Middle Schoolers Are Like Big Kindergartners But With Sarcasm @Jennpowders

A lot of teachers quietly admit it: middle school feels intimidating. Jenn Powders once felt that too—until coaching cracked the door and a calling pulled her through. Across sixteen years, she’s taught everything from kindergarten to eighth grade, and her story reframes the “hard age” as the place where structure, humor, and deep care change lives.We dig into why relationships aren’t just classroom management, they are the curriculum. Jenn shares how keeping a clean slate with “behavior kids” opened trust, why her room stays full before school and at lunch, and how that presence turns disengaged learners into invested ones. Then we get tactical with action-based learning—movement woven into instruction to activate attention and memory. From formal labs with bikes and balance boards to no-cost hacks like hallway tape paths, figure-eight walks, and clapping games tied to content, Jenn shows how to calm brains, cut disruptions, and raise retention without extra prep bloat.