Teachers and students will soon head back to school. One of the most important things to remember as a teacher is that you cannot teach content until your classroom rules and procedures are put in place. Luckily, with these back to school classroom hacks and tips, you’ll feel confident starting the new school year!
Assign a Resource Manager
The first back to school classroom tip is how to keep things organized in your classroom. Specifically, all of the resources you’re going to need. Let’s face it, there are SO many papers when it comes to middle school history. Keeping them organized is a must.
Start by assigning a college mascot and a number to each table. Then, assign a resource manager to get any needed supplies for their group. In the specific video example below, you’ll see the Aztecs up here.
Resource managers come and get supplies straight from the bin. This could be pens, markers, pencils, or anything they might use. The resource manager takes the drawer to their table. The whole group uses the supplies they need, puts them back into the bin, and then the resource manager takes the drawer back to its original location.
The key here to this back to school classroom tip is having your table and drawer labeled so that the resource manager can grab the table’s supplies quickly and effectively!
Use Zippered Bags
Another back to school classroom tip is using zippered bags. Over the years, I’ve used Ziploc bag in my classroom. I’ve noticed that Ziploc bags just don’t hold up that well throughout the school months.
I recently discovered mesh zippered bags on Amazon and they have been such a great find for the harsh hands of middle school students. This back to school classroom tip is one that I’ll be using myself over and over again.
These pouches are see-through and allow middle school history students to just throw supplies in without worrying about the bag breaking. I especially like using these for microphones and headphones for student Google Chromebooks. The cords do not get tangled, they are easy to unzip, and the fit great into a variety of bins.
Gallery Walk Hack
This is a fantastic gallery walk hack to hang middle school history resources!
All you need are 3 things:
- Hooks
- String/Rope
- Clips
I pull the rope out for about 10 feet and use the hooks to hang the rope up all around the classroom. I then use the clips to put up the resources or activities that the students will need for their gallery walk!
The best part about this back to school hack? Once we are done with this specific resource, I can simply take them off the clips and leave the rope up for the next gallery walk activity! It’s an easy way to get things hung up without a lot of stapling.
If you enjoy any of these back to school classroom tips and hacks we would love to share more with you!
You can sign up for free to receive free middle school history resources in your inbox right here!
If you’re looking for done-for-you lesson middle school history lesson plans, we’ve also got you covered! We have over 1,000 resources inside our history teacher membership that we would love to share with you! Simply head here to join our Superhero Teacher Club!!
