Q: “I’ve been teaching for a long time. My middle school students seem particularly rambunctious as we near the end of the school year. Do you have any quick tips to help keep them engaged and not disruptive as we get closer to the end of the year? Thank you in advance.”
A: The end of the year hits middle school students hard. Hormones are peaking, daylight is stretching, summer is hovering just out of reach, and the novelty of your classroom — no matter how excellent it is — has long since worn off. Add to that the cumulative fatigue of a full school year, and what you’re seeing is less “bad behavior” and more “dysregulated energy looking for an outlet.” And who among us, regardless of the age we teach, hasn’t experienced this? I taught seniors, and this time of year was less about calming them down and more about figuring out how to get them to show up. The end of the school year is always a bit more trying for everyone in education.
Remember, they’re not acting out against you — they’re just acting out, period. That distinction matters because it means the solution isn’t about re-establishing authority; it’s about channeling energy and rebuilding momentum. And remember, this is NOT personal. This is biological.
Here are four quick, practical shifts you can make.
Tighten the Transitions
Middle schoolers (and most students) lose focus in between activities, not during them. If you look at your most disruptive moments, I’d wager they cluster in the 60 seconds after you say “OK, put your notebooks away” or “Take out your Chromebooks.” Chaos creeps in to those dead zones.
Script your transitions like a stage director. Before you finish one activity, tell students exactly what comes next — and in what order. After you say it, write it on the board, as a reminder. Use a timer projected on the board. Say things like: “In 15 seconds, I need your pencil in your hand and your eyes on me. Go.” Then count down. The countdown gives their brains a closing cue, and the specificity leaves no room for the wandering that leads to disruption.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire lesson. Just add clear, timed, predictable transitions to the three or four moments each day where students currently must guess what to do next. Predictability is key. As soon as we leave anything to chance this time of year, chaos will win.
Build Movement Into the Lesson, Not Around It
Here is a truth we don’t say enough: Middle schoolers’ bodies are growing faster than their ability to regulate them. They need to move. (This is true for students of all ages). If you don’t intentionally build movement into your lesson, they will build it for you; just not in the ways you’d prefer.
Use a low-stakes, no-prep structure like Stand-Share-Sit. Ask a question, content-related or not, and say: “Stand up. Find someone you haven’t talked to today. Share your answer. When you’re done, sit down.” Give them 90 seconds. Then pull the class back together.
That’s it. Sixty seconds of movement, a peer interaction, and a reset. Do this twice in a 50-minute period, and you will drain off exactly the kind of restless energy that otherwise surfaces as side-talking, tapping, or goofing off. You aren’t losing instructional time, instead you’re protecting it. If we build the movement in, it will be productive not a disruption.
Raise the Stakes With Low-Risk Fun
By this point in the year, your students know your routines inside and out. That predictability is a gift, but it can also create complacency. A little novelty, especially when it involves healthy competition, re-engages the middle school brain like almost nothing else.
Turn review into a simple game. Here’s an example: Divide the class into teams. Ask a review question. If a team answers correctly, they earn a point. After they answer, they must tag the next team to answer, alternating between teams. Suddenly, every student is watching, listening, and engaging because they don’t want to let their team down. They need to be ready when it’s their turn.
The game itself is secondary. What matters is that you’ve introduced a low-stakes, high-engagement structure that gives students a reason to focus that isn’t just “because the teacher said so.” It’s “because I want my team to win.” That is a powerful motivator at this age.
Name the Issue and Laugh at It
Finally, try this surprising move: Name what’s happening out loud. Say something like: “I know it’s June. I know the weather is beautiful. I know you can smell summer. And I know sitting in this classroom right now feels harder than it did in October. I get it. But we still have learning to do together, and I need you to find that last gear. Let’s make these last weeks memorable for the right reasons.”
When you acknowledge their experience honestly and without judgment, something shifts. You stop being the adversary trying to keep them contained and become the adult who sees them, understands them, and still asks them to rise. That respect goes a long way. I leaned on this move a lot over the years, but honesty really is the best policy. Students, regardless of their age, respond well to truth. Lean into it.
And when things get silly despite your best efforts? Laugh. Not at them, but with them. A shared laugh resets the room faster than a stern redirection ever will. Then gently guide them back. This too is a winner. I’ve even been known to say or do something like break out in a silly dance when they least expected it. It always works.
You have a track record of successfully managing middle schoolers. This year’s end-of-year surge is not a sign that you’ve lost your touch — it’s a sign that you’re human, and so are your students. Tighten your transitions, build in movement, add a little fun, and name the reality you’re all living through.
You’ve got this. Spring always comes, and summer always follows. Until then, keep showing up — and keep laughing.
If you have an issue that you would like me to address, please email me at ssackstein@educatorsrising.org or complete this form. You will be kept anonymous.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Starr Sackstein
Starr Sackstein is the Massachusetts state coordinator for PDK’s Educators Rising program, COO of Mastery Portfolio, an education consultant, instructional coach, and author. She was a high school English and journalism teacher and school district curriculum leader. She is the author of more than 15 educational books, including Hacking Assessment (Times 10, 2015), Making an Impact Outside of the Classroom (Routledge, 2024), and Actionable Assessment (Routledge, 2026).
Visit their website at: https://www.mssackstein.com/
