Teaching Elementary vs. Middle School — How Your Methods Should Differ

Teach TCI
Teach TCI
Aug 8, 2017 · 3 min read

As children progress through school, their overall knowledge and intellect grows. So it makes sense that as children become more aware of their intellect, their academic challenges progress as well. Each year, teachers expect students to retain some idea of the building blocks of a subject so that they can begin the important work of expanding concepts and ideas outward for future lessons. With that expectation, it becomes just as important for teachers to study and understand how students are evolving between elementary and middle school in order to provide a better and more effective learning experience.

Today, we want to explore how the shift between elementary school and middle school will require a shift in how we teach each group.

Understanding the Shift Between Elementary School and Middle School

Not only are students going from one grade to the next — they are also learning more about themselves. As students go from elementary to middle school, their individual responsibilities rise, workloads increase, subjects get harder, social interactions (both to their peers and to teachers) change, and more.

You’ll have to work with a completely different set of behaviors that can be radically different between the two extremes of each school group. Students are going to change in multiple ways, and you’ll have to be ready to embrace it when teaching different groups.

Attitude

The way you personally approach your students and how you present yourself can play a huge role in how much students will respect and admire you. Elementary students, for example, may naturally be more inclined to admire you and find excitement in most of your classes and activities, since a majority of these lessons happen in the same room.

On the other hand, middle schoolers might be less “excited” about you and your teaching methods due to the many changes that may be happening within that age group, such as attending an entirely new school, a new schedule where different subjects are taught by multiple teachers, social changes, etc. You may be able to develop a better connection with each individual, as you will be able to relate with them more due to their being exposed to multiple social styles versus staying in one group or room.

Classroom Management

Your classroom management style may depend on which grade you are teaching. Elementary school classrooms may be arranged in ways that cultivate social interactions among classmates and showcase more visually stimulating educational decoration. Middle school classrooms may end up more organized and “structured” to help accommodate efficiency or effectiveness with classroom lessons.

Lesson Planning

One of the biggest shifts between the two grade groups is how you will put together your lessons. Middle school lessons may be more structured to provide more in-depth information or more challenging lessons. When working with elementary students, you may have to put more emphasis on engagement and fundamentals.

While both groups need to be engaged, each group will be engaged in different ways. Middle schoolers may prefer more intellectual challenges, like classroom discussions, whereas elementary students may need more visually, audibly, or kinesthetically stimulating activities to help understand the fundamentals.

Grading Systems

As students progress through their grade levels, so will their grade scale. Elementary classes may focus more on participation with the class and interaction with the lessons in order to promote more excitement and impetus to learn. Middle school grading systems may still place an emphasis on class participation, but will require a heavier grading weight on tests and homework to ensure that there is a clear understanding of the subject.

At the end of the day, it’s easy to lump students into categories based on their grade (elementary and middle school), but it’s very important to be able to tailor our education based on the actual needs of our students. TCI has created an extensive science program for teachers looking to provide their students the most engaging education anywhere in the area. If you’re looking for science curriculum for elementary or middle school, TCI is here to help.

Teach TCI

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Teach TCI

Curriculum for Teachers Who Want to Revolutionize Teaching. TCI Brings Learning Alive!

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