When training as a teacher, and then starting out in my career, I was often asked what grade level I

wanted to teach. After responding with “middle school,” I was often met with a grimace and even a
shudder. “Oh, why? That’s such a hard age!”

I understood the reaction to a certain degree. I remembered my own middle school years and the
difficulties my teachers faced in managing us. There were teachers who would approach this “hard age”
with a stony exterior, always ready to hand out a punishment. Others were softer and ran the risk of
being steamrolled. A select few maintained a cool demeanor and always seemed to be having fun,
meeting any issues that arose with wry humor and a dash of understanding.

All three types of teachers were trying their best. Some of their classroom management strategies had
also been shaped by their past experiences, both positive and negative. And I suspect that those who
found a way to strike a balance — the humor and fun, mixed with confidence and established
boundaries — had discovered something insightful about middle school students: an appreciation for
why this age is so tumultuous, a connection to their own memories and experiences as a middle school
student, and perhaps a solid sense of humor.

So, if you’re struggling with your own students, know that you’re not alone. Here are six strategies that
will help your classroom management in the middle years.

How to implement classroom management strategies for middle school students

school class sitting cross legged using tablets

Photo credit: Monkey Business Images

1. Ensure success for all learners

Like any grade level, middle school is full of students with unique learning styles. If you use the same
strategies and activities for everyone, chances are that some won’t succeed. Instead, incorporate
teaching methods that are well suited to various types of intelligence. Students who are able to learn
and demonstrate knowledge in their own way will thrive, and this will result in a better-managed
classroom. Make sure your class is set up in a way that allows for this diversity to flourish.

Try this: You could set up stations around the room to teach a new social studies concept, with each
station catering to a specific learning style. Ask visual and auditory learners to watch and reflect on a
brief clip from a documentary. Tactile learners may benefit from matching games, such as for the capitals
of countries around the world. No matter what activity you settle on, appealing to different modes of
learning will allow you to engage all students.
blackboard with Rules written on it

Photo credit: Andrei Shumskiy

2. Set rules and routines

There’s comfort in routine. Particularly during this period of budding adolescence, students appreciate
established rules and procedures for how they should conduct themselves in your class. In turn, a
classroom that’s managed consistently will benefit both you and your students — you’ll have less work
to do, and they’ll know exactly what they can and cannot do.

Class rules should be visible to everyone in the room, and it’s a good idea to have a general daily routine
or schedule in place that defines what students should do once class has begun. Of course, you should
allow for some flexibility within the schedule, but some structure will help eliminate potential issues
down the road.

Try this: Post a daily schedule and a set of rules for behavior on your classroom wall. Perhaps each day
begins with a block of reading time, or a class discussion, for example. Or reserve the last ten minutes of
the day for a brief reflection or for cleaning up any work areas. In any case, you want these routines to
become second nature for your students.

Group of kids seating on the floor and on a sofa in class

Photo credit: Jo Fothergil

3. Rethink your classroom design

I like to change up the layout of my classroom every once in a while. This allows students to interact with
more than just their close circle of friends, and it helps me make adjustments based on individual
students’ needs.

There are plenty of ways to arrange desks and tables to best match your teaching style and your
students’ learning preferences. Get creative and change the look of your room to maximize your
classroom management success. The bonus with middle school students is that you can think a little
more creatively, since they’re old enough to allow for some more unique configurations, in terms of desk
or table arrangement, to promote discussion or group work. But at the same time, they’re young enough
to be open to working with different students.

Try this: Arrange your desks in a horseshoe formation to create a space for discussion in which all
students feel like equal members. Once you really know your students, their learning styles, and their
preferences, you could try to arrange collaborative desk groups and putting together students who each
bring something different to the table!

teacher looking away at her class

Photo credit: nappy

4. Be a model teacher, and you’ll have model students

Ever heard that you should be the change you want to see? Middle school students are highly
impressionable and in the throes of figuring out who they are and who they want to become. Decide
what kind of classroom you want to have and begin to model the necessary behavior to bring it to life.
Students will pick up on your vibe and eventually follow suit. It’s hard for anyone, of any age, to resist
positivity when in the presence of an infectiously happy leader, or an enthusiastic teacher with a major
thirst for knowledge.

Try this: Make sure your own work area and classroom are clean and orderly; that way, when you ask
your students to clean up their own desks, they’ll do so with respect instead of questioning your
authority. This applies to lots of other behavior that you expect from your class, such as punctuality and
courtesy. If you practice what you preach, you’re certain to have a stronger following.

teacher in front of her students sitting on the floor showing a cardboard

Photo credit: Laurie Sullivan

5. Get everyone involved

Students should be active participants in your classroom management process, especially since they
desperately want to be heard and have their opinions valued. Give them that ownership when possible,
and you’ll see positive results.

Even though you’re the teacher, you want to establish yourself as a leader and facilitator rather than a
dictator whom students fear. At this age, students understand appropriate class rules and expectations,
so these should be discussed and agreed upon openly. Once students feel that they have some degree of
ownership over the rules and guidelines, they’ll be much more likely to follow them.

Try this: At the start of the school year, hold a short meeting with your students to develop rules unique
to your class. Whenever a new project or learning unit begins, work with your students to establish some
ground rules and accept input from everyone. This also has the added benefit of teaching students how
to collaborate and compromise.
Teacher with her student discussing around a table

Photo credit: Rawpixel.com

6. Communicate and encourage

This one hopefully goes without saying, but it’s a biggie. Communication helps in any relationship and
situation, and the middle school classroom is certainly no exception.

Communicate with students about expectations, any issues that need addressing, and any notable
accomplishments or progress that your class has made. Keep your lines of communication open through
schedules, routine class meetings, journals, emails via a class wiki, or some other format; this will make
classroom management much easier for yourself and help students feel heard and comfortable.
Encourage your students to reach out if they need to as much as possible. Give students the tools to be
effective communicators, and the benefits will roll in.

Try this: Allow students to bring up concerns privately, or to simply share their thoughts, through regular
communication journals. Have a daily free-write activity for five minutes. The topics can vary or be open
ended. Students could be encouraged to write about what they’ve learned recently, what they want to
remember or learn, or anything that they’d like you to know about — like what’s going on with
themselves and/or their classroom experience. This could also be done weekly if that works better
within your schedule. When I used this in the past, I also made sure to respond to each student in the
margins of their journal page so they knew I was reading each post — even a simple ‘Sounds great! I
know you can do it!’ works well.

Don’t worry — you’ll do great!

I won’t lie and say middle school is easy — it’s definitely a tough grade level to teach, in more ways than
one. These classroom management strategies should help to establish successful routines that work for
you and your students.

So, how do I respond when asked why on earth I’d want to teach middle school students? Usually with a
smile, and the acknowledgement that I remember what it felt like to be in that critical period of
transition, and that it can be a fun and supremely rewarding level to teach.

Tapping into your own memories and embracing the challenges can make teaching middle school
students more than worthwhile. The impact you can have on them is vital — and can even be a great
honor.