How to Survive Middle School Slang

 Middle schoolers say really weird things in this day and age. Like.. really weird. I thought compiling a list of some words they use and what they mean would be helpful so we are catching the not great ones, and using phrases against them. If you haven't picked up on middle school slang as a form of classroom management, I highly encourage you do. It throws them off and it's great. Alright, here is my list:

Lock in

Lock in means to focus. You might here students say, "Yo this assignment is hard, I got to lock in." This means you needs to get it together and focus on the task. 

Cook

This one can be used in different ways. If you hear, "Bro you're cooked," that means you are in trouble or not in a good position. If you hear "let me cook," this is more like, I am about to say or do something super cool, so let me talk. 

Big Back Energy

This one isn't great. It is referring to someone who eats a lot. I have heard it used when someone says they like a certain type of food. For example: 

Student 1: I love hot cheetos 

Student 2: That's big back energy 

Crash Out 

This means you are about to give up or have a temper tantrum. For example, you might give a student a difficult assignment and they say "This worksheet is going to make me crash out." I have made students "crash out" from changing seats, giving them work, really anything they don't like. 

Note: This one is fun to use as a teacher. I tell them all the time that I am going to "crash out" if I get one more assignment turned in with no name. 

Hawk Tuah 

SHUT THIS ONE DOWN IMMEDIATELY! It is highly inappropriate. It was a tik tok that went viral describing a sexual act. 

Ate 

This one is a positive. Its complementing someone's outfit usually. You might hear, "Miss, that outfit ate." 

Ohio

This is negative. Anything that is lame or not cool is "Ohio." 

OPP

Someone who is against you. They usually use this in a joking manner. For example "Kenny is my opp" 

Good Boy

I hate this one so much.. This one is used when someone does something for one another. For example: 

Student 1: Can I borrow a pencil

Student 2: Gives them a pencil 

Student 1: Good boy 

I don't care for it because I feel like it discourages students to be nice to each other and it's just a little annoying. 

Giving 

This is a compliment. They might say, "your hair is giving today" or "that outfit is giving." 

There are so many more that I could define, but if you like this resource and want to know more words that middle schoolers say and you don't know the meaning, feel free to leave a comment and I can add to this! 

 

Science Career Poster Resource

Sometimes it can be incredibly difficult to get students to buy into the importance of science. I created some posters that I have hung in my room that shows some different careers paths that involve science! Enjoy! 

Science Career Posters

Technology in Education isn't Leaving, So Let's Evolve Together

 

Special Guest: Kelsy, my Instructional Facilitator 

        Last week's blog was all about teacher autonomy when it comes to social media. This week, I am going to switch gears and talk about the important of staying "in the know" with technology advances when it comes to education. I decided to have an informal discussion/interview with my colleague, Kelsy because she is so savvy when it comes to advancements in education. A little background on Kelsy is that she's worked at multiple school districts around the Denver area, as well as Omaha Public Schools. This makes her stand out because she as a lot of perspective on the subject. I will be sharing the questions I asked her and then her response under the questions: 

    How important is it to stay up to date with teaching students about technology? 

    Kelsy says, "It gives our kids an advantage in the real world. It allows them to connect with others while practicing respectful digital citizenship" I then talked about my past experiences in high school with technology. During my senior year of high school, I moved from a big, title one school district in Georgia to a small town school in Nebraska. Here in Nebraska, I received my first school MacBook. I was in total shock. In Georgia, I will still writing papers by hand, so this new piece of technology was foreign to me and a learning curve. I brought this back to the students we have now and how much they know about the internet and how to connect with each other. 

    Have you ever heard about "flatten" the educational world? 

    Kelsy admitted she has never heard of this term before, so I got to share what it meant. I told her that to me it basically means that it is leveling the playing field. If we can make sure that our students are learning about technology strategies, that we can give them this advantage and they will not be behind when they are done with school. 

    In conclusion, I said I was going to share different educational strategies, tips and tricks and everything in between. I also had in mind of discussing certain topics that are being brought up in the class I am taking because it allows me to dive deeper into the learning process of some profound, yet complex ideas. 

Teacher Autonomy Online: We have a right to post what we feel, within reason

Teacher Autonomy in the Digital World:

In today’s digital age, the line between our personal and professional lives is becoming more gray, especially for teachers. Social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram offer teachers an opportunity to share their thoughts, experiences, and personal lives in ways that were never possible before. But with this freedom comes a set of questions: Should teachers have the right to post whatever they feel on their private accounts? How much autonomy should they have in expressing themselves online? And where should we draw the line between personal expression and professional responsibility?

Why Teachers Deserve Autonomy 

Personal Growth

Social media can be a tool for personal development. Teachers may use it to reflect on their lives, discuss their interests, or even challenge their own biases. This kind of self-reflection is important for growth, both as an individual and as an educator. Teachers who can be true to themselves are better equipped to create inclusive, empathetic, and relatable learning environments for their students.

Work-Life Balance

Teachers often have to balance their personal and professional lives for the sake of maintaining healthy boundaries. However, social media should not be another place where they are expected to maintain this divide. Teachers should be allowed to have a place to vent, or share without worrying about their profession becoming the forefront of their identity.

Freedom of Expression

Teachers, like anyone else, should have the right to express themselves. Social media accounts, when kept private, should be a space where they can engage in personal conversations, share political views, voice opinions, and connect with friends and family. Teachers are citizens and their rights to free speech shouldn’t be taken away because of their profession.

Building Connections 

Social media offers a space for teachers to connect with like-minded professionals and share resources, lesson ideas, and strategies. It allows teachers to build relationships outside of their work environments, which can provide much-needed support in an often challenging job. 

My Purpose

 My Purpose 

   

       The purpose of this blog is to simply share and learn. Teaching is a rewarding job, but it is also arguably one of the hardest jobs in the world. It requires so much of your time and energy and sometimes other priorities of life can be neglected because of this. My goal for this this blog is to find the happy medium by sharing any tips and tricks I have with all things teaching. Some weeks, I might be posting about managing the classroom, classroom organization, science specific lessons, handling defiant students, balancing home and work life, and everything in between. I want this blog to be a one stop shop about teaching and everything that comes with it. If I can inspire or help at least one reader during this blog, then I will call that a win. I hope you enjoy!