To 10 Ways to

Wake-u Students
n Class




1he followlng ls wrlLLen by Mlchelle uoman, a 7Lh and 8Lh
grade Language ArLs Leacher aL 8randon Mlddle School ln
Wlsconsln.

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Many people geL a llLLle squeamlsh, wlggly,
and offer a scrunched expresslon when l
respond Lo Lhe quesLlon, WhaL grades do
you Leach?" l Leach mlddle school, and wlLh
hearL and honesLy, l flnd greaL [oys (and
challenges) ln Leachlng Lhe group referred Lo
as Lweens" and adolescenLs.
So, l lnvlLe you lnLo Lhe qulrky world of
mlddle school. uo noL fear.you wlll become
comforLable ln a beanbag, flnd a new young-
aL-hearL-love-for readlng alr, and (aL Llmes
chuckle) as l glve you a sneak-peek lnLo Lhe
crevlces (oh, look ouL for LhaL dlrLy sock) of
Lhe Leenage mlnds.

Pere are Lhe 1op 10 Ways Lo Wake-up SLudenLs ln Class...



Top 10 Ways to Wake-up Students in Class

As you are Leachlng, you noLlce many blank sLares, open-mouLhs, and
droopy heads. (LlLher A. ?our lesson has fallen lnLo Lhe rabblL hole, or 8. ?ou have losL Lhem.)
Culck, have Lhem sLand up and glve you Len [umplng [acks or push-ups.
8equlre sLudenLs Lo glve answers ln Lhelr besL 8rlLlsh accenL. (Ck, we have
heard enough abouL Lhe 8oyal Weddlng, buL Lhe sLudenLs love lL!)
When respondlng Lo a wrlLlng prompL, have Lhe sLudenLs drop Lhelr penclls
on Lhe ground when Lhey have compleLed Lhe Lask. ?ou won'L belleve how MAn? glggles and
gullLy looks you wlll geL.

Pave Chuck norrls randomly appear ln one of your ower olnLs roundhouse
klcklng a wolf. lor some reason, sLudenLs are obsessed wlLh hlm. See, lL goL your aLLenLlon, dldn'L
lL?
lay a sound cllp of Lhe Mlsslon lmposslble
Lheme, have Lhem acL as 007 unLll Lhe muslc sLops. 1hen,
whoever Lhey end up nexL Lo, LhaL ls Lhelr parLner for Lhe
acLlvlLy, or LhaL ls Lhe person LhaL Lhey share Lhelr 1hlnk-palr-
share answer wlLh.
lace random dlscusslon or readlng comprehenslon quesLlons on sLlcky noLes
underneaLh a handful of desks. When you are ready Lo ask quesLlons, ask Lhem Lo peek and read-
aloud Lhe quesLlons. 1hls works really well for lnLroverLed or shy sLudenLs. lus, Lhey LCvL secreL
noLe passlng.











































ClfL of a llfeLlme. Cn a large plece of Lag board,
flnd a snappy, powerful verb and wrlLe lL down. Wrap lL llke a
presenL. SeL lL ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe room, and ask Lhe sLudenLs lf
Lhey know whaL lL ls all abouL. 1ell Lhem LhaL lL ls a glfL-of-a-
llfeLlme, a powerful verb Lhey can add Lo Lhelr vocabularles. Clve
Lhem LwenLy quesLlons Lo flgure lL ouL. (l cannoL Lake credlL for
Lhls acLlvlLy. l learned lL aL a semlnar for lnLeracLlve WrlLlng
Lessons Lo 1each WlLh Lhe SmarL 8oard.)
Pave each sLudenL call on Lhe nexL sLudenL Lo answer your lesson quesLlons.
1hls moLlvaLes Lhem Lo sLay focused, and Lhey en[oy calllng on oLhers! (lnsplred by my sLudenL
Leacher)
AL Lhe beglnnlng of class on Mondays, ask lf anyone
has any crazy sLorles Lo share from Lhe weekend. Lxplaln LhaL Lhese are
lmporLanL narraLlves LhaL need Lo be Lold!
asLe Calvln and Pobbs comlcs on LesLs or qulzzes. Lven Lhough Lhey are
rldlculous, sLudenLs look forward Lo, and someLlmes ask, for Lhem.










































BONUS:
10 MORE Ways to Wake-up Students in Class

1wlnkle 1angenLs: All Leachers have Lhe LangenL" sLudenL. 1he one who always has
hls or her hand up, buL noL necessarlly blLlng aL Lhe blL Lo answer your quesLlons. ?ou may be
amld Lhe besL myLhology lesson abouL Lhe rage of oseldon when a sLudenL shares wlLh Lhe class,
1wlnkles were acLually flrsL banana flavored!" 1o curb Lhe LangenLs whlle encouraglng
knowledge of LldblL facLs, creaLe a lacL lury" posLer. rlor Lo Lhe bell, Lhe sLudenLs are allowed Lo
wrlLe down Lrue (correcLly spelled) facLs and llsL Lhe source. 1hese facLs can be lncorporaLed lnLo
grammar or dally lessons!
When creaLlng a LesL, lnsLead of [usL leavlng a space for Lhem Lo puL Lhelr names,
formaL lL ln Lhls way.

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1o make movlng lnLo groups qulck and sufflclenL, have Lhe sLudenLs do whaL l call
baseball slgns." uslng slgn language, or faclal/hand movemenLs wlLhouL speaklng, Lhe sLudenLs
flgure ouL where Lhelr group ls golng Lo gaLher. SLudenLs love lL, and lL creaLes qulcker LranslLlons
lnLo groups
Alr-gulLar spelllng or vocabulary:
SLudenLs palr up and pracLlce spelllng Lhelr words, or
revlew vocabulary by spelllng lL ln Lhe alr as Lhe
oLher guesses lL. Cnce Lhe word ls guessed, Lhe
sLudenLs end wlLh a encore of alr gulLar! Cllck here
for Lhe lesson.

Llmerlck Cuess Who's? CreaLe a wlLLy llmerlck abouL each sLudenL ln Lhe class
wlLhouL glvlng away names, or have sLudenLs plck a name of a sLudenL from a haL Lo wrlLe
one abouL, and dlsplay one each day on Lhe SmarL 8oard as Lhey enLer. As a compeLlLlon,
Lhey are Lo wrlLe down Lhelr guess each day and Lurn lL ln for a drawlng. Llmerlcks can also be
used Lo have sLudenLs revlew ldeas or prevlous lessons.

























lree 8lrd! l mean lree verse! Pave Lhe class Lake a goofy class plcLure and
phoLo shop crop Lhelr heads on varlous sLlck people. Clve each sLudenL a speech bubble,
and have Lhem copy down one of Lhe besL llnes from Lhelr favorlLe poem. osL Lhese
LogeLher on a bulleLln board wlLh quoLes abouL poeLry. 1eachers can also place Lhe sLlck
people around Lhe school, and Lhelr speech conversaLlon bubbles can have sclence facLs,
or maLh vocabulary.
8ook lrenzy ockeL 8ecommendaLlons - As a way Lo promoLe readlng, Lake
Lhe back of [ean pockeLs and sLaple Lhem on a bulleLln board. Lach pockeL represenLs a
genre, and sLudenLs wrlLe down book recommendaLlons on noLe cards and sLlck Lhem ln
Lhe back pockeLs.
8andomly glve encouraglng or endearlng nlcknames Lo each sLudenL ln class
LhroughouL Lhe second semesLer. SLudenLs feel prlvlleged and love Lhe ldea.


























Locker Crammar !am- Cn each of Lhe sLudenLs' lockers, posL LaLln and CreeL rooLs,
preflxes, and sufflxes. As a compeLlLlon, sLudenLs are Lo see how many words Lhey can record
on one anoLher's lockers wlLh Lhe rooL, preflx, and sufflx.
Lngage ln hlp-hop dance whlle sLudenLs learn how Lo wrlLe comparlson
paragraphs. AfLer havlng LaughL a lesson on Lhe sLrucLure and cue words used when comparlng
or conLrasLlng ma[or ldeas, show ?ou 1ube vldeos of !abberwocky hlp-hop champlons and
classlc Lap danclng cllps. ln a WrlLer's Workshop, sLudenLs creaLe Lhelr own paragraphs, and
Lhe lasL few mlnuLes of class, learn Lo dance hlp-hop Lhemselves. Cllck here for Lhe lesson.







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