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Teaching Middle School ELA — Courses
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 402: Monday Mindset: Margin for Magic Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

You can look fine on the outside and still feel alone on the inside and that gap can get painfully wide when you’re a teacher expected to carry everyone else. Today’s Monday Mindset is a short reset built around a simple truth: you’re not the only one quietly struggling, even if it looks like everyone else has it figured out. We start with the idea of “three hearts” the self the world sees, the self close people see, and the self only you see and why the hidden parts of us can become the home of loneliness.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a teacher friend, and leave a review so more educators can find these Monday Mindsets.

Episode 401: Graphic Group Essays: A Writing Assignment Your Students Will Actually Like Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

April makes it hard to keep essay writing rigorous without burying ourselves in grading. We use graphic group essays to help students practise claims, evidence, and justification through a visual, collaborative process that keeps writing engaging and low stakes.
• why April is the perfect time for a lighter essay structure
• what a graphic group essay is and how it combines visual planning with group writing
• using the strategy to replace a standard essay or prep for a formal draft
• how collaboration boosts thinking beyond a single student perspective
• choosing prompts with complexity so students can defend multiple answers
• ideal group size and optional roles to build individual accountability
• building the graphic essay on paper, with cards, or digitally while keeping core essay parts
• coaching student reasoning in real time instead of only through grading
• adding presentations for speaking and listening plus revision opportunities
If you do try this in with it in your classroom with your students, let me know over in our Facebook group if you are a part of our membership and you're an EB teacher, or if you're not, head over to our Instagram at ebacademics, send me a direct message, and I would love to read about how this goes with your students.

Episode 400: A Simple Hack for Helping Students Find the Main Idea in Informational Text Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

Struggling to get your students to actually find the main idea—without guessing or copying random sentences? You’re not alone.

In today’s episode, we’re sharing a simple, classroom-tested hack that helps middle school students confidently identify the main idea in informational text—without the frustration (for you or them!).

If main idea lessons have been feeling like a struggle, this quick shift might be exactly what you need

Episode 399: Monday Mindset: The One Thing That Makes the End of the Year So Much Harder Than It Has to Be Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

Today's Monday Mindset, We challenge ourselves to teach for the “May us” by making choices now that reduce end-of-year stress and strengthen student skills. We unpack why readiness and motivation rarely show up first, and how holding the line on routines builds future peace for us and a foundation for our students.
• picturing the “May you” and making March and April decisions with the end in mind
• rejecting the myth of feeling ready before taking action
• naming common temptations like shortening writing tasks or skipping justification
• holding steady on policies, routines, and writing frameworks to make grading and the final stretch easier
• balancing survival days with consistent expectations most days
• remembering students watch what we reinforce and carry those skills forward

Episode 398: Why Students Don't Apply Grammar in Their Writing — And How to Fix It Part 2 Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

Today's episode is Part 2 of Episode 397.
Your students can label sentence types on a worksheet, crush the grammar game, and still hand in an essay packed with run-ons and fragments. That disconnect is not laziness. It is transfer, and it is one of the biggest pain points in middle school ELA. Today we talk about the moment teachers care about most: when grammar moves off the quiz and into real student writing.
We break down the third pillar of the EB Grammar Framework, application to writing, and why it has to come after direct instruction and engaging practice. You will hear exactly why “apply everything you have learned” overloads student brains during drafting, and how narrowing the target helps grammar stick during authentic writing tasks like literary analysis and argument essays.

Episode 397: Why Your Grammar Lessons Keep Falling Flat (And the Fix That Actually Works) Part 1 Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

If your grammar lessons feel like they’re going in one ear and out the other… You are not alone.

In today’s Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, we’re breaking down why traditional grammar instruction just isn’t sticking—and what’s actually happening in your students’ brains during those lessons. More importantly, we’re diving into a simple, practical shift you can make that gets students engaged and applying grammar in their writing.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why aren’t they getting this?!”—this episode is for you

Episode 396: Monday Mindset: What to Do When Everything Starts to Slip Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

In today's Monday Mindset, March and April can feel like the point where everything starts slipping at once. You’re running on fumes, your students are restless, and the pull of summer makes every small task feel bigger than it should. We’re talking about that exact moment and the counterintuitive fix that actually makes the rest of the year easier: leaning into structure instead of letting it slide.
We unpack why loosening routines, expectations, and boundaries doesn’t bring relief, it creates more chaos. The key mindset shift is simple but powerful: what’s hard now is easy later, and what’s easy now is hard later. When your classroom management stays clear, your late work policy stays firm, and your routines stay steady, students stop negotiating and testing. That consistency isn’t rigidity. It’s a signal that says, “You don’t have to guess. I’ve got this, and I’ve got you.”

BONUS: Silent Discussions—How to Get Every Student Thinking (Without Anyone Saying a Word) Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

In this bonus episode, we’re joined by our very own EB Membership Manager, Genevieve, to talk about one of the most powerful (and underrated) strategies in the classroom—silent discussions.

If you’ve ever struggled to get every student engaged or wished for deeper thinking without the pressure of speaking out loud, this episode is for you. Genevieve shares how silent discussions can transform participation, boost student confidence, and get every learner involved—no talking required.

Episode 395: A 5-Minute Women’s History Month Writing Routine Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

Want to honor Women’s History Month without adding another unit to your already packed schedule? In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, Caitlin shares a simple five-minute writing routine that helps students practice essential ELA skills while learning about remarkable female athletes like Simone Biles, Chloe Kim, and Katie Ledecky. It’s quick, meaningful, and easy to fit into your existing warm-up time—no extra planning required. If you’re looking for a way to bring real-world inspiration into your classroom while strengthening writing skills, this routine might be the perfect place to start.

Episode 394: Whole-Group Differentiation: 5 Strategies You Can Use Tomorrow Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

Hello, March and welcome back to the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast. So today, I shared five simple, whole-group strategies that make differentiation workable and sustainable without adding extra lesson plans. The focus stays on one learning target while offering many entry points so every student can think, speak, and succeed.
• redefining differentiation as access to the same skill
• using mini experts to preview and build confidence
• writing key steps and stems on the board
• offering choice questions at varied depths
• adding question extensions for early finishers
• using wait time plus write time for equity
• starting with one tactic twice a week, then layering
If you're interested in learning more, simply go to: ebacademics.com

YouTube Episode mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQzWh_EBU0U

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