Podcast
Teaching Middle School ELA
Hosted by Caitlin Mitchell · EN
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.
59episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 432: Are You Making This Mistake with Your Student Writing Samples?
3w ago00:13:03Tap to summarizeIn today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, Your next writing unit might not be “too hard” or “too time-consuming” at all. The real problem could be the way we use model essays and the way we test our writing prompts before students ever touch the page.We start with a candid question many middle school ELA teachers are afraid to answer: do you dread teaching writing? If you’ve ever felt your stomach drop when a writing unit shows up in the plan book, you’re not alone. Between 47-minute class periods, huge stacks of essays, and students who struggle to write a clear paragraph, it can feel like you’re working twice as hard for the same results.If you want to go deeper, join our FREE 3 - Day writing workshop from July 21st to the 23rd at https://www.ebteacher.com/writing-workshop. Listen now, then subscribe, share with an ELA teacher friend, and leave a review so more teachers can take back their time.
Transcribe →Episode 431: Get Your Students Actually Enjoying Writing with this FUN Activity
3w ago00:14:26Tap to summarizeAnother Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, Most students can pull a quote. The hard part is explaining why that quote proves anything. We’re tackling the #1 skill gap middle school ELA teachers keep naming again and again: justification (also known as analysis or explanation) and we’re doing it with one of my favorite high-energy writing activities.Grab the free download at ebteacher.com/pearls and join our FREE 3-day writing workshop at ebteacher.com/writing-workshop. If this helps your students, subscribe, share the episode with another ELA teacher, and leave a quick review.
Transcribe →Episode 430: Monday Mindset: Forget What You Think You Need
4w ago00:11:02Tap to summarizeAnother Monday Mindset, The fastest way to feel stuck as a middle school ELA teacher is to believe your peace depends on someone else doing their job differently. If admin were more supportive, if class sizes were smaller, if the district stopped changing everything, then you’d finally feel steady. I get it, and I’ve lived it, but that belief quietly gives away your power.If this lands, subscribe so you don’t miss future Monday Mindset resets, share it with a teacher friend, and leave a quick review so more ELA teachers can find the support.
Transcribe →Episode 429: Is the Reason Your Students Struggle With Writing Simpler Than You Think?
4w ago00:22:57Tap to summarizeIn today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, watching a class freeze at a blank page is one of the fastest ways to lose your confidence as a writing teacher and it’s also one of the most preventable. I’m breaking down the evidence-based writing approach (EBW) and why it works as a thinking framework, not just an essay format, so you can stop reteaching the same skills from scratch every time you assign a response. If you want to go deeper, I’m hosting a free live writing workshop starting July 21 where I’ll walk you through the framework and how to integrate it across your ELA block. Join our FREE 3-Day Writing Workshop here: https://www.ebteacher.com/writing-workshopSubscribe & Review in iTunesAre you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, we want to encourage you to do that today. We don’t want you to miss a single episode. We add a brand-new episode every week, and if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcast!Now if you’re feeling extra awesome today, we would be super grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcast, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast, and they’re also so much fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!
Transcribe →Episode 428: Re-Air: The Best of Writing Episodes: It's Time to Drop the RACE Strategy.
Jul 700:14:17Tap to summarizeThe RACE writing formula simply stands for “restate, answer, cite, and explain”. This is widely used by middle school ELA teachers teaching writing as it makes a great tool to help learners construct their answers in a clear, logical format. However, this formula proves to be challenging when students need to move into essay writing.If you’re one of the middle school ELA teachers who’s seeking help with teaching writing, but are required to use the RACE writing formula or a mashed up version of it, then listen in as Caitlin and Jessica share what we call the Evidence-Based Writing Approach that they developed to address the gaps in using the RACE writing formula.You can learn more about introducing a more advanced framework in podcast Episode 159: The 2 Game-Changing Sentences That Will Instantly Improve Your Students’ Essays.Join our FREE Writing Workshop this July: https://www.ebteacher.com/writing-workshopSubscribe & Review in Apple PodcastAre you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, we want to encourage you to do that today. We don’t want you to miss a single episode. We add a brand-new episode every week, and if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!Now if you’re feeling extra awesome today, we would be super grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcast, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast, and they’re also so much fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!
Transcribe →Episode 427: Monday Mindset: Stay Brave
Jul 600:08:55Tap to summarizeThe moment you want to quit is often the moment you are about to grow. I’m sharing a simple phrase that has been sticking with me lately: stay brave. Not “be brave someday” or “become brave when things calm down” but stay brave right now, especially when you feel pulled back toward the familiar way of doing things because it feels safer.You’ll also hear a practical way to handle rough days when a lesson bombs and students are checked out. Instead of spiralling, we try a “so what?” reframe and focus on what you can actually do next. If you’re ready to strengthen student writing and your own confidence, join our FREE Writing Workshop this July: https://www.ebteacher.com/writing-workshopSubscribe, share this with an ELA teacher who needs a lift, and leave a review so more teachers can find the support.
Transcribe →Episode 426: If Your Students Only Write One Essay This Year, THIS is the One!
Jul 100:14:39Tap to summarizeIn today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, Caitlin shares why evidence-based writing is the one writing genre every middle school ELA teacher should prioritize. Discover how focusing on literary analysis can build confident writers, strengthen critical thinking, and create transferable skills that benefit students across every subject—all while making writing instruction simpler and more effective. Join us this July for our FREE Writing Workshop: https://www.ebteacher.com/writing-workshop
Transcribe →Episode 425: Monday Mindset: The Two Words That Will Save Your Energy This Year
Jun 3000:15:27Tap to summarizeThat moment when you open a brutal parent email before sunrise, or realise your admin still doesn’t see how hard you’re working, can hijack your whole day. We’re sharing a simple mindset that cuts through the noise: “Let them.” Two words, but they can change how you carry the job.We talk through the “Let Them” theory (popularised by Mel Robbins) and why so much teacher burnout comes from the mental, emotional, and energetic load of fighting what we can’t control.If you want a practical teacher mindset for classroom management, boundaries, and educator wellness, press play. Then subscribe, share this with a teacher who needs it, and leave a review so more educators can find the message.Please join us for our FREE Writing workshop this July: ebteacher.com/writing-workshop
Transcribe →Episode 424: How to Cut Your Planning Time in Half Without Cutting Corners
Jun 2500:16:51Tap to summarizeIn today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode. I walked through four concrete ways to cut your lesson planning time in half without cutting corners. First, I talked about building a truly distraction-free planning block so you can get back into deep focus and actually finish. Then I used Parkinson’s law to your advantage by setting a timer you honor for planning and grading, including a realistic approach to essay feedback that prioritizes targeted comments over marking every mistake. I also tackled decision fatigue by choosing one trusted go-to source for lessons and curriculum so you stop re-shopping for materials every week.If this helps, subscribe, share it with an ELA teacher friend, and leave a review so more teachers can get their time back.Our EB Teachers' ELA Portal registration is now OPEN. Come and explore our EB Portal and be one of the teachers who "Plan smarter, not harder".Register here: ebteacher.com/portalAnd if you want to join our ELA Portal Live Workshop for free, please sign up here: ebteacher.com/workshop
Transcribe →Episode 423: Two Things to Do This Summer That Will Change Your Entire School Year
Jun 2300:20:16Tap to summarizeIn today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, I tackled the three beliefs that keep middle school ELA teachers stuck: the idea that you cannot plan until you know your students, the fear that batch planning takes too much time up front, and the frustration that schedules always change anyway. You will hear why planning foundations early makes differentiation easier, why one focused planning stretch beats constant week to week planning, and how floating days keep your scope and sequence flexible when assemblies, reteaching, or pacing surprises pop up. If you want more support, check the link in the description for the free workshop, and if this helps, subscribe, share the episode with a fellow teacher, and leave a quick review.www.ebteacher.com/workshop
Transcribe →