One thing that I love about being a teacher is that you instantly bond with another teacher. Whether it be the line at Starbucks or your spouse's holiday party, when you meet another teacher there is no shortage of conversation topics. This I have found to be true with all teachers around the globe. I have personally loved getting to meet other teachers through blogging and ...
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Developing Math Confidence
You can see it on their face during a new lesson. It is obvious in the way they show their work on a page. Some students exhibit math confidence and other have yet to have it fostered. Some people have brains that think in numbers. If you are math teacher, you are likely one of them. Is developing math confidence within a student possible? I believe the answer is ...
5 Tech Tools for the Classroom
Technology can be the difference between a smooth and engaging lesson and a disaster of a day. Any teacher can relate to the difficulties that are associated with classroom technology. "The computer won’t let me login,” and “I can’t find the file I saved yesterday” are just two of the common phrases I hear when utilizing technology. It can be infuriating! However, today I am sharing ...
Back to School Math Activities
That first week of school can be so overwhelming! I don't know about you, but I really want to get to know my students. I want to develop a classroom community, set procedures (I am super picky), but I have this conflicting feeling inside that says, "I don't have enough days. I will be behind". Also, there is usually some pressure from administrators and the curriculum to not "waste ...
6 Steps to a More Peaceful Classroom (Part 1)
As a teacher it is common to hear phrases like, "this has been the most difficult year" or "I am counting down until May". In fact, I have said those same things multiple times. Putting paper to pencil, I came up with a list of six key steps to a more peaceful classroom. Over the next three days week I will be sharing these steps, so that we can start the year off right with a ...
Website Terms of Purchase
TERMS OF PURCHASE (WEBSITE) Last modified: June 9, 2026 These Terms of Purchase (“Terms of Purchase” or “Terms”) apply to your purchase of any digital downloadable product (“Resource”) from Maneuvering the Middle, LLC (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) through www.maneuveringthemiddle.com (the “Website”). By completing a purchase of Resources, you (“Customer” or “you”) acknowledge ...
Teaching Factoring Trinomials
Factoring trinomials relies on many prerequisite skills (distributing, multiplying polynomials, finding a greatest common factor, exponent rules, and integer operations… I’m sure there are more). It also sets the stage for future success in solving quadratic equations and graphing quadratic functions. This makes factoring polynomials so important for students to conquer. As a student, ...
Pi Day Activities
Pi Day (3.14 - March 14) is on a Saturday in 2026. Embrace the chance to celebrate this mathematical holiday by circling back (see what I did there?) to these FREE activities for your students! We are happy to share that we have the perfect FREE activities (that’s right, plural!) for your students! Download your free resources below and read our best tips on teaching ...
15 Creative Incentives for Middle School
Incentives for middle school are vital for your classroom! In the early months of my first year of teaching, class periods competed for points that were awarded based on seamless transitions, highest test averages, and being on task. While my students were working on earning points, I had learned that the cupcake reward was not feasible due to a school policy. *Cue palm to ...
Tips for Managing Large Classes
It doesn’t matter the exact number of students, managing large classes is a challenge. Let's talk about how to be the best teacher to a big class and not lose your voice in the process. Tips for Managing Large Classes 1. Maintain high expectations but be reasonable In order for a large class to function, it is important for you to maintain the same high expectations you would ...