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,…
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Memorising vocabulary lists can look like “rigor,” but we’ve all watched it evaporate the moment the quiz ends. We want word learning that transfers into real reading and real writing, so we brought back our curriculum writer and word study specialist Pat to walk through what actually makes vocabulary instruction stick for middle school ELA students. We dig into the heart of word study: teaching…
Another Monday Mindset today! We talk about a small but powerful gratitude practice that fits into real teacher life, plus the positive psychology research that explains why it works. A statistic shared from Happify highlights how a one-time act of thoughtful gratitude can create an immediate 10% increase in happiness and a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms, while also reminding us that the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…