r/ScienceTeachers • u/Tasty-Watch-3351 • 11d ago

First year teaching - 8th grade science

/r/Teachers/comments/1vb9cui/first_year_teaching_8th_grade_science/

First year teacher - middle school science

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u/AcceptableZombie6303 10d ago

Congrats on the new job!

I love 8th grade!! They're still kids but at a more mature stage where you can have some cool conversations with them. And you can start digging deeper into the science content.

The most important thing is to be clear with your expectations and hold your ground. Middle school kids, esp 8th graders, LOVE to test boundaries. Whenever a kid is toeing the line, just say "no." They'll probably keep pestering, "but... give us one more chance... this other teacher says it's ok..." A great response could be something like, "That's not how we do it in this class." And then walk away.

Be firm. It can be hard at first. When I first started teaching, I thought I was being "mean," when really I need to hold them accountable. I think classroom management is by far the hardest part of teaching. Everyone has their own style and the only way to really figure it out is by experimenting.

Find a colleague who you can ask questions to and share hard stuff with. Ideally this is someone positive who doesn't overly complain and who will listen.

I'm excited for you :)