Students in middle school should begin writing their own emails to teachers. These emails should always have a subject line that has to do with the topic in the body of the email, a formal greeting, formal language, and a proper sign-off. Students should also work towards clearly stating their objective in the email itself. For instance, writing an email that is simply "I have a question about the assignment" is not going to elicit an answer to the student's question. Writing "I have a question about the assignment. Is it something that I should type?" will get a student an answer far faster.
Students should always title their Google docs with their full name (typically last first will be asked for in high school or college) and the assignment title. Sharing a nameless Google doc becomes problematic when an instructor is searching for one specific assignment among a sea of others.
Students in middle school are required to use Google Classroom on their own. Students should have time to use their devices at home in order to complete homework and/or submit assignments, even if that time is strictly managed by parents or guardians. Students should work towards mastery of Google Classroom navigation, submission, and communication.
No one is inherently born into this world knowing how to manage their time wisely and, for many students, middle school is the first time they are expected to manage their time. Students should write down all of their assignments across classes and be mindful of due dates. No work assigned a month in advance should be completed the day before. Many middle school instructors will schedule frequent check-ins for long-term assignments in order to hold students accountable for making progress as time passes, but this does not always happen in high school. Students might want to begin familiarizing themselves with apps like Google Calendar, Reminders, etc. to begin making checklists and self-managing their time.
This also helps with feelings of being overwhelmed. Middle school teachers do not all schedule homework by having a meeting every morning and discussing plans. Every teacher is managing their own content area and trying to complete a rigorous curriculum as set forth by the Diocese of Paterson. Delaying assignments just to fit the lesson plans of other teachers takes away crucial practice time to give students the opportunity to absorb and retain information. This only gets more stressful in high school when students have to factor in even more subject areas, greater freedom regarding in-class independent work time, and even more extra curriculars. Beginning the process as students enter middle school will only prepare them for greater success later!
Students in middle school have their own unique password to enter PlusPortals! They should begin taking ownership of their grades and sitting down weekly with a trusted parent or guardian to sit and review their grades. When viewing overall grades, students can click on their grade to see all their individual grades by assignment. The most common reason for low grades is missing work.
Students should begin speaking to teachers directly regarding concerns. If students wish to email--especially sixth grade students who are still learning this crucial skill--they should CC their parent or guardian on the communication. It often helps with a student's confidence, to have a trusted adult on their email.
The most common reason for a low grade is a 0 in the gradebook. The most common reason for a 0?
Missing or late work.
Students should write down deadlines in their planners and complete all work by the deadlines assigned. High school, higher education, and the work force itself is not nearly as lenient with missing work as first quarter in sixth grade is. Ultimately, the goal of education is to prepare a student for his or her future, and adults know that we are expected to communicate well in advance why a deadline might not be met.
A middle school student does not have that skill mastered yet.
If a student must miss an assignment and/or turn it in late, they are responsible for telling the teacher before the due date.
In Math, the notes are pre-typed with fill-in-the-blanks and open-ended examples for students to fill in while following along. Sometimes, they will be directed to add something or put a star next to something to be able to quickly find it again.
Traditionally, handwriting notes is still considered to be the best way for students to learn material quickly and note-taking is a life skill, but I try to make the math classroom more accessible to all students (including those who may struggle with writing or spelling) by giving fill-in-the-blank notes. They are still responsible for adding in extra notes as they deem fit.
Students should always have their notes with them while studying or completing classwork/homework. The fastest way to learn is repetition and the easiest way to repeat the steps it to have those same steps in front of you. The examples in the notes always serve as the framework for how we should solve these types of problems.
Middle school math is no longer arithmetic. Middle School math is about critical thinking, process, and problem-solving. Students will need a strong foundation in arithmetic to succeed and make their transition to higher math easier. These skills include: