Two Middle School ELA Teachers

It's test taking season, and that means we should prepare our students to do their best! In this podcast, we bring you fun and engaging strategies and activities that will help your students develop critical thinking skills and choose the best answer in a multiple choice question.

We will share practical and creative tips and activities to help your kids master the art of choosing the BEST answer. We'll also explore the top wrong answer choices that test makers use in multiple choice questions.

In this episode, we explore the world of artificial intelligence and its potential to revolutionize the way we teach. Specifically, we discuss ChatGPT, an AI writing assistant created by OpenAI. While some may find the idea of using AI in the classroom daunting, we know that Chat GPT can be an incredibly valuable tool for middle school teachers. It can help with a variety of tasks, including standards alignment, mentor sentences, drafting parent emails, creating writing prompts, and even writing lesson plans. We also discuss the future of how Chat GPT could be used by students- to get feedback on their work, debate issues, and improve their writing. If you're curious about how ChatGPT can enhance your teaching experience, this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode, we explore the concept of mentor sentences and how they can be used effectively in the ELA classroom. Mentor sentences are examples of great writing that students can learn from and model their own writing after. We discuss the benefits of using mentor sentences, such as improving students' writing skills, increasing their knowledge of grammar and syntax, and helping them develop their own writing voice.

We also provide practical tips and strategies for incorporating mentor sentences into your class.

Whether you're a seasoned ELA teacher or new to the profession, this episode will provide valuable insights and resources for using mentor sentences in your classroom to help your students become better writers.

As a bonus, click here to download 5 free mentor sentences to try out in your own classroom!

In this episode, we share four engaging and interactive activities that can help middle school students understand and practice the key concepts of argumentative writing without having to write a formal essay. We cover the claim vs. opinion game, the debate roundtable, role-playing scenarios, and the expert opinion research. Each activity is designed to be both educational and fun, making it easier for students to stay engaged and retain the information. We have a special offer for those who listen this week to say thank you for listening and to celebrate the accomplishment of making over 20 episodes. Be sure to follow us on Instagram at ELA Core Plans and visit our blot at www.elacoreplans.com

Need some ideas on how to teach poetry? The acronym TWIST UP is a game changer when it comes to teaching poetry! Listen to learn how this simple strategy will have your students analyzing poems on a deeper level in no time. The acronym will help create wonderful discussions in your classroom, and everything you need to teach poetry can be included within the letters of the acronym.

Join us in this second episodes about implementing book clubs in your middle school ELA classroom. This episode will be all about adding accountability and fun!

If you've been wanting to start book clubs in your middle school classroom, but you're not sure how to do it, this episode is for you. This first episode of the series will explain how to form book club groups in your classroom and how to choose the right novels for your middle school students.

If you are wondering how to keep your middle school ELA students interested and engaged while reading, this episode is for you! We will talk about what to do other than a simple whole-class read to assess your studetns comprehension, provide them with higher order questions, and keep them all awake and active in the lesson. This episode will provide you with ideas that you can take immediately back to your own classroom.

We have a solution for preparing your middle school ELA students for high stakes standardized testing in an effective and fun way. We call it Test Prep Tuesdays. Listen to find out how this method of ours avoids burn-out and encourages a growth mindset with the practice needed to prepare students for the end of the year test!

Looking for fun and creative Christmas themed lessons for your middle school ELA class? We've got you covered with several of our favorite Christmas themed activities! Teach the standards while having some engaging and original Christmas fun! Be sure to check out our blog for all of the mentioned links and free printables! https://elacoreplans.com/middle-school-ela-christmas-activities/