Creating a Syllabus for Middle School Spanish

If you’re heading to middle school next year, you know how important it is to set expectations right from the start. Thinking through your policies and procedures ahead of time can save you a lot of grief as the school year goes on. Let’s talk about creating a syllabus for middle school Spanish classes!

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Do you need a syllabus in middle school?

You might be wondering if you even need to put together a syllabus in middle school. And, per your administration, you might not have to. However, it is really nice to be able to point to your syllabus with your policies and procedures if a guardian is asking questions or for clarification in February.

Putting together a syllabus can help you consider what you’re going to do before the school year begins. How will you grade? Will you take late work? How about retakes? What do students need to bring to class? Having all of those decisions made ahead of time can help your year run much more smoothly.

Check out this post for more tips on your classroom policies and procedures this coming year!

Why have a visually appealing syllabus?

Many teachers use the first day or first week of class to go through their syllabus (I don’t, but you can see what I do instead here!). If that’s you, chances are your students have seen several of these. You want it to stick in their brains, and you want the info to be easily accessible!

Similar to how you may set up a PowerPoint or Google Slides – large blocks of text are not ideal. Visuals also help group the information so if they’re looking back at it later, they (or you) can quickly point to the section in question.

Creating a Syllabus for Middle School Spanish

Your syllabus will vary a bit depending on the age of your students, your school environment, and your own preferences. You might even tweak it for your sixth graders vs your eighth grade students! Here are some ideas that are good to include when creating a syllabus for middle school Spanish:

• course description
• classroom expectations
• required supplies
• grading information
• classroom policies
• discipline
• attendance policies
• your contact information

Many of these are things you can defer to your school’s handbook for, but if your school doesn’t have something in place, it’s a good idea to know your plan. For example, does your school say absolutely no cell phones and take them from students when they enter? You probably don’t need a cell phone policy in that case! However, many schools leave it up to the individual teacher, so check out what your school handbook says and make your plan accordingly!

Keep It Student-Friendly and Guardian-Ready

When creating a syllabus for middle school Spanish, remember that your audience is not just the students, it is also their families. You want your syllabus to be readable, welcoming, and most of all, useful. Middle schoolers are still figuring out how to navigate school systems, so spelling out your expectations clearly goes a long way. Keep the language direct and simple. You can even add a touch of humor or a bit of flair that matches your classroom vibe.

One tip that always helps: use headings, icons, or simple visuals to guide your reader. Instead of dumping everything into paragraphs, break it into bite-sized pieces, like “Homework Policy” or “How We Use Spanish in Class.” Parents appreciate having the grading breakdown right there in front of them, and students benefit from knowing how they can succeed. Bonus: when you take the time to personalize it, it shows that you care, and that builds buy-in from the start.

Editable Syllabus for Spanish Class

If you’d like an easy template to make your own syllabus for Spanish class, click here to head over to my store to download an editable template! The wording is already in place for you, so you don’t have to fret over finding just the right words.

See what people are saying:

• “Time saver for sure, I hate messing with formatting, so thanks!”
• “Many students complimented my classroom rules and expectations this year. Thank you!”
• “This was one of the single best purchases that I’ve ever made on TPT! It helped me to create a MUCH more visually appealing and comprehensible Syllabus. I wish I had gotten it sooner, but I’ll continue to use this design for years to come!”

Click here to download and save yourself time during the back to school rush!

Building a Syllabus That Actually Helps You Teach

This is not just a formality. A solid plan for your classroom routines and communication can save you so many headaches. Creating a syllabus for middle school Spanish is really about building a foundation for a year where students know what to expect. It is not about being strict, it is about being consistent.

Make sure to include how your class uses Spanish daily. Will you speak 90 percent in the target language? What should students do if they do not understand? What is the culture of your classroom around mistakes? These are great things to outline early, and your syllabus is the perfect place.

Once you have your base structure, consider adding a welcome message that sounds like you. You can even sneak in a favorite quote or classroom motto. Let your syllabus be the first introduction to the kind of fun, structured, and supportive environment you create in Spanish class.