Maneuvering the Middle
Student-Centered Math Lessons
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Latest posts
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Teaching Factoring Trinomials
Factoring trinomials relies on many prerequisite skills (distributing, multiplying polynomials, finding a greatest common factor, exponent rules, and integer operations… I’m sure there are more). It also sets the stage for future success in solving quadratic equations and…
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Pi Day Activities
Pi Day (3.14 – March 14) is on a Saturday in 2026. Embrace the chance to celebrate this mathematical holiday by circling back (see what I did there?) to these FREE activities for your students! We are happy to share that we have the perfect FREE activities (that’s right,…
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Using Atomic Habits To Improve Student Outcomes
At the beginning of this year, I reread Atomic Habits to jump start all of the better choices I would be making in 2026. If you haven’t read Atomic Habits, the author, James Clear, provides a framework for how to effectively change your habits to get 1% better every day – I…
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15 Creative Incentives for Middle School
Incentives for middle school are vital for your classroom! In the early months of my first year of teaching, class periods competed for points that were awarded based on seamless transitions, highest test averages, and being on task. While my students were working on earning…
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Tips for Managing Large Classes
It doesn’t matter the exact number of students, managing large classes is a challenge. Let’s talk about how to be the best teacher to a big class and not lose your voice in the process. Tips for Managing Large Classes 1. Maintain high expectations but be reasonable In order for…
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3 Math Review Games to Get Students Moving
During a very long professional development, my principal looked at her watch and said, “We have just hit 75 minutes — the length of a class period.” I was shocked at how much my body just wanted to escape my chair for a walk or a stretch break. According to the U.S. Department…
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8+ Ideas for Using Study Guides
When preparing my students for an upcoming unit assessment, I consider it due diligence to spend at least one day reviewing the material from the unit. Our unit study guides make review days so much easier! Here’s why: Marissa breaks down some of her best practices for using the…
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Solving Equations in Middle School Math
Solving equations is foundational for middle and high school math. Students actually have been doing this since first grade! However, students can make careless errors or struggle when it comes to following the many procedural steps required to solve an equation. The Standard In…
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Utilizing Learning Styles in Math
Our classrooms are full of diverse students who learn math in a variety of ways. For some students, they excel when they can converse about math with a partner. For others, they need to see the concepts they are learning about. Lastly, there are students who need to physically…
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The October Slump: Survival Tips
October is just around the corner! While there are so many fun things that autumn brings, it can be a challenging month to be a teacher. Let’s dive into some ways that we can thrive during this month. LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY Why is October so challenging? October is…
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8 Tips for Student Teaching
Calling all student teachers and mentor teachers! Today we are discussing how student teachers can make the most of their student teaching experience, and how mentor teachers can provide an environment for feedback and flourishing. If you are about to become a student teacher OR…
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Getting Started with Math Stations
Math Stations, when done correctly, can solve many classroom challenges. Math stations can meet the needs of various learners, provide practice on spiraled concepts, and it puts the responsibility of learning on the students. Seems like a win-win! In addition, technology has…
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Seating Charts for Middle School
Seating charts for middle school classrooms are essential! They are the foundation of classroom management. Be prepared for day 1 of school with a completed seating chart. Let’s talk about why. Why Should You Have a Seating Chart In a perfect world, all students would be…
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3 No-Prep Checks for Understanding
A CFU, or check for understanding, is a formative assessment and a crucial part of instruction. Are students ready to move on to working independently? Are students ready to move on to more rigorous problems? A check for understanding can answer these questions as well as help…
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How to Juggle Multiple Preps
Most teachers juggle multiple preps. No matter your content or grade level, if you have been teaching for any length of time, it is inevitable. We asked our Facebook group how many preps they taught, and one teacher said 7! Wow! Let’s talk about some of the ways we can manage…
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5 Back-to-School Tasks to Knock Out
The start of the school year is just around the corner. With that comes the energy and excitement of getting ahead, so let’s talk back-to-school tasks that you can knock out these last weeks (…or days) of summer. (And if you don’t need this right now, x out, and enjoy the rest…
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Back-to-School Round Up
If you are already thinking about your classroom and gathering ideas on Pinterest for a classroom management system, this post is for you. We have rounded up some of our favorite back-to-school blog posts and put them in one spot for your ease and enjoyment. On Preparing your…
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Student Organization in Middle School
Do you struggle with student organization? When I taught high school students, students would throw away their papers as they left my room – IN FRONT OF ME. Has this happened to you? Today, I am sharing what student organization system has worked for me and how other teachers…
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20 Must Have Teacher Supplies
If I had to draw one broad generalization about teachers, it would be that teachers love school supplies. To this day, I am exhilarated by walking down the school supply aisles. I have compiled a list of my favorite teacher supplies, all priced under $20. These are all supplies…
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Smartphone and Social Media Solutions: What Teachers and Parents Can Do
Let’s talk smartphones and social media solutions! Welcome to our book study on The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt! In part 1, I wrote about the harmful effects of smartphones, technology, and social media on today’s adolescence. Today I will be summarizing recommendations…