Two Middle School ELA Teachers

In this episode of Two Middle School ELA Teachers by ELA Core Plans, Shannon shares effective strategies for keeping middle school students engaged and motivated during the end-of-year slump, especially in April and May. With state testing approaching, it can be challenging to maintain focus, but Shannon offers practical tips to help. Listen for fresh ideas on how to keep your students energized, on task, and ready to finish the school year strong.

In this episode of Two Middle School ELA Teachers by ELA Core Plans, Shannon shares a fun and competitive review game called "Sink or Swim" that's perfect for engaging middle school students in ELA practice. Learn how to use this game to review important concepts like comma rules, test prep, and more. Shannon also shares a helpful hack for finding released test questions to help your students prepare for state assessments, and how you can incorporate them into your classroom with a competitive twist. Tune in for a quick, easy-to-implement game that your students will love! If you'd like to use our comma rules task cards plus games, check them out by clicking here!

Test prep season is here, and middle school ELA teachers know the struggle—students zoning out while reading passage after passage. In this episode, we're sharing high-impact comprehension strategies that actually work! We'll talk about five strategies that that work for fiction and nonfiction to help students stay engaged, monitor their understanding, and tackle test passages with confidence.

Grading essays can be overwhelming, especially with a large class. In this episode, I share how I used ChatGPT to provide detailed, consistent, and unbiased feedback on my middle school students' writing. I'll walk you through the exact process I used, how it saved me hours of grading time, and why my students actually found the feedback more helpful than traditional comments.

In this episode of Two Middle School ELA Teachers, Shannon takes you through an engaging, hands-on activity called "The Great Nonfiction Scavenger Hunt"—perfect for introducing nonfiction to your middle school students. Say goodbye to zoning out during note-taking and hello to interactive stations that keep students moving, thinking, and learning. Shannon shares how she sets up six stations focused on key nonfiction concepts like text features, text structures, author's purpose, and more. Plus, she introduces the 3 Big Questions that will help students approach nonfiction texts with deeper thinking for the rest of the year.

Episode Description: Get your students up and moving with this fun and engaging ELA activity! In this episode, we're diving into the Context Clue Walk About, where students work in pairs to decipher word meanings using context clues in a hands-on, interactive way. Learn how to set it up, teach context clue strategies with the LEAD acronym, and choose the perfect words for your middle schoolers. Plus, we'll share tips for keeping students on task and ideas for adapting this activity to teach other ELA standards. Don't miss this classroom-tested idea that your students will love!

What makes a teacher truly unforgettable? In this episode of Two Middle School ELA Teachers by ELA Core Plans, we explore the elusive "It Factor" that sets exceptional teachers apart. These are the educators who connect effortlessly with students, make learning engaging, and leave a lasting impact on young lives.

Join us as we break down the key qualities that define the "It Factor". We'll share stories, insights, and practical tips for fostering these traits in your own classroom. Whether you're a seasoned teacher or just starting out, this episode is a must-listen for anyone aiming to inspire, connect, and teach with impact.

In this episode of Two Middle School ELA Teachers by ELA Core Plans, we're diving into the art of argumentative writing with "A Clever Lesson for Argumentative Writing." We'll explore an engaging lesson plan that helps middle schoolers master the essentials of crafting strong arguments.

From brainstorming and prewriting to gathering evidence and structuring a well-organized essay, we cover strategies to make argumentative writing clear and compelling. We'll share insights on using the Four Square prewriting method, tips for avoiding common pitfalls, and a brainstorming session focused on aspects like author's style, realistic characters, pacing, and figurative language.

Perfect for preparing students to tackle end-of-year state tests, this episode is packed with practical ideas to inspire your next writing lesson!

link for the prompt

link for the tool to teach how to write grabbers/leads

Join us, two middle school ELA teachers from ELA Core Plans, as we discuss our favorite time of the year in the middle school ELA classroom – October! In this episode, we share our excitement for spooky stories and how we plan to engage our students during this season. We highlight the classic tales that we have lined up for the month of October.

Halloween Stories for Middle School ELA:

• • Duffy's Jacket
  • Click Clack the Rattlebag
  • The Monsters are Due on Maple Street
  • Sorry, Wrong Number
  • The Ultimate Suspenseful Scary Story Resource Bundle for Middle School

Don't forget to subscribe to Two Middle School ELA Teachers for more creative, standards-aligned activities to bring fun and learning together in your classroom.

In this October episode, we are bringing you some spook-tacular writing activities that will engage your students while building key skills in narrative and persuasive writing.

First, we dive into a Halloween-themed writing activity where students get creative by designing their own costumes, writing vivid descriptions, and crafting persuasive ads using ethos, logos, and pathos. This lesson is the perfect blend of creativity and structure, aligned with Common Core Standards, so your students have fun while honing essential writing techniques.

Next, we explore the always-popular Choose Your Own Adventure stories. We'll show you how to guide your students in creating interactive, branching narratives that teach cause and effect, critical thinking, and technology skills using Google Slides. The best part? It's a project they can complete while learning essential writing and digital literacy skills.

If you're looking to bring some Halloween fun into your ELA classroom while staying aligned with educational standards, this episode is packed with ideas for you!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Halloween Costume Persuasive Ad Writing Activity
• Choose Your Own Adventure Story Template
• Bonus Halloween Stories for Middle School ELA:
  • Duffy's Jacket
  • Click Clack the Rattlebag
  • The Monsters are Due on Maple Street
  • Sorry, Wrong Number:

Don't forget to subscribe to Two Middle School ELA Teachers for more creative, standards-aligned activities to bring fun and learning together in your classroom.