Classroom Prep Tips for Middle School Science

 

Even when you end one school year with exhaustion, inevitably the beginning of a new school year brings rejuvenation. You take out your beloved boxes of classroom decor and materials. You pop them open and feel the welling of excitement rise up once again! I decided to write this post to share some of the middle school classroom prep tips and tried and tested systems and items that I’ve acquired over the years.

 

Fabric Bulletin Board Backing

It’s so much easier for me to cover my bulletin boards with fabrics! I bought these at JoAnn’s and on Spoonflower years ago and I’ve acquired more science-y fabrics over the years. But I reuse them every year! I have the fabric pieces cut to the dimensions of my front bulletin boards. Staple the edges, add some fun paper science borders, and you’re golden!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comfy Corner Bean Bag Chairs

One of the best additions to my classroom has been a “comfy corner”. I don’t have a whole lot of room in my classroom for a big comfy corner, but I have enough room for a small (5×7) rug and two Big Joe Bean Bag Chairs. My students LOVE sitting in these during independent work.

 

Baskets of Colored Pencils and Supplies

My students need colored pencils a lot in my class! Rather than expect everyone to have their own set, I snagged these caddy baskets on Amazon and I fill them with a big handful of colored pencils, scissors, calculators, glue sticks, and highlighters. On days when we’ll be using them, I plop one basket on each table.

Absent and Late Papers Inbox

This one helped my classroom management SO much. I write my directions for this on my syllabus, go over the procedure on day 1, and stick to it all year. I have an ‘Absent Box’ and a ‘Late Box’. My students know that if they were absent and owe work, they need to write ABSENT and the date of their absence on the top of their paper and put it in the Absent box on the day they return to school. If someone is submitting an assignment late, they need to write LATE and the date on the top of their paper and put it in the Late box ASAP.

At the end of each day, I grab everything in both boxes to grade. In my paper gradebook, I write a little A or L in the top right corner of the box for the grade. On my online gradebook, I jot down Absent or Late in a comment with the grade so the student, the parent, and I all have this record.

 

Blended Learning – Hard Copy Paper Boxes

Now that my classroom functions as a blended learning classroom (meaning that I deliver my curriculum with a total blend of digital and hard-copy resources), I have a new system that is pretty simple and analog!! Here it is — each class period has a bin where I keep all hard copy work from my students. Yes. All of it. They don’t take anything home. The truth is, our main lessons are digital! (See my Blended Learning post for more info). When we have labs, doodle notes, or the occasional hard-copy activity, these bins are where I keep the work. I got these at Target!

 

 

No-Name Papers Strategy

If you teach middle school, you know all about the frustrating, infuriating, shocking (in 8th grade?!), and very common NO-NAME PAPER! These surface in almost every batch of student work. Here is my easy-peasy system for dealing with them: I write NAME?? on the top and clip the paper with the color-coded class period clip (again, red for period 1, orange for period 2, etc.). The clips are hanging on a magnetic pole in my classroom. Each class knows which colored clip is theirs. If I didn’t have a magnetic pole, I would use the magnetic edge of my whiteboard or door frame. Students are responsible for claiming their no-name papers from the clips.

 

 

Bathroom Sign Out Lists

Of course, I would rather have all of my students in class for the entire class period. But, let’s face it: this is middle school. So my policy is that each student has 6 bathroom passes for each marking quarter, and only one student at a time can leave for the bathroom.

I don’t have my lists printed for this school year yet, but typically for each class, I print a class list with 6 blank boxes next to each student’s name. (Grab the editable freebie!) I designate a color paper for each class period (pink is period 1, orange is period 2, green is period 3, etc.) and laminate it. Then I tape each list to the corresponding color.

When a student would like to use the bathroom, he or she needs to ask me first. I always say, “Sign out and take the pass”. The pass is a wooden block with my name and room number on it. The student then goes to his or her class sign-out list and writes the date in the box next to his or her name.

Once a student has used the bathroom 6 times in a marking quarter, I put a line through his or her name. But I find that generally, I don’t cross out many students because with this system students leave the room fewer than 6 times in a quarter!

Keep ‘Em on Their Toes Cups

When I get my class lists, I write each student’s name on the end of a popsicle stick. I have five classes so I have five different colored Solo cups (you could also use color-coded coffee tins or similar). Each cup holds the sticks for the corresponding class. When I’m reviewing homework answers or asking formative assessment questions, I like to keep everyone on their toes by picking sticks!

 

 

 

Clipboard Holder for Your Little Scientists

I inherited about 25 clipboards from the teacher who taught in my room previously. This nifty clipboard holder keeps them out of a cardboard box in a corner and ready for use!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hanging Pocket for Previous Papers

I always make 10 extra copies of all worksheets, labs, etc. Rather than throw the extras in a pile on my desk, I found this strategy helpful for dealing with extras. I found this hanging pocket thing-a-majig and I put extras of each activity in the pockets starting from the top. If a student has been absent, he or she can pop over to this display and grab missing paperwork. I remove all of the papers from this once it’s quite full at the end of a unit or marking quarter and I start fresh.

 

 

 

 

‘Lunch’ Trays for Labs and Stations

This one is super important. If your classroom doesn’t already have some from some previous (brilliant!) science teacher, grab a big stack of colored foodservice trays like these. Use them to set out stations around your classroom. Prep them with lab materials the day before a lab for quick set-up on the day of. Hand out a tray with materials to partner pairs to use at their table. I suggest buying at least enough to split your biggest class into pairs (I have 15 so there are extras!)

 

 

 

House of Doolittle Class Record Gradebook

I have used this House of Doolittle Class Record book as a gradebook method for 9 years now, and it just really works for me. Of course we have a digital gradebook for the students and parents, but this hard-copy gradebook serves as both my Attendance record and my quick-check for how my students are doing in my class. I tossed around the idea of ditching a paper gradebook, but when push came to shove, there is something about being able to strut around the room and put a check in my gradebook while checking students’ work; there is something about walking into a parent meeting with the hard-copy gradebook in hand and seeing at a glance that Timmy has handed in all of his work or that Sarah was absent for a week and needs to make up a handful of assignments.

Here is how I set up my gradebook so that I only have to write students’ names ONCE!

1. Start by counting pages and paper-clipping them to create class sections. So first I would write the students’ names for Period 1 on the first available page.
2. Then, I flip 4 pages that will be my attendance for this class for the 4 marking periods. I put a paperclip on the top to keep these pages together and I flip 3 more pages so that I have 4 pages now for those students’ grades for each marking period.
3. Now I have 7 pages flipped and I cut them so that the students’ names are visible for all of them. I mark the first 4 pages with a tag that says “Attendance, MP1” etc. and the next 4 with a tag that says “Grades, MP1”, etc.
4. Now I flip the next full page over and write the names of my students in Period 2. Then, I repeat steps 2 and 3 above to create the Attendance and Grades sections for that class.
5. Please note: there are 40 pages in this particular gradebook and you need 8 pages per class period. So, as long as you count and cut VERY CAREFULLY (I suggest using colored paperclips and little binder clips to mark sections!), you can use this method for up to 5 classes of up to 35 students each.

Here are a few more tips for using a paper gradebook:

1. Come up with a system for marking absent work, late work, and missing work. If a student misses an assignment, I put a big circle in the box for that assignment. If it is because he/she was absent, I write a little capital “A” in the top corner of the box. When the student submits the assignment, I write in the grade and I’ll know later in parent meetings or team meetings that the student had been absent but did submit the work. As opposed to if he/she just missed an assignment. In this case, I would write in the grade and add a little capital “L” to the circle to indicate that the assignment was submitted late.
2. I will sometimes use a colored pen or highlighter to bulk-mark grades that need updating in the digital gradebook. Then, at the end of a day or week, I’ll go and update all of the grades circled in orange highlighter, for example.
3. Because the student names and grades align when you flip pages, it’s easy to see how absences align with missing work.
4. This also serves as a place to write all of the unique little notes and circumstances that inevitably arise with grading. For example, Molly’s mom emailed to say that her grandfather passed away and she needs an extension for Assignment X. You can write these things on sticky notes and put them on the class pages of the gradebook to keep track of all of the moving parts as they may relate to your grades.

Set Up an Easy-Switch Seating Procedure

I know some teachers let their students sit wherever they want… and others change seats once a marking quarter. What I have found to be effective for my middle schoolers is to assign seats and switch them often. My system is to tape laminated seat numbers to every desk/table.

When I switch the students’ seats, I’ll prepare a quick chart with seat numbers and names that will be displayed on the front screen as students enter the classroom. When they see this chart on the screen, they know we’re switching seats. They look for their name and number and head directly to their new seats.

I do this once every three weeks or so to keep everyone on their toes, mix up social groups and partners, and to eliminate complaints about seat boredom! (I also use a strategy of generally ordering boy-girl-boy-girl and keeping boys near the aisles– you can read about that here!)

I recently found a fantastic resource from Teachers Resource Force for creating a cute seating chart. I plan to use this to visualize the room layout and potential partner pairs, and I can print it out for substitutes!

If you think this seating strategy may work for you, grab the seat numbers for free here! Print them on colored paper, laminate, and tape to your desks!

 

 

 

Alfie, the Drinking Bird

I use Alfie for a beginning of the school year stations activity, and then I let him drink for the rest of the school year on a shelf in my classroom! You can grab one of these neat drinking birds on Amazon. My students find him fascinating and relaxing to watch, and I like requesting students to ‘feed Alfie’ when his water gets low!

I also use this drinking bird in my Gab Lab First Days of School Stations!

Keep Brain Quest & Jolly Ranchers on Hand

You know that last minute of class when you’ve wrapped up your closure and you’re proud of what your students have accomplished in the period? Sometimes I let my students sit in their seats and chat for those 45 seconds. But, other times, I grab my Brain Quest and Tupperware of Jolly Ranchers (this originated with my 5th grade teacher– see the post here!). (I also suggest putting the JR’s in a Tupperware because I’ve learned the hard way that ants love them!!).

The rules are– I ask the question… no one should raise a hand until after the entire question is read… I call on the first student who raises a hand that I see… if they get the answer correct, I toss them a Jolly Rancher. No choosing flavors and no whining about who I call on!

I’ve always just used my grade 6 Brain Quest with my 8th graders (I don’t let them see the cover!), but in searching just now, I see that there is a grade 7 available! (As far as I know, there is not a grade 8).

A Few Decks of UNO Cards

The game of UNO is easy to learn, easy to play, and it can be played with up to 10 players. It’s a perfect game to stash in your desk drawers for those inevitable low-structure days or partial periods that you need to fill! UNO has released fun ‘decade-themed’ decks (70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, and 10’s!). I grabbed the 70s, 90s, and 10’s decks so that I can easily throw three games together and keep the decks separated. Grab them on Amazon here!: 70’s Deck … 80’s Deck … 90’s Deck … 00’s Deck … 10’s Deck

Science and Space Stickers

 

 

 

 

During the pandemic, I was afraid to give out Jolly Ranchers so I switched to keeping a box of fun stickers on hand instead. I give these out for the top three winners of Blooket and GimKit games and as prizes for other activities throughout the year!

I bought these three packs on Amazon and they more than lasted for the school year:

• Space Stickers
• VSCO Cute Stickers
• Nature and Travel Stickers

Jumbo Magnetic Letters

Speaking of closure, this is an easy and fun closure activity to have on hand– jumbo magnetic letters! At the end of a lesson, have the students write the alphabet in two columns down a sheet of paper in their notebooks- A through M down the left column and N through Z down the right column. Now quickly and randomly hand out a letter to each student and explain that they must come up with a word or phrase that reviews some part of the lesson and starts with that letter.

After they think of theirs, encourage them to try to think of a word/phrase for as many letters as they can… give them 2 minutes or so (Give middle schoolers this challenge and most of them will get to work trying to complete A through Z!). After the 2 minutes, do a ‘hop around the room’ from A to Z and have the student representing each letter say out loud their word/phrase to the class.

As a bonus, you can also use these to write cute messages on your whiteboard!

Walk & Talk with the Wireless Presenter

My mentor teacher gave this amazing gadget to me years ago. I highly recommend using one of these if you occasionally show Powerpoints during whole-class instruction. Just put the USB piece into your computer and turn on the remote. You can walk around the room and flip forward or backward on your slides from afar! This Targus one also has a laser pointer that you can use to highlight certain parts of your slide while you’re talking.

BIG Camelbak Water Bottle

My good friend who is a teacher also remembers that during one of her first education classes, her professor said, “My most important advice to new teachers is this: DRINK WATER!”. I always think about that because man have I had so many days filled with labs and prep and duties and grading and meetings that I have quite literally forgotten to drink water for the entire day. That leaves you feeling tired, irritable, and with a bad headache. I have tried many different water bottles over the years and I finally found THE ONE.

This Camelbak Chute Mag water bottle is 50 oz (1.5 liters) so if you drink 2 bottles-worth of water each day, you feel accomplished in that department. The profile is slim so it fits in my teacher bag and the cap doesn’t leak.

My Bestie – a Laminator

The day that I purchased my very own little laminator was a turning point in my teaching career! I have found that students take ANYTHING that is laminated more seriously! So, I laminate my station signs, mini-posters, lab directions pages, manipulatives, and lots of other things. I really think that the smell and feel of warm plastic-coated paper is just engrained in us! If you don’t have one already, grab one to start out this school year– you won’t regret it! And don’t worry, you can purchased laminating pouches in high quantities for relatively cheap, like these.

Science Doodle Bulletin Board Letters

Have an empty bulletin board or classroom door that needs dressing?! These bulletin board letters filled with science doodles are perfect for creating any bulletin board phrase or to use on a word wall!

These letters, numbers, and symbols are filled with science doodles and you can print them with black ink on any color paper!

Imagine the possibilities! Here are some phrases to consider for a bulletin board in your classroom!:

Get Organized with Equipment Labels!

Check out these free, editable science lab equipment labels in my TPT store! I laminate them and attach them to drawers, cabinets, baskets, and shelves. My students know where everything belongs, and I can easily check what supplies I need to order at the end of the school year because all similar items are stored together and easy to find!

As I set up my new classroom I will add to this list of classroom preparation ideas! Do you have some great ones to share? If so, please leave a comment below!

You may also be interested in these Back-To-School blog posts!:

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