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.
55episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 428: Re-Air: The Best of Writing Episodes: It's Time to Drop the RACE Strategy.
1w ago00:14:17Tap 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
1w ago00:08:55Tap 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!
2w ago00:14:39Tap 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
2w ago00:15:27Tap 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
3w ago00:16:51Tap 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
3w ago00:20:16Tap 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 →Episode 422: Monday Mindset: Get Used to Being Uncomfortable
3w ago00:12:45Tap to summarizeOur Monday Mindset Episode for today is about Discomfort is not your enemy, it’s your evidence. We open with a raw teaching memory: a first day in front of students, every word scripted, terrified of getting it wrong and being exposed. If you’ve ever tried a new lesson, a new routine, or a new approach and immediately thought, “That was messy, so I should never do it again,” you’ll feel seen here. We dig into why our brains chase certainty, how perfectionism sneaks into classroom decisions, and why the shaky moments often mean you’re right at the edge of real growth. If this helps, subscribe, share it with a teacher friend, and leave a quick review so more educators can find it.
Transcribe →Episode 421: The Real Reason You're Still at School at 6 PM (And It's Not Your To-Do List)
4w ago00:17:09Tap to summarizeIf you have ever looked up at the clock and realized you are still in your classroom at 6 PM, we want you to hear this clearly: the real problem is not your to-do list. It is the belief underneath it. I walk through the story so many teachers live, the custodian making rounds while we are still grading, planning, and convincing ourselves that this is just “what good teachers do.” To make it practical, I give a simple three-step framework built for middle school ELA teachers who want real teacher time management and better work life balance: set a specific vision for what you want, find expanders who prove it is possible, and take one inspired action this week. If you are ready to reclaim your evenings while still teaching rigorous, engaging lessons, join us for the workshop at ebteacher.com/workshop. Subscribe, share this with a teacher friend, and leave a review so more teachers can get their time back.
Transcribe →Episode 420: It's Not About How Much Time You Have — It's About What You Do With It
Jun 1600:13:51Tap to summarizeIn today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, I stopped blaming short periods and long blocks and show how a simple daily framework makes any middle school ELA schedule feel doable. I explained why predictable starts and calm endings beat cramming every ELA skill into every day, then shared sample pacing moves for 50, 75, and 90 minutes. • reframing the “not enough time” problem as a missing structure • building a three-part class period with strong bookends • using daily bell ringers to protect instructional minutes • closing with independent reading to reduce chaos and build culture • creating a weekly cadence instead of teaching everything daily • sample breakdowns for 45 to 50, 60 to 75, and 90-minute blocks • a five-minute planning prompt to define how the class should feel So definitely come to my free workshop. Make sure that you grab your free spot at ebteacher.com/workshop
Transcribe →Episode 419: Monday Mindset: Stop Waiting to Be Ready
Jun 1600:09:53Tap to summarizeIn today's Monday Mindset episode, I talked through the mindset shift that changes the game for teachers and for anyone chasing a bigger life: Ready isn’t a feeling, it’s a Decision. I share what I told a friend who asked how I went from an idea to building EB Academics, and why the real “secret” isn’t a magic checklist. It’s the willingness to take the first step and keep taking micro steps, even when the outcome is unclear. We also get practical about the mid-June to August spiral: you promise next year will be different, you rest, you plan, you delay, and then you return overwhelmed because nothing got implemented.Along the way, we reframe classroom mistakes as feedback, not failure, and we look uncertainty in the face instead of sprinting back to comfort. If you’ve been telling yourself, “I’ll do that when I’m ready,” this is your nudge and your permission slip. Listen, then share it with a teacher friend, subscribe for more Monday Mindset episodes, and leave a review with the one thing you’re done waiting on.Join me in our Free Summer Workshop: ebteacher.com/workshop
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