Spring fever is real — and if your middle school students are suddenly acting like they have forgotten how to sit, listen, think, or care, you are not alone.

In this episode, I'm sharing a fun poetry lesson I tried today when my students were restless, distracted, and not exactly eager to do "regular school." I used the poem "Autobiography in Five Short Chapters," but this same idea could work with almost any poem you are already teaching.

The best part? The lesson actually worked. Students were engaged, they were thinking, they were talking, and it even gave me a fresh idea for what to do next.

If you are a middle school ELA teacher trying to survive the last stretch of the school year, this episode will give you a simple, low-prep poetry activity you can use right away.