Begin to give students more agency when having literary discussions. Creating a student-centered classroom allows students to make choices and observations that they might not otherwise share during a teacher-centered lecture. By the seventh grade, students are eager to voice their opinion, and teachers should facilitate discussions that provide that freedom. Ask students what they want to discuss and have them direct the class to the text for commentary. Also, allow students to ask one another questions. Teachers will still need to manage class focus and behavior but may find that the students rise to the challenge of an advanced student-centered conversation.
Many teachers struggle with the teaching of grammar. However, by seventh grade, students should master concepts such as punctuation, possessives, proper nouns, modifiers and subject-verb agreement. Because time is limited in the classroom, teachers often do not like to use an entire period for a grammar lesson. Instead, conduct daily mini-lessons that teach students and encourage them to practice a grammar skill. If you are teaching students about proper nouns, have them practice by correcting capitalization errors in sentences on the board. Reinforce grammar skills weekly by playing games such as grammar "Jeopardy," or have a grammar contest to see who can correct the most mistakes in a set of sentences.
A writing workshop in the English classroom allows seventh-graders to understand that crafting a piece of writing is a process. Writing workshops will also reinforce reading, writing and grammar skills. When tackling an essay, students should review the topic and brainstorm about the subject by writing down ideas. Students should then move to create a thesis statement and outline ideas. From an organized outline, students should draft their paper and then conference with a teacher so that they can make appropriate revisions. After revisions, students should peer edit for grammatical and spelling errors. Finally, students should publish their work.
Journaling allows seventh grade students to be more introspective, which will lead to a greater self-awareness. In addition, journaling will reinforce writing skills. Because middle school is a difficult time for many students, it is beneficial to allow them time each week to reflect in a writing journal. Teacher should provide journal prompts, but should also allow students to free write. At the end of the year, have students write a memoir using their journal entries to help structure their piece.