Teaching Middle School ELA

This is definitely an activity you’ll want in your teacher toolbox. The bonus? You can use it over and over all year, as students improve their argumentative and writing skills. This episode is a must-listen if you’re looking for a new discussion activity that reaches a wide variety of students, so be sure to listen in! Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/T...

Teachers, you have SO much on your shoulders right now. A pandemic, district mandates, extra responsibilities . . . In this podcast, Caitlin and Jessica will give you five strategies to help reduce your burdens and reclaim your personal life. Take a few minutes to listen, then pick one strategy to try this week! Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/membership Are you enjoying th...

Join Caitlin and Jessica as they help you wring more learning out of your bell ringers! Many teachers have discovered the benefits of bell ringers, but they wonder how to use them most effectively, so that students are engaged and reviewing important concepts. If this sounds like you, take a listen! Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/membership https://ebacademics.com/2021/09/...

Looking for a way to help your students read literature with purpose and intention? Want your next unit’s text to feel relevant to your young readers? Well, the answer lies in creating the perfect essential question. Listen as Caitlin and Jessica show you how, in just 3 easy steps! Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.ebteacher.com/membership Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademi...

This episode will show you how to approach small group work planning from two angles: curriculum and classroom management. After listening to this podcast, you will be able to pick the perfect activities for students to work on while also preparing yourself to manage the groups efficiently, with high expectations and clear directions. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/escaper...

Ah, Halloween: the time of year when your students start to get really antsy. Listen as Caitlin and Jessica share a great activity that will keep them engaged while staying on target with their learning goals. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/escaperoom Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subs...

Caitlin and Jessica will talk about the importance of the “Into” lesson for building background knowledge, activating prior learning, and building students’ motivation to learn. Even better, they will offer three awesome ideas that you can use before any unit you’re teaching! Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/escaperoom https://ebacademics.com/blog-posts Are you enjoying the...

If you’re spending too much of your personal time (after school, weekends, and during breaks) planning and grading, then listen as Caitlin and Jessica talk batch planning: what it is, how to get started, and what you can do with all that free time you’ll have after you’ve implemented this approach! Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacaemics.com/membership https://ebacademics.com/2020/04/ep...

Teaching grammar is one of the most common pain points we hear about from teachers. But grammar lessons don’t have to be painful for you or your students! Listen as Caitlin and Jessica walk you through some simple steps for teaching grammar effectively and efficiently.  Listen as Caitlin and Jessica explain what academic vocabulary is, why it’s important, and how you can choose the right terms to...

Listen as Caitlin and Jessica explain what academic vocabulary is, why it’s important, and how you can choose the right terms to teach your students. They will even direct you to a free, engaging lesson that incorporates great academic vocabulary! Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/detectivelesson Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you&apo...

Take a listen and reflect on the steps you need to take in order to be the teacher you want to be, do great work, and thrive in and outside your classroom. You can have that X-Factor, too -- you just need to put in the work, and Caitlin and Jessica will show you how. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/book Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which...

No matter the hand you are dealt when it comes to the length of your class periods, you can make it work with careful prioritizing and strategic planning. Jessica and Caitlin will explain how you can use the standards as your North Star to guide you as you schedule bell ringers, vocab and grammar lessons, reading and writing activities, and silent reading periods. Links mentioned in this episode:...

Is grading taking over your work and home life? It’s easy for ELA teachers to feel overloaded and overburdened with assignments to assess. Take a few minutes to listen to this game-changing episode that will inspire and guide you toward reducing your grading load, so you can truly thrive. Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make...

Are you looking for a simple, positive, effective classroom management system? Listen as Caitlin shares her favorite method for managing classroom behavior and routines. The best part? It requires very little effort to implement! Links mentioned in this episode: https://ebacademics.com/2018/12/classroom-management-idea-for-middle-school.html Grab our FREE classroom management tool here! https://do...

The crew of a ship stumbles upon another ship at sea. Upon investigation, they find that all the cargo is still onboard, but the crew has vanished. Are you hooked? Your students will be too, in this engaging first-day activity that will really set your expectations for the school year! Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make su...

After a year of remote or hybrid learning, your students are craving more interaction. Listen as Caitlin and Jessica discuss how you can make this happen in your classroom! Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review! Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like y...

If you feel like it can be hard to step out of your teacher identity and embrace all the other aspects of your life that make you happy and whole, take a listen as Caitlin and Jessica pose 22 questions to help you thrive not only inside, but outside the classroom. Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and le...

Do you ever feel like you’re planning day to day? Have you felt the frustration of piecing together lessons from multiple sources? Are you looking for some direction in your teaching, so you can step back and breathe easier? Then listen as Jessica and Caitlin show you how the EB Writing Program will help you work less while getting better results. Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics...

What do great writing teachers have in common? They all engage in these three practices! Listen to see which of these methods you already use, and which you could start adopting today. Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/literaryanalysis https://www.ebteacher.com/eb-teachers-club-2021 Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening...

Are your students lacking confidence and direction in their writing? Are you lacking confidence and direction in teaching writing? Listen in as Caitlin and Jessica explore three reasons that writing frameworks will help you create successful writers. Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/literaryanalysis Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you...

The best learning takes place when students are having fun and feeling challenged at the same time. Of course, it can be tough coming up with ideas for engaging, rigorous lessons. Listen as Caitlin and Jessica give you an overview of an awesome narrative writing activity to help you spiral your standards, challenge your students, and have a lot of fun at the same time. Links mentioned in this epis...

When Jessica and I changed the way we taught writing to the EBW Approach, our students’ outcomes wildly improved. No matter how inexperienced your students may be with academic writing, the simple framework and approach we created will elevate your students’ writing and help them achieve results you can’t yet imagine. Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode...

The best learning takes place when students are having fun and feeling challenged at the same time. Of course, it can be tough coming up with ideas for engaging, rigorous lessons. Listen as Caitlin and Jessica give you an overview of an awesome narrative writing activity to help you spiral your standards, challenge your students, and have a lot of fun at the same time. Links mentioned in this epis...

Does your lesson planning ever feel frantic, rushed, or disorganized? Do you ever feel like you’re trying to “hit” standards in your classroom, but your students aren’t really grasping them? Listen as Jessica and Caitlin discuss how to plan with a system, so you can lesson plan more quickly and help students meet the standards in a more effective way. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacad...

Would you like to be that teacher you’re jealous of? The one who leaves right after school on most days but still manages to teach fun, effective lessons each day? Become that teacher by learning to use a streamlined system to lesson plan. Not sure how to do this? This episode will help you begin! Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/event https://ebacademics.com/2021/05/ep-125-why-you...