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.
65episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 408: Monday Mindset: Creating Evidence for Yourself
May 1100:14:16Tap to summarizeYou can’t “think” your way into becoming a new version of yourself. You become them by collecting proof one small action at a time and that’s the Monday Mindset I’m bringing to you today. If you’ve been waiting for motivation, clarity, or the perfect moment to finally feel ready, this conversation is your reminder that readiness is often the result, not the starting line. I walk through the idea of creating evidence for the person you want to become, and why lasting change happens at the identity level, not just the goal or habit level. I share a personal story from my recovery after a cerebrospinal fluid leak and major spinal cord surgery, where rebuilding strength required showing up before I felt confident it would work. That daily practice turned tiny milestones into real proof and shifted what I believed was possible. If this message hits home, subscribe, share it with a colleague or student who needs it, and leave a quick review so more teachers can find the podcast.
Transcribe →Episode 407: What It Takes to Create the Teaching Life You Dream Of
May 500:36:09Tap to summarizeIn today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, I talked about how you can love teaching and still feel crushed by everything wrapped around it. We get real about the moment many middle school ELA teachers know too well: sitting in the car before school, bracing for the emails, the interruptions, the meetings, and the constant sense that you can’t fit it all in. I share my own story of hitting a breaking point, leaving the classroom early, and what finally helped me rebuild a teaching life that felt steady, joyful, and sustainable.We also apply the framework to a super common middle school reality, short class periods, lots of ELA standards, and regular disruptions, and we show how one thought change can lead to different actions like batch planning, stronger routines, and lessons that still feel creative and engaging. If you’re dealing with teacher burnout, time pressure, or that constant “I’m not good at this” story, this conversation is a reset.Subscribe so you don’t miss next week, share this with a teacher friend who needs it, and leave a review with the thought you’re choosing to practice next.
Transcribe →Episode 406: Step-by-Step Approach for Implementing "Genius Hour" in Middle School
Apr 2800:18:34Tap to summarizeIn today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, I share Step-by-Step Approach for Implementing "Genius Hour" in Middle School. The last few weeks of school can feel like you’re holding your classroom together with tape and sheer willpower. I’m sharing a smarter option: Genius Hour, a structured way to give middle school students real autonomy without turning your class into a free-for-all. When kids get to pursue something they genuinely care about, engagement changes fast and the learning gets deeper, even when the topics stretch beyond ELA standards.Subscribe for weekly support, share this with a fellow ELA teacher, and leave a review so more teachers can find the show.
Transcribe →Episode 405: Monday Mindset: Never Question the Decision
Apr 2700:07:12Tap to summarizeIn today's Monday Mindset episode, Your toughest habits don’t break in big dramatic moments. They break in quiet negotiations you barely notice, the quick “just this once” you tell yourself when you’re tired, overwhelmed, or craving comfort. We’re sharing one mantra that has become a steady compass for intentional living: never question the decision.If you want a stronger week, write the mantra down, name the decision you’ve been renegotiating, and commit to living it. Share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more teachers can find it. What’s one decision you’re done debating?
Transcribe →Episode 404: Tips for Using Your Prep Period to Grade (Instead of Plan)
Apr 2100:26:17Tap to summarizeIn today's Teaching Middle School Podcast Episode, your prep period is getting stolen and it’s not because you’re “bad at time management.” Between emails, copies, surprise student needs, and drive-by conversations, that one small window becomes a catch-all and the work that matters most ends up in your bag at night. We’re breaking that cycle with a structure that helps middle school ELA teachers grade at school more often and get evenings and weekends back.➡️Here's the link to grab our free Batch Planning Guide: https://www.ebteacher.com/free-10-tips-for-Batch-PlanningSubscribe for more time-saving ELA routines, share this with a teacher friend who needs their nights back, and leave a review if it helps. What job are you assigning to your next prep period?
Transcribe →Episode 403: The Feedback Framework That Cuts Grading Time in Half
Apr 1400:18:03Tap to summarizeIn today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, We share a practical before-during-after feedback framework built from real teacher tips across our staff. Before grading, we require a structured self-assessment using a rubric and checklist, plus simple labeling or colour coding so students prove where the claim, evidence, and justification live. That one shift removes a huge chunk of surface-level comments and lets us respond to the thinking, not the scavenger hunt.If you want a grading system that is sustainable and still improves writing instruction, hit play, try one phase this week, and then subscribe, share with a teacher friend, and leave a quick review with what strategy you are starting with.
Transcribe →Episode 402: Monday Mindset: Margin for Magic
Apr 1300:10:48Tap to summarizeYou can look fine on the outside and still feel alone on the inside and that gap can get painfully wide when you’re a teacher expected to carry everyone else. Today’s Monday Mindset is a short reset built around a simple truth: you’re not the only one quietly struggling, even if it looks like everyone else has it figured out. We start with the idea of “three hearts” the self the world sees, the self close people see, and the self only you see and why the hidden parts of us can become the home of loneliness. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a teacher friend, and leave a review so more educators can find these Monday Mindsets.
Transcribe →Episode 401: Graphic Group Essays: A Writing Assignment Your Students Will Actually Like
Apr 700:13:33Tap to summarizeApril makes it hard to keep essay writing rigorous without burying ourselves in grading. We use graphic group essays to help students practise claims, evidence, and justification through a visual, collaborative process that keeps writing engaging and low stakes.• why April is the perfect time for a lighter essay structure• what a graphic group essay is and how it combines visual planning with group writing• using the strategy to replace a standard essay or prep for a formal draft• how collaboration boosts thinking beyond a single student perspective• choosing prompts with complexity so students can defend multiple answers• ideal group size and optional roles to build individual accountability• building the graphic essay on paper, with cards, or digitally while keeping core essay parts• coaching student reasoning in real time instead of only through grading• adding presentations for speaking and listening plus revision opportunitiesIf you do try this in with it in your classroom with your students, let me know over in our Facebook group if you are a part of our membership and you're an EB teacher, or if you're not, head over to our Instagram at ebacademics, send me a direct message, and I would love to read about how this goes with your students.
Transcribe →Episode 400: A Simple Hack for Helping Students Find the Main Idea in Informational Text
Mar 3100:11:21Tap to summarizeStruggling to get your students to actually find the main idea—without guessing or copying random sentences? You’re not alone.In today’s episode, we’re sharing a simple, classroom-tested hack that helps middle school students confidently identify the main idea in informational text—without the frustration (for you or them!).If main idea lessons have been feeling like a struggle, this quick shift might be exactly what you need
Transcribe →Episode 399: Monday Mindset: The One Thing That Makes the End of the Year So Much Harder Than It Has to Be
Mar 3000:05:31Tap to summarizeToday's Monday Mindset, We challenge ourselves to teach for the “May us” by making choices now that reduce end-of-year stress and strengthen student skills. We unpack why readiness and motivation rarely show up first, and how holding the line on routines builds future peace for us and a foundation for our students.• picturing the “May you” and making March and April decisions with the end in mind• rejecting the myth of feeling ready before taking action• naming common temptations like shortening writing tasks or skipping justification• holding steady on policies, routines, and writing frameworks to make grading and the final stretch easier• balancing survival days with consistent expectations most days• remembering students watch what we reinforce and carry those skills forward
Transcribe →