Middle school students are at times very independent and organized, and, at other times, they are very disorganized and in need of support from the adults in their lives. As I walked in classrooms today, I was taken with the number of ways our talented teachers have created visual assists to help our students on the days when they need it most.
Talk Moves: Talk Moves help students understand how a conversation or discussion can move along. It also gives a way for them to agree with their peers without just repeating what their peer said.
Test Taking Tips: Effective study strategies is something that students need to learn, especially as the work load and complexity of material increases from middle school through high school. Here are a few ways one 6th grade class are practicing good test taking skills.
Agendas and Content Standards: Students can expect teachers to have the daily agenda on the board. This helps them understand the order of events, as well as the overall purpose of the lesson.
Graphic Organizers: A graphic organizer can help students chunk information into relevant sections. They also help students organize information as they are collecting and/or creating it. This sample from a science classroom is also highlighting key vocabulary used in a scientific experiment.
Sentence Stems: Sometimes students aren’t sure how to get started … whether it’s with their own writing, or when giving other’s feedback. Sentence stems provide a model helps students organize their thoughts and ideas.
