Teaching Middle School ELA

Get ready for a moment of reflection in today's Monday Mindset! I'm taking this time to discuss the importance of shifting your focus from the relentless pursuit of what's ahead, to reflecting on the victories you've already achieved! Acknowledging achievements isn't just about giving ourselves a pat on the back—it's about laying the foundation of confidence and gratitude that will support our future endeavors. By shining a spotlight on our past victories, we're actively boosting our resilience and empowering ourselves for the challenges ahead. Without gratitude for our experiences and the people who've helped us along the way, we risk missing the true value of our endeavors. So join me, as I take a much-needed breath to appreciate the past and prepare to face the future!

Here's to another day of intentional living!

On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, we're encouraging you to shake the pressure of finding a magical new ELA unit to finish your school year with fun and engagement. Yep, you heard us right! While engagement and rigor are just as important at the end of the school year, we are challenging the idea that you need to search for something "brand new" to make that happen inside your classroom! Perhaps hitting the "rewind" button to review activities your students already know and love could be just as interesting!

We're giving you two ideas in this episode that will not only add a little sparkle to your end-of-year lessons, but they also provide a natural way to review multiple ELA concepts at once! Your students will love showing off what they've learned and have fun while doing it!

You'll hear about:

- Using hexagonal thinking to give students the opportunity to connect various ELA skills and concepts

- Using the "sticky note" method for students to collaborate and reflect on what they've learned

Grab a pen and paper to jot down these ideas as you listen in!

BIG NEWS: The EB Teachers' ELA Portal will officially be open for enrollment this summer! If having access to ALL of the below sounds helpful to you, then we invite you to take a quick moment to add your name to our priority list today! Are you ready for:

• Hundreds of ready-to-go ELA lessons
• A robust Core ELA Curriculum that includes reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary covering all of the ELA standards
• Innovative digital lesson planning software
• Hours of on-demand PD videos
• A community of thousands of supportive ELA teachers from around the world

Pretty incredible, right?Click the link below to add your name to the priority list today:

https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-priority-list

Are you enjoying the podcast?

Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave us a review!  To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE by scrolling down our show page, selecting a star rating, and tapping “Write a review.” Let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom!

In today's Monday Mindset, I'm presenting the idea of tipping the scales from anxiety to optimism with a simple, yet profound mental shift! Imagine if, instead of fretting over the direst outcomes, you spent that energy picturing the best possible scenarios! Let's walk through the process of balancing your perspectives to foster a more hopeful approach to life's hurdles. By envisioning the brightest outcomes, you'll lay the groundwork for a more proactive and solution-oriented mindset—preparing yourself to not only dream of success but to achieve it. Why not give visualization a try? You might just be surprised by the outcome!

Here's to another day of intentional living!

On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, we're diving into a very opinionated topic: Grading.

The majority of the team members that make up the behind-the-scenes of EB Academics were once educators themselves at a variety of different grade levels. So we thought it would be perfect to "poll the team" and gather their most helpful tips for managing the demands of grading work in the ELA classroom.

We breakdown the tips below and more:

- Use TeacherMade or Google Forms to turn those hard copies digital and foster faster grading

- Allow students to select which in-class essay they most want you to grade

- Allow students to revise essays for a higher grade but only after they've met for a 1:1 conference with you

- Staggering your units between classes so your grading doesn't pile up at once

- Grading as you go through a unit or essay

- Resist the urge to grade the full essay; focus on improvements in a specific part of their essay

-Randomly select items that will be graded rather than grading every piece of work

- Lock your door during grading sessions to prevent interruptions

- Shake the guilt of not grading everything

- Always use rubrics and even consider letting students self-grade

- Batch Plan so your prep periods can be used for grading instead of planning

After listening in, you're sure to have a few tips to add to your routine to shave off those very valuable minutes you spend grading!

Get ready for an incredibly practical and helpful episode!

BIG NEWS: The EB Teachers' ELA Portal will officially be open for enrollment this summer! If having access to ALL of the below sounds helpful to you, then we invite you to take a quick moment to add your name to our priority list today! Are you ready for:

• Hundreds of ready-to-go ELA lessons
• A robust Core ELA Curriculum that includes reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary covering all of the ELA standards
• Innovative digital lesson planning software
• Hours of on-demand PD videos
• A community of thousands of supportive ELA teachers from around the world

Pretty incredible, right?Click the link below to add your name to the priority list today:

https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-priority-list

Are you enjoying the podcast?

Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave us a review!  To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE by scrolling down our show page, selecting a star rating, and tapping “Write a review.” Let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom!

Get ready for a fresh perspective on time and how it impacts our ability to be present with our surroundings in this Monday Mindset! I take a minute to unravel how getting lost in experiences that captivate us can warp our sense of time, leading us to a state of pure presence. What if you find something this week that will immerse you so deeply that time becomes irrelevant? It's an invitation to be fully present, and in doing so, enhance your well-being, gratitude, and connection to the world around you.

Here's to another day of intentional living!

On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, your hosts, Caitlin, Jessica, and Megan sat down to discuss a fresh method to try with your students when trying to give their creativity a boost!

Tune in as they dive into the SCAMPER method and walk you through a unique example for you to see it in action.

SCAMPER stands for:

Substitute

Combine

Adapt

Modify/Magnify

Purpose/Put to other uses

Eliminate…and…

Rearrange/Reverse

You'll discover innovative ways you can incorporate this process into your next lessons to give your students a tangible way to develop new and creative ideas. As your students work through this method they are practicing problem-solving, critical thinking, and respectful group collaboration!

Jessica wraps things up by sharing two ways you could use this method inside your classroom this week!

Idea #1: Storytelling Techniques - This process would be perfect to try with traditional fairy tales for guiding students through how students could fracture them!

Idea #2: Character Development - These questions can be rinsed and repeated for any novel or short story as a way to think deeper and make connections! (Also try this with Socratic Seminars or Silent Debate questions)

To hear more about this fun concept, be sure to listen in!

Get ready for an exceptionally helpful episode!

BIG NEWS: The EB Teachers' ELA Portal will officially be open for enrollment this summer! If having access to ALL of the below sounds helpful to you, then we invite you to take a quick moment to add your name to our priority list today! Are you ready for:

• Hundreds of ready-to-go ELA lessons
• A robust Core ELA Curriculum that includes reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary covering all of the ELA standards
• Innovative digital lesson planning software
• Hours of on-demand PD videos
• A community of thousands of supportive ELA teachers from around the world

Pretty incredible, right?Click the link below to add your name to the priority list today:

https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-priority-list

Are you enjoying the podcast?

Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave us a review! To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE by scrolling down our show page, selecting a star rating, and tapping “Write a review.” Let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom!

On today's Monday Mindset, I'm taking a moment to intimately reflect on how maintaining a positive outlook rather than chasing perpetual happiness will profoundly shape your life's journey!

Join me as I traverse the emotional journey that life presents, from the peaks of joy to the valleys of sorrow. I'll candidly share how personal loss became a testament to resilience and the belief in a universe that conspires for our good. When we embrace the potential of positivity to bring peace and meaning, no matter what life throws at us, we will find growth and contentment in every twist and turn of life's paths.

Here's to another day of intentional living!

On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, Jessica is joined by EB Academics' Curriculum Writer, Pat, and together they dive into an innovative use of ChatGPT for your middle school classroom! Pat presents this engaging concept by explaining how you can use ChatGPT to generate task cards that are fantastic to use with your students who seem to always finish their assignments early! They showcase the ease with which you can tailor your task cards to different types of learners and how simple they can be to create with the help of AI. You'll learn how to create task cards that are flexible to meet the diverse needs of your students while fostering creativity and engagement in the classroom. With practical tips and insights, Jessica and Pat demonstrate how ChatGPT can enhance lesson planning and student learning experiences, making it a valuable tool for educators seeking to boost their efficiencies and support student growth.

Get ready for an exceptionally helpful episode!

Are you enjoying the podcast?

Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave us a review!  To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE by scrolling down our show page, selecting a star rating, and tapping “Write a review.” Let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom!

In today's Monday Mindset I'm giving you permission to want more out of life! In this episode, I challenge the idea that wanting more from your life means you are discontent or unhappy. Instead, I lean into the concept that wanting more is not only natural but necessary for a life full of intention and authenticity.

So let's do away with the guilt and embrace the possibility that we can aspire to chase our dreams no matter what age or circumstance we may currently find ourselves in. I'm excited for you to tune in and hold space for the brightness your future has in store for you.

Here's to another day of intentional living!

On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, Jessica, Pat introduce Jay, EB's resident differentiation expert for ELL and SPED students! Together they host a conversation focused on effective teaching methodologies tailored to accommodate diverse learning needs.

They take a deep dive into strategies such as fostering trust and community among students, implementing collaborative group work, and employing ongoing assessment methods. Their conversation underscores the importance of personalized instruction for different levels of learning. They explore ways to involve students in their own learning journey through honest prompts, student choice, and individualized check-ins, all while emphasizing the significance of leveraging available resources and collaborative efforts to create inclusive and supportive learning environments.

Get ready for an episode full of practical strategies that will benefit every level of learner in your classroom!

Are you enjoying the podcast?

Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave us a review!  To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE by scrolling down our show page, selecting a star rating, and tapping “Write a review.” Let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom!