Classroom Management Tips – Interacting with Middle School Students

Advice from a retired middle school principal and veteran school psychologist

1. Your mantra: Don’t take the bait!  Students at this age are savvy at trying to take the class off task.  Acknowledge the comment or behavior and redirect the class back to the task at hand.  Do your best not to react emotionally to distractions. 

2. Dress the part.  As a substitute teacher you will be on stage all day long, especially at the secondary level.  Be mindful of what you wear and the signal that it sends to students.  I recommend “business casual.”  There is no need to wear a suit, but if you show up dressed in sweats, students may think that you are not serious about your work.

3. Everyone (even adolescents) loves predictability.  At the beginning of the period tell students what to expect from the day.  Laying out a road map will help them feel more comfortable about where you are going and will give some structure to the day.  Tell them how you would like them to behave and what you would like to accomplish together.

4. De-personalize.  The strength of every 13-year-old is his/her ability to bring you right back to feeling like a 13-year-old yourself.  If someone makes a comment about your clothes or appearance do you best not to let it rattle your confidence.  Acknowledge the comment and redirect the student back to the task at hand.

5. Don’t embarrass them.  Students at this age have a constant “imaginary audience” and always feel like they are on stage and everyone is looking at them.  If they are embarrassed they think everyone noticed and feel compelled to respond.  It is tempting to shame students into completing their work.  Pride is very important during adolescence and the minute you embarrass a student you have escalated the situation and lost that student for the day.  

6. Hands off.  At this age the slightest touch can dramatically escalate a situation.  Keep your hands off and if you are faced with a situation you can’t handle, seek help from the school office staff or the neighboring teacher.  Never leave the students unattended.  Send a student for help.

7. Orderly environment.  Students respond to the physical environment around them.  If you walk into a new classroom and notice the space is particularly disorderly, it is absolutely worth taking the time to do a little straightening.  It will go a long way.  Be careful not to disturb the teacher’s materials, stick to things like straightening the rows of desks.

8. Focus on the positive.  Even if you are shaking in your boots, put on a big smile and greet students with a positive tone.  It will disarm most students and set the tone for a smooth day.  Students of all ages feed on positive attention, but adolescents don’t receive a lot of praise.  In your introduction tell students that you love working with students their age or that you particularly like their school.