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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!

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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