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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 442: How to Weave EB Materials into Your District-Mandated Curriculum Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, We start with Genevieve’s non-negotiable: teach a writing and thinking framework first. When students learn how to make a claim, back it with evidence, and justify their reasoning, they stop starting from scratch in every unit. That same structure carries into discussions, constructed responses, and essays, whether the text comes from your district textbook or supplemental resources. We also talk about why “teach the standard” beats “finish the pages,” how to use skill-based passages to front load a target skill, and how to turn textbook questions into stronger writing prompts and discussion starters.
If you’re trying to fit reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary into short class periods, you’ll love the “one text does multiple jobs” approach. We break down how to layer routines, reuse the tools that work, and build student independence through consistency. We close with a mindset shift that matters in August and still matters in March: plan for progress, not perfection, and trust that repetition is what creates real growth.
If this helps, subscribe for weekly support, share the episode with a teammate, and leave a quick review so more middle school ELA teachers can find it. What’s the one part of your district curriculum that feels hardest to teach right now?
Podcast episode mentioned: BONUS: How to Use EB Resources With Your District Curriculum (Without Getting Behind or Overwhelmed)

Episode 441: Monday Mindset: Change Starts from Within Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

Another inspiring Monday Mindset eipisode, We walk into a new school year with fresh notebooks, a new seating chart, and a quiet hope that this year will finally feel lighter, only to realize a few weeks later that the stress feels familiar. If you’re a middle school ELA teacher who’s tired of waiting for the roster, admin support, or the schedule to magically fix everything, this Monday Mindset is a necessary reframe.
We talk through a simple idea that can genuinely change your day to day: if you want this school year to be different than last year, something inside of you has to change first. Not your curriculum. Not your classroom setup. Not the system. You. We unpack our “be, do, thrive” concept and why most of us try to run it backward, waiting for perfect conditions before we show up as the teacher we want to be. T
If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a teacher friend, and leave a review so more middle school ELA teachers can find the support they need.

Episode 440: Breakthroughs in Grammar Instruction: The 3 Must-Have Elements (Part 2) Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, Grammar shouldn’t live on a worksheet and die on a quiz. We want middle school writers who can actually use conventions, sentence structure, and punctuation to communicate clearly, with purpose, and for a real audience. That’s what drives this part two breakdown of our grammar mini-series: practical, classroom-ready moves that make grammar transfer into student writing.
If you’re ready for grammar instruction that shows up in drafts, subscribe for weekly middle school ELA support, share this with a teammate, and leave a review so more teachers can find us. What’s the biggest barrier to getting grammar to transfer in your classroom right now?

Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcast
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, we want to encourage you to do that today. We don’t want you to miss a single episode. We add a brand-new episode every week, and if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe!

Now if you’re feeling extra awesome today, we would be super grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcast, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast, and they’re also so much fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Episode 439: Monday Mindset: You Are Valuable Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

We start August with a Monday Mindset that pulls the focus back where it belongs, on you as a human being with limited energy. We walk through a simple but uncomfortable question: who got the best of you last year, and who got the scraps? From there, we reframe energy as a finite resource and talk about why “self care” is not the point. The point is protecting what refills you, so you can be more patient, more creative, and more present in the classroom and at home.
You will leave with a clear next step: identify one or two non negotiables for this school year, write them down, and put them on your calendar first. If you love strong systems, engaging lessons, and smart planning frameworks, this mindset shift is the foundation that makes those tools sustainable and helps prevent teacher burnout before it starts.
If this message hits home, subscribe, share it with a teacher friend, and leave a review so more ELA teachers can start the year with boundaries that last.

Episode 438: Breakthroughs in Grammar Instruction: The 3 Must-Have Elements (Part 1) Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, we're tackling one of the most common classroom frustrations: teaching grammar in a way that actually sticks. We discuss why students often forget grammar rules when it comes time to write and share a simple three-part framework that helps them understand, practice, and apply grammar with confidence. If you're looking for a more effective approach to grammar instruction this school year, this episode is for you.

Want to learn more about our approach?

📘 EB Grammar Program
https://www.ebteacher.com/grammar-program

Episode 437: Why Your Bell Ringers Aren't Working (And What to Do Instead) Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, we're talking all about bell ringers—and why so many of them end up feeling like busy work instead of meaningful learning. Curriculum writer Pat shares a simple weekly framework that helps students build reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary skills in just the first few minutes of class.

You'll also learn how to plan purposeful bell ringers, avoid grading overload, and create routines that actually stick. If you're ready to make every minute count, this episode is for you!

Subscribe & Review in iTunes
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, we want to encourage you to do that today. We don’t want you to miss a single episode. We add a brand-new episode every week, and if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe on Apple Podcast!

Now if you’re feeling extra awesome today, we would be super grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcast, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast, and they’re also so much fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Episode 436: Monday Mindset: It's All About Your Mood Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

What if the only thing standing between you and a productive week is waiting until you "feel like it"? This Monday Mindset episode is a reminder that your mood doesn't get to dictate your movement. We talk about why motivation is unreliable, how action creates momentum, and share a simple challenge to help you stop procrastinating and start making progress—just five minutes at a time.

Here's to a week of living intentionally.

Episode 435: Get Your Students to Rock their Text-Dependent Paragraphs with this Strategy Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, we're talking about one of the biggest challenges in teaching literary analysis: helping students write strong evidence-based responses before they tackle a full essay. You'll learn how a simple mini Response to Literature routine can strengthen students' claims, evidence, and justification throughout an entire novel unit—making the final essay feel much more manageable. If you're looking for a practical way to improve both reading comprehension and writing, this episode is for you.

Looking for ready-to-use resources? Check these out:

📖 The Case of the Stolen Pearls Reading Unit
https://www.ebteacher.com/pearls

✍️ FREE August Writing Workshop
https://www.ebteacher.com/writing-workshop

Episode 434: Increase Students Writing Scores in 30 Minutes or Less Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, we're diving into one of the biggest challenges middle school ELA teachers face: finding enough time to teach writing without spending hours grading. We'll explore why these two struggles are actually connected and share two practical strategies to help students become stronger writers while making your writing instruction more consistent, efficient, and easier to manage. If you're ready to spend less time reteaching and more time seeing real growth, this episode is for you.

Want to take the next step? Join our FREE Writing Workshop this August and discover a proven writing framework you can start using in your classroom right away:

👉 https://www.ebteacher.com/writing-workshop

Episode 433: Monday Mindset: Go to a Dark Room Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

Your life gets loud fast: notifications, inbox urgency, endless content, and the constant pressure to keep up. Then a real moment hits and suddenly the only questions that matter rise to the surface: What am I doing with my life? What do I actually want? Am I living the way I want to be living? Today’s Monday Mindset is a quiet, honest pause for middle school ELA teachers who feel pulled in every direction and want their time and attention back.
Here's to another week of living intentionally. If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a teacher friend, and leave a review so more educators can find the quiet, too.

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