Bellwork ideas middle school

Here are six essential back to school lessons I’ll be using in my classroom this back-to-school season.

By Presto Plans I first realized the power of bell ringers years ago, thanks to a particularly unruly class that would bounce off my walls after lunch. After consistently wasting the first ten minutes of class getting students seated, settled, and ready to learn, I decided to give bell-ringers a try. They were immediately a classroom game-changer. Bell-ringers—sometimes referred to as “warm ups” or “do nows”— are questions, tasks, or other warm up activities that students complete at the…

Shhh! Did you hear that? It was the second bell. They’re COMING. Skipping, tripping, sauntering and marching right down that hallway. Are you ready for your students? Because make no mistake, they are ready for you! In an instant, the classroom goes from empty and silent to bursting with energy. Let’s face it: we teachers ... Read more

Hi, there! Christina, The Daring English Teacher, here and I am sharing five different types of bell ringers middle school ELA and high school English teachers can incorporate in their secondary ELA classroom. Whether you choose to call them bell ringers, do nows, bell work, or class starters, there is a lot to be said for the work your students do at the immediate start of class. Students thrive on routine, and though they may be a bit reluctant at first, students come to know what is…

In the last couple of years I have gone through some teaching position changes that I never thought would happen to me. I taught self-contained 5th grade for three years (that included my student teaching). I knew nothing else, and honestly, at the time, I didn’t really want to. Long story short, I moved across ... Read more

9 valuable lessons I've learned about Classroom Management as a middle school teacher!

After my middle school guided reading posts, this post goes into how I teach my ELA curriculum and small groups in middle school.

Begin each of your classes with bell ringers or warm up activities that your middle or high school English students will love!