6-8 Middle School
Explore and share tips, strategies, and resources for helping students develop in grades 6-8.
4 Steps to Build Schoolwide Capacity in the Science of Learning
The science of learning encompasses findings in several fields, and these steps help demystify it and encourage gradual adoption—one strategy at a time.166Creating a Classroom That Is Student, not Teacher, Driven
Teachers can take a step back and create lessons that put student explorations at the center of learning.6.8kHow to Reduce the Cognitive Load on Students During Lessons
A look at ways teachers can refine their practices to help ensure that students absorb and process information so they can retrieve it later.2.1kBalancing Friendliness With Firmness
By setting clear expectations for behavior early on, teachers can have fun with their students without losing control of their classrooms.9.5k4 Proactive Steps to Avoid Misbehavior From the First Day of Class On
Carefully working on relationship building right from the start of the school year can help teachers avoid discipline issues.6.3kIf You’re Not Failing, You’re Not Learning
The learning scientist Manu Kapur, architect of the theory of productive failure, on reframing our notion of failure, and letting kids stumble (but with purpose).1k
The Case Against Zeros in Grading
Teachers can rethink their grading practices to make them more mathematically fair for students and allow for redemption for a missed assignment.29.9kRelationship Building From Day 1
Strategies for fostering relationships with middle and high school students starting on the first day of the school year and then growing them all year long.4.9k5 Ways to Help Neurodiverse Students Improve Executive Function Skills
Neurodiverse students often struggle with organization in middle and high school, but they can be successful with the proper supports.9553 Ways to Activate Student Engagement
Waning engagement in lessons at the upper elementary and middle school levels can be remedied quickly with these simple strategies.737Encouraging Middle and High School Students to Build Patience in the Classroom
Waiting for a teacher’s support can be hard for some students, but with the right strategies, they can learn to use this time productively.948Extending Penmanship Lessons Beyond Elementary School
Working to improve their handwriting can help middle school students improve their reading and writing skills as well.111
8 Strategies to Improve Participation in Your Virtual Classroom
Educators share their best synchronous and asynchronous strategies to boost student participation during online learning.48.9kHow to Get Students to Focus on Learning—Not Grades
With a few shifts in the classroom, teachers can encourage students to pay more attention to the skills they are building than to a number or letter score.
Is it Time to Drop ‘Finding the Main Idea’ and Teach Reading in a New Way?
Some schools are changing the way they teach reading—based on research that shows background knowledge is more critical to comprehension than general skills like ‘finding the main idea.’48k
