review games. Middle school timing can be really unpredictable. Like you might think you're gonna take the entire period to finish this lesson and you're done with five, 10 minutes to spare. You can't really start something new.

[00:12:41] So too much downtime at the end of lessons can be the root of many issues.

[00:12:48] Ellie: Now if the grade level change isn't too dramatic, like you're going up or down one grade level, instead of going like from second grade to sixth grade, take a little time at the beginning of the year to audit your materials. Look at your favorite lessons, your favorite activities, your favorite resources, and ask how can I adapt this for younger or older students?

[00:13:20] Brittany: Exactly. For example, that detailed essay outline you used in high school, tweak it into a guided writing template that walks students through brainstorming, organizing, and drafting one paragraph at a time. That big semester long research project, break it into smaller bite-sized checkpoints. Maybe even have mini deadlines every week or two. That elementary graphic organizer you loved for reading comprehension. Make a version that fits non-fiction articles or historical documents. Those math task cards you created. Reframe them into many problem solving challenges for middle schoolers who need a little more independence.

[00:14:35] So there are some things like that that you will still be able to use. So think about how you can adjust those things.

[00:14:50] And I have created it as a sixth grade assignment with just higher expectations for what's required. And it's about descriptive writing with shapes.

[00:15:03] Brittany: And then I also have used second grade identifying what the shape is called with my sixth

[00:15:14] They knew the three basic ones, but nothing beyond that.

[00:15:39] in middle school, you might have to explicitly teach those rules and routines to students. That was the first week of school, always was teaching the routines so that they know exactly what to do and what's expected. You'll have to teach things like how to turn in homework and we actually practice that.

[00:16:01] Brittany: Role model, role model, role model. Yeah,

[00:16:23] Ellie: Mm-hmm. And behavior management will be a little bit different too. You might not have needed a lot of reminders about expectations with juniors or seniors, or maybe you do, I don't know, but middle schoolers need constant positive reinforcement. You can use things like ticket systems, classroom economy, which we covered back in episode 12, so you can tune in for more information about that.

[00:16:57] Brittany: Honestly, you'll also need more structured transitions in your lesson plans. Middle schoolers have a harder time moving from one task to another without getting derailed. So using timers, countdowns, clear what's next directions can make a huge difference. You can check out episode 10 of the podcast for a bunch of transition ideas.

[00:17:42] Brittany: Yeah.

[00:17:53] Brittany: The rule basically is tweak it, don't toss it. You're not starting over. You're just refining what already works.

[00:18:17] Brittany: Changing buildings or teams can be isolating, especially if you're moving from a collaborative elementary team to a more independent secondary model.

[00:18:40] Brittany: If your school doesn't have a team model, make your own version. Find a buddy. Start a casual lunch group. Connect with someone in your hallway. DM someone from teacher Instagram. Just don't go it alone.

[00:19:06] Brittany: And don't be afraid to reach out to mentors. Ask questions, observe other teachers. Most people love being asked for advice. They feel honored. I.

[00:19:41] Brittany: Definitely facts, but as Martina said, sometimes the place you stumble into is the place you were meant to be.

[00:20:03] Brittany: Even if your classroom's a disaster for the first month and you forget how to take attendance on day one, and the office has to call you.

[00:20:23] Brittany: You are just packing new tools into your already amazing teaching toolbox.

[00:20:41] Brittany: And until next time, keep teaching, keep growing, and remember