| I can not tell you how many teachers have began | | | | 7. It is a proven fact that students learn the most |
| their career teaching Middle School and quickly | | | | in the first ten minutes and last ten minutes of |
| started looking for a new occupation. Believe me | | | | teaching. Do not waste that time. Teach the most |
| when I tell you that if you are not prepared for | | | | important concepts of your lesson during this |
| the job they will eat you alive on the first week | | | | time. |
| of school. | | | | 8. If you find that a student has trouble behaving... |
| If teaching is your occupation, and you are | | | | do not put him or her in the front row. This |
| teaching Middle School, I hope you are ready to | | | | enables every student to be entertained by them. |
| teach teenagers and not beat yourself up about | | | | 9. If you must reprimand a student do it in |
| teaching Math, Science, English, Literature, or | | | | private. No one likes to be reprimanded in front of |
| Social Studies. I get very up set when I ask a | | | | the whole class. I promise you it will cause you |
| fellow teacher what they are going to teach and | | | | problems if you reprimand in front of everyone. |
| they tell me they are going to teach Math. This | | | | 10. Do not sweat the small stuff and quit looking |
| brings me to the first of the ten tips I plan to | | | | for what the student is doing wrong. You are not |
| share with you as you begin a new year teaching | | | | a policeman. It seems like some teachers think |
| Middle School Students. | | | | their only job is telling students what they can not |
| Ten tips: | | | | do. |
| 1. Never forget that you are teaching teens. If | | | | I could give you thousands of other tips and I will |
| someone asks you what you teach, you tell them | | | | add to this list at a later date. I would like to close |
| that you teach an awesome group of over | | | | with one last thought that should make you think. |
| achievers known as teens. | | | | What do we do when little Johnny can not read? |
| 2. Do not try to be their friend. Many moms' and | | | | We teach him to read. What do we do when he |
| dads' have tried this. It did not work for them and | | | | can not do math? We teach him how to do math. |
| it will not work for you. | | | | When he can not do science or social studies.... we |
| 3. Do not make over three class-room rules. | | | | teach. So the big question is: WHAT DO WE DO |
| 4. Find out what each of your students enjoys | | | | WHEN HE DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO BEHAVE? |
| doing. Get to know what they are interested in. | | | | If you have told the truth, you said that you |
| When you see them in the hall speak to them | | | | discipline him. I say we need to do what we do |
| about things that they enjoy. | | | | when he does not know how to read or write. |
| 5. Seldom raise your voice. If they are out of | | | | When he does not know how to behave we |
| control and you are yelling, then we really have a | | | | need to teach him! |
| problem. The louder you get the louder they will | | | | Hopefully these ten tips will help you as you |
| get. Yelling is irrational behavior. | | | | prepare for the best year of teaching teens that |
| 6. Start teaching immediately. It is a good idea to | | | | you have ever had. Keep in mind, you are a |
| have a sponge on the board so that they will | | | | teacher. You are not a policeman and you are not |
| begin work as soon as they come in to class. | | | | a friend. You must truly care about increasing |
| Many problems are a result of not knowing what | | | | their knowledge and enabling them to be the |
| they are suppose to be doing. | | | | person they are meant to be. |