Engaging the Middle School Student
As experienced middle school teachers, we know what a treat it is to teach this age group. I am lucky to have two new teachers to work with in my middle school this year. One is just out of college and teaches the science portion to our team of 85 students. The other is a former high school teacher that has just moved to the middle level. They each bring a unique perspective that challenges me to think about what I do in my classroom that seems to work with this age group. Reflecting on this, the one thing that seems to be repeated is the movement during class. We’ve all seen the research that shows the connections between movement and learning. We know that students shouldn’t experience “sit and get” lectures each hour of the day, yet oftentimes that is what we see in classrooms. I’ve shared with them a few of the activities I have done that get students moving and doing math at the same time.
The first two activities are for review. The easiest is a scoot activity for a review. I put together about 35 problems in a slideshow, one on each page and print out the pages (I do full sheets and laminate them so I only need to print once and have them to use again.) I also put the problem number on the back of the sheet. Students take scrap paper and number from 1-35 leaving room to work. The pages are face down, one per desk. When I give a signal they solve the one they are on recording it with the corresponding number on their scratch paper. After an appropriate amount of time I will give a signal and they move in a circle around the room solving the problems. It’s easy to see which problems are causing some struggle for the students and allows me to review for the test.
The second activity is trashketball. Same idea, I take a sheet with review problems and cut them up so 1 problem is on each strip. The students (in teams of 2) work out the answers on whiteboards. When they get it correct they get to shoot a basket from predetermined spots on the floor. 2 points for a closer spot and 3 points for a more challenging spot. My 6th graders race around the room to solve problems and shoot baskets.
A new one I am trying is a different take on the snowball fight called Commit and Toss. I present a Which One Doesn’t Belong warm up activity (or another query) and students write down their choice on scrap paper along with their reasoning. When they are finished they crumple it up into a ball. When the signal is given, the ‘snowball fight” begins and lasts as long as I can tolerate it. Everyone finds a paper and has to explain the reasoning for the choice the person made. Students share the reasoning on the sheet of paper they have. I’m listening for the things the students may already know and the misconceptions they have to help direct my teaching.
Another new formative assessment I am trying is called a Commitment Circle. Students all stand in a circle and I read a statement. If they agree they step inside the circle. Then they pair up (according to how many are inside/outside the circle) and discuss their reasoning. After some discussion, they are able to change spots if they’d like. This gives me a chance to see who is familiar with vocabulary or concepts key to our new unit. For example, I presented the statements, “All squares are rectangles.” and “Opposite sides of a Trapezoid are parallel.” to help me see what vocabulary and concepts need review as we are starting our geometry unit.
So again, I cannot stress enough, we need to have our middle school students up and moving during class. If we don’t create the situations for them to move, they are going to be doing so themselves with the disruptive sharpening of the already sharp pencil or the request to leave the room for a drink. I’m looking forward the the year of learning with our new teachers, I’m sure they are going to bring some new effective strategies to the table as well!
Amy Wix, Your MCTM VP Middle School and Junior High