Teaching Middle School ELA
Education Podcasts
Welcome to the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, where we are dedicated to helping English Language Arts teachers create dynamic and engaging lessons for their students, while also managing the day-to-day responsibilities that come with being a Middle School ELA teacher.
As educators ourselves, we understand the challenges of finding a work-life balance that allows us to pursue our passion for teaching while also enjoying our personal lives. That's why each Tuesday, hosts Caitlin Mitchell and Jessica Cannata share practical and innovative solutions for managing your workload and staying inspired in your teaching practice.
Whether you are looking for fresh ideas to inspire your students, strategies for improving your writing instruction, or tips for managing your time more effectively, this podcast is designed to provide you with the tools you need to thrive as a Middle School ELA teacher.
Join us each week for curriculum and lesson ideas, classroom stories, and interviews with fellow educators who are experts in the field. We believe that with the right support and resources, you can create a classroom environment that encourages students to become strong and passionate learners.
If you teach reading and writing to middle schoolers and want to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in ELA education, then this is the podcast for you! Tune in every week and let us help you make a difference in the lives of your students and in your own teaching career.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Education Podcasts
Description:
Welcome to the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, where we are dedicated to helping English Language Arts teachers create dynamic and engaging lessons for their students, while also managing the day-to-day responsibilities that come with being a Middle School ELA teacher. As educators ourselves, we understand the challenges of finding a work-life balance that allows us to pursue our passion for teaching while also enjoying our personal lives. That's why each Tuesday, hosts Caitlin Mitchell and Jessica Cannata share practical and innovative solutions for managing your workload and staying inspired in your teaching practice. Whether you are looking for fresh ideas to inspire your students, strategies for improving your writing instruction, or tips for managing your time more effectively, this podcast is designed to provide you with the tools you need to thrive as a Middle School ELA teacher. Join us each week for curriculum and lesson ideas, classroom stories, and interviews with fellow educators who are experts in the field. We believe that with the right support and resources, you can create a classroom environment that encourages students to become strong and passionate learners. If you teach reading and writing to middle schoolers and want to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in ELA education, then this is the podcast for you! Tune in every week and let us help you make a difference in the lives of your students and in your own teaching career.
Language:
English
Contact:
415-269-0404
Website:
https://ebacademics.com/
Episodes
Episode 309: What Does Taylor Swift Have to Do with Student Projects (Interview with Trevor Aleo)
11/5/2024
In this special episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Megan interviews Trevor Aleo, a high school language arts teacher and co-author of Learning That Transfers: Designing Curriculum for a Changing World. Trevor talks about the strategies he used to help his 8th graders engage in multimodal composing projects, as you can read about in his English Journal article “‘What Would Other Swifties Think?’: Multimodal Composing with Communities in Mind.” Tune in to learn how you can help your students tap into their communities and write for a real-world audience.
Check out the #HackYourStack Database that Trevor shares on the show: https://reminiscent-attention-b9e.notion.site/HackYourStack-Database-e00377a9816045ed8dfbbe026b9ff9e8
Visit his website: https://www.trevoraleo.com/
And if you'd like to read the article after listening, you can find it here! “What Would Other Swifties Think?”: Multimodal Composing with Communities in Mind | ncte.org (publicationsncte.org)
Duration:00:36:09
Mindset Favorite: You'll Regret What You Didn't Do
11/4/2024
Let’s take a moment to revisit one of our favorite Monday Mindset episodes!
Ever faced a life-changing choice and wondered whether to take the leap? Join us on Monday Mindset as we dive into my brother's bold move to France—a story of courage, curiosity, and embracing the unknown. I explore the power of risk-taking and how saying "yes" to the unfamiliar can lead to lasting fulfillment. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that might just spark your own journey to transform fear into opportunity!
Here’s to another day of living intentionally.
Caitlin
Duration:00:03:51
Episode 308: Literary Shuffle Activity
10/29/2024
In this episode, we're shaking things up with the Literary Shuffle Activity—a fun and interactive way to get students diving deeper into any story. Whether they’re on their feet or staying put, this game makes story review a blast.
You'll walk away from this episode with all the information you'll need to implement this game using any novel or short story that your students are reading. Take a listen and try it out!
Duration:00:17:05
Mindset Favorite: Be About It
10/28/2024
What if small changes could align your life with your deepest values? Today’s Monday Mindset is one of our listeners’ favorite past episodes all about moving from dreaming to purposeful action, inspired by a lesson from the CEO of a basketball camps company. I discuss breaking the cycle of endless ideas and taking real steps toward your goals—especially in teaching. Tune in for actionable strategies to create space for your passions and live in alignment with your values.
Here’s to another day of living intentionally.
Caitlin
Duration:00:03:13
Episode 307: Navigating the Science of Reading Part 8: Sight Recognition
10/22/2024
In this episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Caitlin, Jessica, and Megan conclude their Science of Reading series by focusing on sight recognition, the final strand in Scarborough’s Reading Rope. Discover why sight recognition is key to fluent reading and explore practical strategies to help your middle school students instantly recognize and remember words. From engaging word wall activities to interactive games, you’ll walk away with actionable ideas to reinforce sight recognition in your classroom. Tune in for this important episode and help your students take their reading skills to the next level!
Duration:00:19:35
Mindset Favorite: Feeling Unmotivated
10/21/2024
What if staying motivated all year could be as simple as asking yourself one question: "Will your future self thank you for this choice?" Today we’re airing a past Monday Mindset episode where I discuss how forward-thinking can keep your drive alive, offering practical examples and personal stories that show how this mindset can help you stay committed to healthy habits, classroom goals, and positive daily decisions. Tune in for actionable advice to sustain motivation and create lasting positive change, both for yourself and your students!
Here’s to another day of living intentionally.
Caitlin
Duration:00:04:53
Episode 306: Navigating the Science of Reading Part 7: Decoding
10/15/2024
In this episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Caitlin, Jessica, and Megan guide you through decoding, the next strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. You’ll learn how decoding fits into the bigger picture of word recognition and why it’s essential for your middle school students. Discover two engaging activities that focus on prefixes, suffixes, and root words, designed to make decoding practice both interactive and effective. Whether your students need a high-energy relay or a more focused, stationary activity, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to implement right away. Tune in to enhance your students’ decoding skills and help them unlock the meaning behind the words they read!
Duration:00:15:28
Mindset Favorite: Read More
10/14/2024
Can reading more books help prevent burnout? This week on another re-air episode of one of the Monday Mindset Favorites, I explore how choosing the right books, like "Sustain Your Game" by Alan Stein Jr., can shift your perspective and reignite your passion for teaching. It’s about selecting literature that uplifts, challenges, and inspires personal growth.
Join me as I discuss how insights from personal growth books can transform both your teaching and mindset. Check out the show notes for a curated list of must-reads, and let’s embark on this journey of self-improvement together!
Here’s to another day of living intentionally.
Caitlin
Duration:00:05:29
Episode 305: Navigating the Science of Reading Part 6: Phonological Awareness
10/8/2024
In this episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Caitlin, Megan, and Jessica continue their Science of Reading series by tackling phonological awareness, a key component of the Word Recognition section of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. Join your hosts as they demystify phonological awareness for middle school teachers, explaining why it's vital for older students and how it can tie into the study of poetry. You'll walk away with ten simple, creative strategies to help students develop their phonological awareness through sound patterns, rhymes, and more. Whether you're new to the concept or looking to deepen your understanding, this episode is filled with practical ideas that you can use in your classroom tomorrow!
Duration:00:14:25
Mindset Favorite: Compassionate Emptiness
10/7/2024
Let’s take a moment to revisit one of our favorite Monday Mindset episodes! In this episode, Can listening transform your teaching? Discover "compassionate emptiness," a concept from former Starbucks president Howard Baer, in this week's Monday Mindset podcast. Learn how shifting from problem-solving to truly hearing your students, colleagues, and administrators can revolutionize your classroom and foster a culture of empathy and understanding.
Join me as I explore tips for living with intention and creating spaces for open conversation and growth. Let's commit to listening with empathy and watch how small changes lead to big transformations.
Here’s to another day of living intentionally.
Caitlin
Duration:00:02:43
Episode 304: Navigating the Science of Reading Part 5: Literacy Knowledge
10/1/2024
In this episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Caitlin, Megan, and Jessica continue their journey through the Reading Rope with a focus on literacy knowledge. Discover how understanding text features is key to comprehension, and why it’s crucial to teach these skills explicitly—even to older students. Your hosts will walk you through a cross-disciplinary Text Features Scavenger Hunt that’s simple to set up and highly effective in boosting students' awareness of how texts are organized. Tune in to learn practical strategies to enhance your students' literacy knowledge and make your ELA instruction even more impactful!
Duration:00:15:08
Mindset Favorite: Decision Making
9/30/2024
Decision-making can be very difficult as a teacher. We are constantly making decisions that will ultimately affect our students’ success. The constant stress of decision-making can be exhausting. Here’s an easy framework for you to consider to help with decision fatigue.
Always come back to your “why” and your values.
Don’t make decisions when you’re emotional.
Ask yourself questions.
What is my intuition telling me?
Remind yourself that you can learn from this decision whether it is “right” or “wrong”.
Don’t be afraid of the what ifs in life. They will only hold you back.
Here's to another great week, of intentional living!
Duration:00:06:26
Episode 303: Navigating the Science of Reading Part 4: Verbal Reasoning
9/24/2024
On this episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Jessica, and Megan dive into the fourth strand of the Reading Rope: verbal reasoning. They’ll explore how this strand plays a crucial role in understanding and interpreting texts and offer a dynamic activity to help students sharpen their inference skills.
After listening, you'll have a clear strategy for guiding students through the process of making inferences with a mystery-based activity. This approach not only makes learning fun but also enhances students' critical thinking and comprehension abilities. Don’t miss out on these valuable techniques to enrich your teaching and support your students' reading development!
Duration:00:18:11
Mindset Favorite: Discipline
9/23/2024
Today’s Monday Mindset is one of our listeners’ favorite past episodes all about discipline. I highlight the value of discipline in both our work and personal lives, discussing how our future selves will thank us when it comes to practicing discipline. I challenge listeners to identify areas in their own lives where discipline may be lacking, and I encourage you to make a commitment to yourself. By keeping promises to ourselves, we build self-confidence and begin to see positive results in our lives.
Here’s to another day of living intentionally.
Duration:00:06:23
Episode 302: Navigating the Science of Reading Part 3: Language Structures
9/17/2024
On this episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Jessica and Megan continue their series to help you navigate the essential strands of the Reading Rope. This episode focuses on language structures, exploring why they are crucial and sharing effective ways to teach them.
After listening, you'll know a fun and adaptable activity that uses drawing and writing to teach grammar concepts. This hands-on activity will enhance your students' grasp of language structures and help them apply these concepts in their writing. Tune in for this practical and engaging approach to strengthen your students' reading and writing skills!
Duration:00:14:22
Mindset Favorite: Radical Generosity
9/16/2024
Today we’re airing a past Monday Mindset episode where I discuss the concept of going above and beyond in our relationships and connections with others. Giving, not just in terms of time, but also in offering kindness, compassion, and support to others, is a powerful tool. When we give without expecting anything in return, we can positively impact our lives, experiencing deeper connections and meaningful relationships with others.
Here’s to another day of living intentionally.
Caitlin
Duration:00:04:49
Episode 301: Navigating the Science of Reading Part 2: Vocabulary
9/10/2024
On this episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Jessica, and Megan continue their series to help you navigate the essential strands of the Reading Rope. This episode is all about vocabulary, why it's important, and a few ways to teach it.
After listening, you'll be able to implement a fun and engaging prediction activity focused on Tier 2 vocabulary words. This activity will not only enhance your students' vocabulary retention but also boost reading comprehension by encouraging students to actively engage with new words. Don’t miss this creative activity to help your students expand their vocabularies and deepen their understanding of the texts they read!
Duration:00:11:30
Mindset Favorite: Quiet Quitting
9/9/2024
In another re-air episode of one of Monday Mindset Favorites, I explore the transformative power of the CTFAR method by life coach Neil Williams. Learn how Circumstances, Thoughts, Feelings, Actions, and Results can help you shift your mindset and approach teaching with renewed purpose.
I also dive into the concept of "quiet quitting" and how, inspired by Ed Mylett and Dean Graziosi, teachers can find fulfillment even in difficult environments. Gain practical tips and reflective insights to thrive in your educational career and take control of your happiness.
Tune in for an episode filled with strategies to help you become your best self!
Here’s to another day of living intentionally.
Duration:00:04:51
Episode 300: Navigating the Science of Reading Part 1: Background Knowledge
9/3/2024
On this episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Jessica and Megan kick off a series to help you navigate important concepts in reading comprehension. You'll learn a little about the Science of Reading and how Dr. Hollis Scarborough's Reading Rope can help you understand the skills necessary for reading comprehension. Your hosts will guide you through the importance of Background Knowledge as the first skill in Language Comprehension and share strategies to incorporate it effectively into your teaching.
After listening, you'll be able to implement a fun jigsaw activity using infographics. This engaging activity helps students build background by reading and summarizing different texts related to a story's context, then creating a collaborative infographic to visually represent their learning. Tune in for these valuable insights and practical tips to strengthen your students' reading skills and make your instruction more impactful!
Duration:00:15:34
Monday Mindset Favorite: A+ Player
9/2/2024
Let’s take a moment to revisit one of our favorite Monday Mindset episodes! In this episode, I dive into the powerful impact our surroundings have on our mindset and overall happiness. I explore how intentionally surrounding ourselves with “A+ players” can lead to personal growth and a more fulfilling life.
By carefully choosing the company we keep and fostering a positive environment for ourselves and our students, we can create a ripple effect of positivity in our lives.
Here’s to another day of living intentionally.
Caitlin
Duration:00:04:13