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Teaching Middle School ELA

Welcome to the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, where we help English Language Arts teachers create dynamic, engaging lessons while balancing the everyday responsibilities of teaching middle school.

I’m Caitlin Mitchell, a longtime ELA educator and curriculum creator, and I know firsthand how challenging it can be to manage grading, planning, and student needs—while still trying to have a life outside the classroom. That’s why every Tuesday and Thursday, I bring you practical strategies, curriculum inspiration, and innovative teaching ideas to help you feel confident, prepared, and energized.

Whether you’re looking to revamp your writing instruction, streamline your planning process, or engage even the most reluctant readers and writers, you’ll find actionable support here. You’ll also hear real classroom stories, fresh lesson ideas, and occasional interviews with other passionate educators.

If you teach reading and writing to middle schoolers and want to stay inspired and up-to-date with best practices in ELA education, you’re in the right place. Tune in every week and let’s transform your teaching—together.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 357: The Game That Turns Vocabulary, Grammar, and More Into Student Obsessions Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Caitlin breaks down exactly how to bring this hilarious, energy-packed game into your ELA classroom — from simple icebreakers and vocabulary swaps to full-on academic reviews. You’ll learn creative ways to adapt the rules, sneak in rigorous practice, and keep your students begging for “just one more round.”

So if you’re looking for a way to make learning stick — and have your students obsessed with vocabulary and grammar — grab your cards (or just your imagination) and tune in. This is hands-down one of the most fun ways to mix engagement with real academic impact!

Episode 356: Stop Staring at the Mountain in Front of You: Do This Instead Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

Feeling overwhelmed by everything on your plate—lesson planning, grading, or just making it through the week? You’re not alone. In this Tuesday episode, Caitlin shares a powerful mindset shift that can completely change how you approach both teaching and life: the power of micro-wins.

Instead of staring at the mountain in front of you and feeling stuck, learn how to take small, meaningful steps that build momentum, confidence, and joy in your work. You’ll discover how tiny victories—whether it’s finishing one lesson plan or simply drinking your coffee while it’s still hot—can transform your mindset and your classroom.

Tune in and get inspired to stop chasing perfection and start celebrating progress—one micro-win at a time.

Episode 355: ELA Games Series: Why Bluffing Might Be the Most Fun Way to Practice ELA Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

Today on the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, we’re bringing you one of our favorite high-energy classroom activities: The Bluff Game – Language Arts Edition! 🙌

This fast-paced game is perfect for practicing vocabulary, grammar, reading skills, and more—all while keeping your students on their feet (literally!) and fully engaged. Whether they truly know the answer or are just bluffing, your kids will be laughing, learning, and begging to play again.

Tune in to learn exactly how to set it up, play, and differentiate it for your students. It’s easy, low-prep, and guaranteed to make ELA fun! 🎉

Episode 354: ChatGPT Series: 3 ChatGPT Shortcuts Every ELA Teacher Needs to Save Hours on Prep Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

Tired of spending endless hours planning, grading, and creating materials? In today’s episode, Caitlin shares three powerful ways to use ChatGPT to cut prep time in half—without sacrificing quality or your unique teaching style. From drafting discussion questions to batch-prepping warm-ups, you’ll walk away with practical shortcuts you can start using right away.

Tune in and reclaim your time

Episode 353: The Shortcut Narrative Unit: How to Get Powerful Stories in Just 10 Days Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

Narrative writing is such an important skill for middle schoolers—but let’s be honest, it often feels like it takes forever to teach. Before you know it, weeks (or even months!) are gone, and you’re scrambling to fit in argument and informational writing.

In this episode, I discussed how to make narrative writing powerful and effective—without letting it hijack your calendar. You’ll learn:

✅ Why narratives don’t have to take six weeks
✅ How to treat narrative writing as a skill-builder, not a time-sink
✅ Quick, practical strategies to streamline your instruction
✅ A sample two-week timeline that actually works

Give yourself permission to simplify while still giving your students the creativity, structure, and voice they need. 🎉

👉 Tune in now and take back your instructional time!

Episode 352: ChatGPT Series: Differentiation Without the Extra Work Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Differentiation doesn’t have to mean staying up late making three different versions of the same lesson. In this week’s Teaching Middle School episode, I shared how you can use ChatGPT to quickly create scaffolds, extensions, and tiered questions—so every student has a way into the learning without you doubling your workload.

From rewriting texts at multiple levels, to generating leveled questions, to modifying assignments without losing rigor, you’ll walk away with practical strategies that save time and reduce stress. Best of all, you’ll see how AI can handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on what matters most: connecting with your students.

👉 Tune in and discover how to make differentiation sustainable, effective, and—dare we say—joyful!

Episode 351: Balancing Creative and Academic Writing in the Middle School Classroom Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

How do we strike the right balance between fun, engaging creative writing and the academic writing skills our students need to succeed? In this episode, let's dive into why both matter, how to weave them together, and practical strategies you can start using right away. Tune in to discover how creativity and rigor can go hand in hand to help your students grow into confident writers.

Episode 350: ChatGPT Series: Communication & Admin Tasks Made Easier Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

Emails, newsletters, behavior documentation… oh my! Communication and admin tasks can easily eat up hours of your week—but they don’t have to.

In today’s episode of Teaching Middle School ELA, I shared how ChatGPT can act like your personal assistant for the behind-the-scenes work of teaching. From drafting parent emails to organizing class newsletters, you’ll learn practical ways to save time without losing your personal touch.

Tune in to discover how AI can help you work smarter, not harder—so you can spend less time bogged down by admin tasks and more time connecting with your students. 💛

Episode 349: Scaffolding Evidence: How to Help Students Choose Quotes That Actually Work Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

Ever had a student pick a random quote just because it “sounded good”? 😅 You’re not alone! In today’s episode of Teaching Middle School ELA, I talked about practical scaffolds to help students go beyond guessing and actually choose evidence that supports their claims.

From curated quote banks to our powerful Evidence Tracker, color-coding strategies, and the simple “Evidence Test,” you’ll walk away with tools to make literary analysis less overwhelming—and way more effective.

Tune in and learn how to turn weak, random quotes into strong, meaningful evidence your students can confidently defend!

Episode 348:ChatGPT Series: Planning Support Without the Overwhelm Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

Planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. In today’s episode of Teaching Middle School ELA, I am sharing how ChatGPT can be your planning partner—helping you brainstorm, differentiate, and save hours each week without sacrificing quality. Whether you’re an EB teacher already using the Portal or just looking for ways to cut down on prep time, this episode will show you how to plan smarter, not harder.

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