This is a 1200-word professional document for teachers. The document is given to parents as part of the Back-to-School or Open House evening and philosophical in nature as well as practical. It can be used pretty much as is or can quite easily be adapted by you since it contains several "best practices" for all subjects taught and for working with middle schoolers.
It has been refined and improved over the course of a lengthy teaching career. It contains the following:
1)A statement of teaching philosophy and classroom principles that are applicable to any good teacher.
2)Important information for the year on homework and field trips, learning projects, grades, etc.
3) A guide to the language arts program that includes expectations for reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. This section is outstanding.
4) A guide to the math program that includes use of calculators, mental math, individualization, etc.
5) Short guidelines for the social studies program

Help
A middle school (or as I call it: Puberty School) teacher had better have good quality, usable lesson plans or you will be eaten alive. Adolescents are a tough audience because they have so many better things to do than learn from us. After 25 years in the classrooom I still love almost every minute of it......but I'm also tired of searching on the Internet and finding weak or incomprehensible lesson plans that leave me scratching my head. If you have to search a hundred sites to find the right lesson then it takes you more time than it's worth. I believe the plans and worksheets I have created myself are better than much of the free stuff out there: practical and easy-to-use. You won't be scratching your head....Remember, the students are supposed to work harder than the teacher in the classroom! Each item I sell has been used multiple times in my and colleagues' classrooms (teacher-tested) and is clearly written. I won't put any lesson or idea on TeachersPayTeachers unless I am certain YOU can understand it, teach with it today, and that it has value for children. And I can't be certain of that unless I have used it repeatedly in my classroom. In the end, however, the best plans in the world won't make any impact unless delivered by a caring, committed, and enthusiastic teacher. Enthusiasm is the most under-rated aspect of a teacher's job. If your fire is out, they won't learn and will misbehave. If you are on fire, they will learn and they will behave for you. We do the most important job on Earth, and if we cannot put our hearts in it then we shouldn't stay in the classroom anymore. That's my two cents...
