Commas in the Chaos

Episode Summary There is a debate happening in grammar instruction, and most teachers are caught right in the middle of it. On one side, explicit instruction. On the other hand, grammar in context. Both sides have research. Both sides have teachers who swear by them. And neither side is actually wrong. In this episode, I walk through why both camps are pointing to something true, what gets assumed...

Episode Summary If you've ever watched a student nail a grammar skill and then seen it completely disappear from their writing weeks later, this episode is for you. It's not a student problem, and it's not a teaching problem. It's information, and once you know what it's telling you, you know exactly where to go next. In this episode, Rachel breaks down the three most common reasons grammar skills...

Episode Summary Grammar planning for upper elementary teachers is one of the hardest things to do without a curriculum, a sequence, or a real system to work from. In this relaunch episode, I'm sharing what I've been building behind the scenes: the BUILD Framework, a 7-module system that takes the guesswork out of grammar instruction. I'll walk you through what's inside each module, why I built it,...

Episode Summary Let’s talk about the CUPS Strategy for Student Editing — and no, not the kind that holds your coffee. CUPS stands for Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, and Spelling , and it is one of those classroom tools that most know about but rarely feel confident teaching. When I first started teaching, I would hand my students a CUPS checklist, tell them to edit, and then cross my fingers....

A quiet, sincere thank you from me to the teachers who support Commas in the Chaos. Your listens, messages, shares, and reviews shape this podcast and help more teachers find a steady space. Take a breath with me and know your support matters.

Episode Summary Let’s be honest. Teaching complex sentences can feel anything but simple. Students get tripped up on commas, mix up dependent and independent clauses, and before long, everyone is frustrated. In this episode, I am sharing a strategy that completely changed how I taught this skill. It is a method that makes complex sentences finally click for students. The secret is two simple formu...

Episode Summary Last week, I shared the big-picture why behind using task cards, and the real benefits that make them worth your time. This week, we’re moving from theory to practice. In this episode, I’m sharing five creative ways to use task cards in the classroom that go far beyond centers and early finishers. These ideas are designed to get your students up, moving, collaborating, and talking...

Episode Summary You know that moment when you open your pacing guide and immediately think,  How on earth am I going to fit all of this in?  Between teaching 500 standards, trying to keep your sanity, and still having a few minutes left in the day, it’s a lot. That’s exactly why I want to talk about one of my favorite tools:  task cards . In this episode, I’m breaking down the ...

Episode Summary For years, I heard the same advice you probably have — that teaching grammar in context is all we need to do. If students read good writing and write enough on their own, grammar will just click. But if you’ve been in the classroom for more than five minutes, you know that isn’t what really happens. Students can write full pages, but when you ask them to find the subject and predic...

Grammar Skills: How to Use Skill Stacking to Spot Gaps and Strengthen Foundation. Episode Summary Have you ever taught a grammar lesson and felt like your students were staring at you as if you were speaking another language? You’re not alone — and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad teacher. It usually means your students are missing an earlier building block. In this episode of  Commas in the Chao...

4 Benefits of Using Grammar Centers in Upper Elementary Episode Summary When you hear the phrase  classroom centers , do you tense up a little? I used to cringe too. Adding one more moving part to an already full day felt overwhelming. But once I saw how grammar centers transformed my classroom — giving students ownership, boosting engagement, and making practice stick — I was hooked. In this...

Episode 8: Building Classroom Community – 4 Simple Steps for a Powerful Impact Episode Summary Let’s press pause on grammar for a moment and talk about something just as important: building classroom community . If you’ve ever had a student walk into your room with a “reputation,” or you’ve wished your class felt more like a team and less like a battle zone, this episode is for you. In this c...

Episode 7: Teaching Subjects and Predicates Episode Summary Fragments and run-ons — the  bane  of every teacher’s grading stack. By the time back-to-school writing assignments roll in, you’ve probably already seen sentences like “Went to the park” or “The dog with a long tail and spots.” That’s why this episode is all about  teaching subjects and predicates . Far from being too...

🎧 Grammar Teaching Strategies: 2 Effective Ways for Spiraling Grammar Episode Summary Have you ever taught a grammar skill on Monday, given the quiz on Friday, and by the next week your students act like they’ve  never  heard the word predicate before? 🙋‍♀️ Yep, been there. That’s why today’s episode is all about  spiraling grammar —and why it’s one of the most powerful ways to he...

Grammar Teaching Strategies That Actually Work in Upper Elementary Episode Summary Teacher friend, we made it! 🎉 Welcome to Day 5 of the  Grammar Confidence Kickstart Challenge . You’ve put in the work, carved out time, and committed to building something better for your grammar block—and that’s huge. In this episode, I’m pulling everything together with  grammar teaching strategies &nb...

🎧 Episode 4:  Teaching Grammar in Fun Ways Episode Summary You can teach the perfect grammar lesson, have the best anchor chart, and even crush the exit ticket… but what happens when that skill disappears the moment you move on to the next one? That’s where today’s episode comes in. In Day 4 of the  Grammar Confidence Kickstart Challenge , we’re talking about  how to teach grammar...

Episode 3: Building Daily Grammar Routines Episode Summary If you’ve ever felt like grammar gets lost in the shuffle of your busy day, you’re not alone. The truth is, when it comes to building grammar confidence—for both you and your students—consistency is everything. And that’s where a daily grammar routine comes in. In this episode of the Grammar Confidence Kickstart Challenge , we’re diving in...

Welcome back to Day 2 of the  Grammar Confidence Kickstart Challenge ! In this episode, we’re digging into one of the most powerful shifts you can make as a grammar teacher:  sequencing grammar in upper elementary  in a way that actually makes sense. If you’ve ever felt like you were jumping from nouns to conjunctions without a clear path, or that your grammar instruction was more o...

Episode 1: Why Grammar Matters More Than You Think Episode Summary: Let’s start with the big question: Why does grammar matter —and why should we care about it more than we already do? Welcome to Day 1 of the Grammar Confidence Kickstart Challenge , where we’re kicking things off with a dose of truth, a little myth-busting, and a whole lot of reassurance. In this episode, I’m sharing my personal j...

Welcome to  Commas in the Chaos ! I’m Rachel, owner of Uniquely Upper, and this is your official invitation to take a deep breath, grab your coffee (reheated, of course), and join a space designed just for you — the grammar teacher juggling lesson plans, piles of ungraded assignments, and those never-ending to-do lists. Each week, you’ll get: Short, practical episodes (under 15 minutes)...