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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:

Monday Mindset: Dream Big Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

In today's Monday Mindset episode, I discuss how important it is to conquer self-doubt and embrace a mindset where anything is possible. Inspired by the book "10X is Easier Than 2X," I explore the power of setting bold, audacious goals and reflect on how fear or external discouragement can stifle our ambitions. I'll consider personal experiences and even share a few stories that demonstrate how, with the right mindset, the sky’s the limit.

Tune in to learn how adopting a mindset of limitless potential can lead to a more fulfilling and innovative life.

Here's to another day of intentional living!

Episode 293: Not Enough Time in Your Class Period? Listen to This Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, Caitlin focuses on best practices to actually "fit it all in" when planning your ELA lessons this year. She prefaces this episode with a message about the variations in class time length we often see across middle schools. Some ELA teachers have 40-minute class periods to work around while others might find themselves with 90-minute blocks to fill. No matter what situation you find yourself in, it is important to walk into planning your ELA lessons with a positive outlook for what is possible and motivation to simply do the best you can with the time you've been given.

As you listen you'll learn key strategies to make any class length work for you and your students in a way that actually supports student growth. Drawing from research and personal experiences, Caitlin spends time walking you through exactly how embracing constraints and focusing on what you can control will actually transform your classroom experience in major ways.

Before wrapping up this episode, you'll have the opportunity to evaluate how using the ELA standards as your goal and developing a clear plan of teaching these standards with engaging resources will streamline your planning process and yield more successful learning outcomes for your students! Caitlin is breaking it all down and even giving a peek behind the scenes on how the EB Teachers' ELA Portal can support you in "fitting it all in" this school year!

You won't regret tuning in for this strategy-filled episode!

FREE RESOURCE: Curious about trying Batch Planning this summer? Simply click the link below to grab our 10 Tips to Get Started Batch Planning and take a look at how easy it can be to begin!

https://www.ebteacher.com/free-10-tips-for-Batch-Planning

Batch Planning is the ONE thing you can do now that will have the biggest impact on your entire school year!

BIG NEWS: The EB Teachers' ELA Portal will officially be open for enrollment this summer! If having access to ALL of the items below sounds helpful to you, then we invite you to take a quick moment to add your name to our priority list today! Are you ready for:

Hundreds of ready-to-go ELA lessons
A robust Core ELA Curriculum that includes reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary covering all of the ELA standards
Innovative digital lesson planning software
Hours of on-demand PD videos
A community of thousands of supportive ELA teachers from around the world

Pretty incredible, right? Click the link below to add your name to the priority list today:

https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-priority-list

Monday Mindset: Opportunity is Risk Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

In today's Monday Mindset episode, I'm asking you to consider if the key to unlocking your full potential lies just outside your comfort zone. You know...that place that feels risky and uncomfortable. Perhaps embracing risk—both personally and professionally - could be the catalyst for growth and new opportunities that you've been missing! I'll share my own experiences and encourage you to be curious about where you might be holding yourself back from stepping into the unknown. Tune in to uncover how shifting our mindset to view risk as a gateway to learning can make previously daunting tasks more manageable and redefine our baseline for what we consider challenging.

You'll learn practical strategies for building your risk tolerance, starting with smaller, calculated risks, and learn the importance of making decisions from a place of love rather than fear. This episode is a call to action to seize opportunities despite uncertainties, encouraging you to live intentionally and embrace the risks that shape you into a better version of yourself.

Here's to another day of intentional living!

Episode 292: Summer Lesson Planning Series: Rethink Your Weekly Lesson Plans (And Ditch What You Learned in College) Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, Caitlin, Jessica, and Megan have a candid conversation about the shortcomings they noticed collectively between their individual experiences earning their degrees or certifications in education. Their revelations unveil a large gap in learning happening for teachers prior to stepping into their classrooms. You'll hear that the single most impactful lesson they wish they had mastered before stepping into their first year as a classroom teacher is how to batch plan lessons rather than focusing on creating individual units in isolation.

This skill of creating a roadmap of standards for a larger span of time actually provides teachers with a guide to follow throughout the year so that their individual units or resources have intentionality and purpose that in turn guarantees actual student growth throughout the school year. Developing a long term plan (a.k.a. Batch Plans) allows teachers to avoid the cycle of jumping from boring textbook lessons to browsing endlessly online during their weekends or re-inventing entire units on their personal time.

When teachers avoid the cycle of planning day-to-day, they'll also avoid burnout! You'll walk away with new insights on the benefits of avoiding burnout; including keeping great teachers in the classroom supporting students for years to come! You don't want to miss this episode!

FREE RESOURCE: Curious about trying Batch Planning this summer? Simply click the link below to grab our 10 Tips to Get Started Batch Planning and take a look at how easy it can be to begin!

https://www.ebteacher.com/free-10-tips-for-Batch-Planning

Batch Planning is the ONE thing you can do now that will have the biggest impact on your entire school year!

BIG NEWS: The EB Teachers' ELA Portal will officially be open for enrollment this summer! If having access to ALL of the items below sounds helpful to you, then we invite you to take a quick moment to add your name to our priority list today! Are you ready for:

Hundreds of ready-to-go ELA lessons
A robust Core ELA Curriculum that includes reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary covering all of the ELA standards
Innovative digital lesson planning software
Hours of on-demand PD videos
A community of thousands of supportive ELA teachers from around the world

Pretty incredible, right? Click the link below to add your name to the priority list today:

https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-priority-list

Monday Mindset: Just Start Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

In this Monday Mindset, we're diving into the power of just getting started. This concept might seem simple, but so many of us refrain from taking our first steps out of fear of not being perfect. I want to challenge you to consider the idea that DOING something imperfectly is better and more helpful than NOT doing anything at all.

Let's explore the power of embracing imperfection and making progress forward, even in small ways.

Here's to another week of intentional living!

Episode 291: Summer Lesson Planning Series: Taking it to the Next Level: Designing Effective "Beyond" Framework Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

Throughout this summer podcast series, we've taken a deep dive into the EB Batch Planning Approach as well as the 3 types of framework every single ELA unit should include being both rigorous and engaging. If you need a quick refresher, be sure to pop back a few episodes to catch up!

In this episode, we break down the third and final type of framework we call "BEYOND" framework. It's within these lessons that students get authentic opportunities to apply their knowledge and challenge themselves! You'll be tempted to think of these lessons as assessments, but we discuss engaging ways you can turn these lessons into more than just a pen-and-paper assessment. At the end of the day, a quality beyond framework is really a chance for your students to showcase what they've learned in various ways.

We also encourage you to ask "Chat GPT" for a list of fun assessment ideas on the days that you feel overwhelmed or stuck looking for fresh ideas. AI is not going away, and it's going to be a great tool for us as educators to utilize in the years to come.

To wrap up this episode, Caitlin and Jessica, take a moment to share how incredibly easy and accessible the EB Teachers' ELA Portal makes utilizing the Into, Through, Beyond framework in each of your ELA Lessons. From providing next-level ELA units to accessing scope and sequences built into the platform, you'll find your planning process will take far less time and your instructional quality will skyrocket! (Not to mention, your students will actually have fun while they're learning! Win-win!)

Tune in today and walk away fully prepared to use this framework with your own ELA lessons!

FREE RESOURCE: Curious about trying Batch Planning this summer? Simply click the link below to grab our 10 Tips to Get Started Batch Planning and take a look at how easy it can be to begin!

https://www.ebteacher.com/free-10-tips-for-Batch-Planning

Batch Planning is the ONE thing you can do now that will have the biggest impact on your entire school year!

BIG NEWS: The EB Teachers' ELA Portal will officially be open for enrollment this summer! If having access to ALL of the items below sounds helpful to you, then we invite you to take a quick moment to add your name to our priority list today! Are you ready for:

Hundreds of ready-to-go ELA lessons
A robust Core ELA Curriculum that includes reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary covering all of the ELA standards
Innovative digital lesson planning software
Hours of on-demand PD videos
A community of thousands of supportive ELA teachers from around the world

Pretty incredible, right? Click the link below to add your name to the priority list today:

https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-priority-list

Monday Mindset: Forget the Mood You're In Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

In today's Monday Mindset episode, I'm exploring the true secret to success. It may not be the secret you'd initially think! I want to show you the power behind sticking to your plan, no matter what! Tune in to hear how insights from Leila Hormozi have impacted my perspective on the benefits of consistency and discipline.

By sticking to your plan, regardless of your emotional state, you will build resilience, stay organized, and make actual progress toward your goals. It takes practice and we may not always get it right, but intentionally working towards building this discipline will benefit your life in many different areas!

Here's to another day of intentional living!

Episode 290: Summer Lesson Planning Series: Elevating Student Mastery with "Through" Framework Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, we're taking a deep dive into the core of our ELA lessons which we call "Through Framework"! These lessons are the "meat and potatoes" of our framework planning recipe meaning they are made up of rigorous activities that allow students multiple opportunities to practice their skills in an engaging way! You'll learn the components of a "Through" framework and our tips for creating your own to cover multiple skills! We'll also take a moment to share how the EB Teachers' ELA Portal is making this entire process practically seamless and efficient! (We're talking lesson plans and activities ready to go in minutes!)

This episode is sure to leave you ready to get a head start on your lesson plans for the fall!

FREE RESOURCE: Curious about trying Batch Planning this summer? Simply click the link below to grab our 10 Tips to Get Started Batch Planning and take a look at how easy it can be to begin!

https://www.ebteacher.com/free-10-tips-for-Batch-Planning

Batch Planning is the ONE thing you can do now that will have the biggest impact on your entire school year!

BIG NEWS: The EB Teachers' ELA Portal will officially be open for enrollment this summer! If having access to ALL of the items below sounds helpful to you, then we invite you to take a quick moment to add your name to our priority list today! Are you ready for:

Hundreds of ready-to-go ELA lessons
A robust Core ELA Curriculum that includes reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary covering all of the ELA standards
Innovative digital lesson planning software
Hours of on-demand PD videos
A community of thousands of supportive ELA teachers from around the world

Pretty incredible, right? Click the link below to add your name to the priority list today:

https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-priority-list

Monday Mindset: How to Pour Into Yourself Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

In this Monday Mindset, I want to discuss powerful strategies to infuse more joy, peace, and intentionality into your life. I'll guide you in identifying activities that fuel your inner soul. You know, like those activities that make you lose track of time! Let's consider the impact integrating more activities like these into your routine, and celebrating every little victory, can have on your life!

You'll learn to quiet external noise and focus on what brings you true happiness and fulfillment. Perhaps you'll find that focusing on positive, supportive relationships can uplift your mindset and energy, and walk away with strategies to set boundaries with negative influences!

Here's to another day of intentional living!

Episode 289: Summer Lesson Planning Series: Setting the Stage: Crafting Engaging "Into" Framework Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, we're taking a closer look at our proven lesson planning framework. You'll hear how we developed this framework and its different components: Into Lesson, Through Lesson, and Beyond Framework!

Once we determined the ingredients needed in the recipe for a successful lesson plan, the entire planning process became much more simple and efficient! To begin, we'll share exactly what makes an "Into Lesson" unique and why it's so important to use this style of lesson at the beginning of your ELA units.

After you listen today, you'll know exactly how to identify an "Into Lesson" and have a better understanding of when to utilize them within your lesson plans!
Tune in to hear more today!

FREE RESOURCE: Curious about trying Batch Planning this summer? Simply click the link below to grab our 10 Tips to Get Started Batch Planning and take a look at how easy it can be to begin!

https://www.ebteacher.com/free-10-tips-for-Batch-Planning

Batch Planning is the ONE thing you can do now that will have the biggest impact on your entire school year!

BIG NEWS: The EB Teachers' ELA Portal will officially be open for enrollment this summer! If having access to ALL of the items below sounds helpful to you, then we invite you to take a quick moment to add your name to our priority list today! Are you ready for:

Hundreds of ready-to-go ELA lessons
A robust Core ELA Curriculum that includes reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary covering all of the ELA standards
Innovative digital lesson planning software
Hours of on-demand PD videos
A community of thousands of supportive ELA teachers from around the world

Pretty incredible, right? Click the link below to add your name to the priority list today:

https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-priority-list

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