Student time on task is the most influential factor in student achievement. High motivation and engagement in learning have consistently been linked to increased levels of student success. At the same time, a lack of interest in schoolwork becomes increasingly common in more and more middle school students. To maximize time on task, teachers need to make many decisions about the systems they install in their classroom well before any students enter the room. At the middle level especially, students are bombarded by other influences and distractions, but when they enter the author's classroom, they know that doing science means working hard and staying on task until the bell rings.