Teaching Middle School ELA

Listen in as Jessica walks you through an exercise to help you explore how your language affects your mindset and motivation. It’s a real opener! Next, Caitlin will talk about the “copy machine experiment” and what it shows us about the power of the word “because.” This little word really packs a punch, and Jessica will teach you how to apply it in your thinking and goal setting, to really be the...

In this episode, Caitlin and Jessica will show you how to use sentence stems to help your students introduce evidence, with an additional component for your higher-level writers. The bonus? Your students’ improved writing will mean you get to enjoy reading essays, plus spend less time grading them! Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/writingwaitlist Are you enjoying the podcast...

So if you’re looking for practical ways to help your students give and accept constructive feedback, work together on an authentic project, and grow their collaborative skills, take a listen to this episode and start implementing Trevor’s ideas today! Links mentioned in this episode: http://trevormuir.com Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're l...

Caitlin and Jessica will walk you through this activity, which will help you and your students create a special moment before you head out for summer break. Students will have so much fun reading self-chosen books, creating parade floats, and writing scripts, they won’t even realize that they’re learning or reviewing conflict, characterization, theme, and more! Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us...

Anticipation activities help students better understand reading material, dig more deeply into discussions, and feel more engaged in the unit. If you’re looking for a great activity to help students go beyond the surface of a novel or short story and really enjoy their class reading, try out Anticipation Stations! Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/ebwaitlist Are you enjoying...

“Why is it that I’m so busy, but I never feel like I’m getting enough done or moving forward on my goals?” If you’ve asked yourself this question recently, the answer may lie in your habits! Listen in as Michelle and Bridget from Teaching on the Double share three helpful habits that will help you meet your goals and be the person you really want to be. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebac...

An empowered ELA teacher is a teacher who really loves their job; each day, they wake up excited to get to school and embark on that day’s lessons with their students. But despite this passion to teach, school is not their whole world. An empowered teacher makes room for white space. What does this mean, and how can you do it? In this episode, Caitlin and Jessica will show you! Are you enjoying th...

This episode is about secrets to leaving school when the bell rings, but we’ll warn you upfront: it’s not about what you think it’s about. This episode is not about physical strategies (you can find those in plenty of our other episodes!). This one is about mindset . Because sometimes, walking out of your classroom door starts there. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/membersh...

Imagine having a go-to discussion activity that is both guided and open-ended, both fun and rigorous, both creative and easy to implement. The Hexagonal Thinking Activity has it all, and Betsy Potash from the Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast is here to share it with you! Links mentioned in this episode: https://youtu.be/MZCQeBj6KOk https://www.instagram.com/nowsparkcreativity/?hl=en https://nowspa...

“Grammar” and “fun” rarely appear in the same sentence, but this activity is guaranteed to draw every student in. So listen in for the simple steps for creating this activity, plus hear Caitlin’s list of great grammar topics you can use. Be the teacher who makes grammar review a memorable and enjoyable experience for students! Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/membershipwaitl...

In this episode, Caitlin and Jessica offer listeners two easy and effective strategies to help differentiate lessons. And the best part? These easy-to-create resources can be used in a variety of lessons, so the little bit of effort you put in now will pay dividends all year long. Little effort, big impact! Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/membershipwaitlist https://www.inst...

Caitlin and Jessica will walk you through two simple but critical steps to use in your lesson planning, so you can intentionally incorporate spiraled lessons into your school year and really make sure your students master the learning they need! Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/membershipwaitlist https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Narrative-Writing-Game-and-Lesson-M...

Eating healthier doesn’t have to mean overhauling your whole lifestyle or giving up all the foods you love. It also doesn’t have to consume all of your free time and weekends. Kara will offer some great tips, recipe ideas, and meal planning strategies. Choose the ones that will work for you and your family, to start feeling healthier right away! Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.instagr...

“How do I decide which ELA activities ‘make the cut’ for my school year?” Caitlin and Jessica address this question from the EB Academic’s Facebook group, which is a question you’ve probably wondered about, too. With all the resources available, sometimes choosing the right ones for your classes can be overwhelming. Whether you’re an EB teacher or not, this episode will help! Links mentioned in th...

Listen as Jessica and Caitlin walk you through the steps of creating a Test Prep Treasure Hunt for your students! Front load students with essential knowledge of test-taking stills and academic vocabulary before setting them off to search your classroom for clues that will lead to great test practice. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/ebwaitlist https://www.teacherspayteacher...

Teachers everywhere are looking for ways to bring that spark of wonder back into their classrooms, not just for themselves, but for their students, too. That’s why Jenna Cooper and Abby Gross, along with Staci Lamb and Ashley bible, wrote the book Keeping the Wonder . Caitlin interviews Abby and Jenna as they talk about this inspiring yet practical guide for secondary teachers of all grade levels...

Jessica and Caitlin will show you how repeating your lessons and activities will help ease the burden of lesson planning while also giving your students opportunities to practice and grow. This podcast will give you the permission you may have been looking for to reuse the lessons that work for you and your students, with absolutely no guilt or regrets! Links mentioned in this episode: https://eba...

Listen as Caitlin and Jessica discuss the two sentences that are sure to take your students’ justification to the next level. They will walk you through the simple steps of this approach, which will not only improve your students’ writing, but reduce your grading load, too. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/writingwaitlist Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and...

Listen as Caitlin and Jessica walk you through the basics of creating a classroom mock trial, so you can orchestrate one (or more!) in your own classroom. Jessica will share 4 lessons to help you create this authentic learning experience, which you can rinse and repeat over and over with different texts. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/membership https://www.teacherspayteac...

If you’ve been wanting to better address social justice issues in your classroom but have been nervous about getting started, don’t worry! Feeling anxious is totally normal, and Megan Forbes from Too Cool for Middle School will give you some helpful advice on using the Social Justice Standards effectively, using texts you probably already have planned  in your curriculum. Links mentioned in this e...

An unbalanced teaching life can really take its toll on both you and your students. Thankfully, you can be the teacher you want to be, the teacher you will be, with a shift in mindset. Caitlin will share her own struggles with teacher burnout and show you how she found her passion again, as she balanced her life at school with her life beyond the classroom door. Links mentioned in this episode: ht...

You know that foreboding feeling at the end of a school break, when you know the vacation is over and you have to get back into the classroom routine? Remove that dread and enjoy your whole break by giving yourself and your students something to look forward to upon returning! Jessica and Caitlin will share 7 well-timed activities for Langston Hughes’ “Thank You, M’am,” which you can use during th...

“How do I get my reluctant readers engaged in independent reading when they just won’t do it?” This was one of our EB teacher’s questions, and it may be yours, too! Jessica and Caitlin share four great tips that will get even reluctant readers excited about reading time. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/membership Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us...

The holidays are upon us, and your students are bubbling over with excitement. Don’t want to be a grinch but still want to pack a lot of learning into these weeks before the winter break? Listen in as Caitlin and Jessica host Joe and Quyen, Top Floor Teachers who have a great holiday project to share with you! Links mentioned in this episode: http://www.topfloorteachers.com/ https://www.instagram....

Although assigned with good intentions, reading logs can weigh down readers, turning reading into a points game instead of a fulfilling, enriching activity. So, what to do instead? Caitlin interviews ELA teacher and instructional coach Melissa Kruse from Reading and Writing Haven , who will give listeners insight into reading logs and offer some great alternatives. Links mentioned in this episode:...