These 10 questions below will help ensure that you always have something to use with pretty much anything you want your students to read and discuss (these work best for fiction texts like novels or short stories, but I do have some for other genres as well). Skim through the
Ooh, yes! How to keep them thinking critically, engaged in the reading, and making connections is always a challenge for us as teachers. These 10 questions below will help ensure that you always have something to use with pretty much anything you want your students to read and discuss (they’ll
Freaking out over how in the world can you actually use centers and stations in your classroom without being completely overwhelmed? Concerned that you don’t have enough time, don’t know how to enforce student accountability, don’t know what the stations should look like, or panicking that you simply can’t keep
Looking for some online resources to round out (or start) a learning experience about Greek Mythology for your middle school ELA students? Below are a few helpful websites that have lots of passages, short myth stories, and activities and ideas. I can tell you that typically, kids LOVE reading the
TDA Text Dependent Analysis Looking for TDA materials in one place rather than spending all night Googling? I’ve compiled several resources from different states and locations online into ONE place to make this easier for Middle School English Language Arts Teachers in TDA states! 1) Here’s a collection
Keep your students busy with something meaningful, academic, and related to the themes that go with this time of year: joy, gratitude, winter weather, holidays, etc. In BOTH of these Christmas-themed AND Winter-themed lesson packs, you will guide students through quick reviews of common figurative language elements like similes, metaphors,
Need to keep your 6th, 7th, or 8th grade ELA students engaged those last few days before Thanksgiving Break? Yes! Keep them busy with something meaningful, academic, and related to the themes that go with this time of year: gratitude, thankfulness, autumn, etc. In this Thanksgiving-themed lesson pack, you will
Step One: Choose any of the ideas below which feature videos to help students connect with the meaning of freedom along with the dedication, sacrifice, and life lessons from veterans in our country. You could easily spend an entire class period just exposing students to any of these resources
Elements of Literature with Bram Stoker’s Dracula We’re only talking about a two-page excerpt here! And we’re using that same two-page excerpt from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula to move our students through five days of full, solid, bell-to-bell lessons, activities, handouts, mini-lessons, ready to go. The best part? Every
Let’s talk about how to differentiate consistently for middle school English Language Arts without EVER drowning in extra work . . . Let me SHOW YOU HOW to differentiate for your students’ needs in a way that’s easy, realistic, and sustainable for YOU! I can show you:
Genius Hour in Middle School English / Language Arts Class or what to do with an exploratory class when you’re told to “just do whatever” This topic comes up from time to time in our Face Book group for Middle School ELA Teachers. The concept of Genius Hour or
September 11 Ideas for the Middle School ELA Classroom 9/11 Themes Focus on the Helpers & Volunteers, Sacrifice, Service, Kindness, Peace The Man in the Red Bandana video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWKPjSirbcU …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Online Articles Text Sets available at www.newsela.com (free— just sign up, login, and search for “September 11, 2001” or “Patriot
Teaching Vocabulary in Middle School ELA … without planning even MORE lessons … without taking up even MORE class time … without drowning in MORE grading I’ve pulled together some of my most realistic, teacher AND student-friendly options for embedding vocabulary instruction and vocabulary practice into your middle
Planning on a beginning-of-year assessment over reading or writing skills? Do you have any resources for that? I’m sharing a few things here that I’ve gathered for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade ELA to help you out! The following links are for previously-released state tests for Middle School ELA from
Middle School ELA: Embedding Reading & Writing Rather than go into a ton of boring research-based information about why embedding reading and writing in the classroom curriculum is so beneficial for the thinking and learning process, I’d rather just show you! I’m including three links with three totally 100% done-for-you