Nope, I don’t LOVE test prep, nor do I advocate promoting lots of “worry” or concern about it with students. → But!! I also know that many teachers are feeling pressured by outside forces to “get the kids ready” and to “start prepping now” . . . Even though you’ve
January is kind of a sluggish part of the year for Middle School ELA/R teachers and students since we’re all coming back from break. . . I know for me, it’s sometimes hard to get back into my flow as a teacher because on one hand, I do feel really
December is a super high-energy time for Middle School ELA/R teachers (and students!) due to the impending weeks of time off that are about to be here. We need extra special help to keep students engaged, and if you’re like me, it’s probably been a hot second since you’ve even
November is a tricky time of year for Middle School ELA/R teachers because of the high-energy coming off of Halloween coupled with the kickoff of the entire holiday season. That energy follows us into the classroom each day as it billows up from the change in weather, the change in
What Would Your Weekends Feel Like if You Never Had to Plan What to Teach on Mondays for the entire school year? Figuring out what to plan and how to start each week of school feels like running backward on a hamster wheel that never stops. . . For me
I heard one of my students make a comment to her partner that what she completed on the poetry analysis assignment we were working on that day was “good enough” because she “already did that poem last year.” Yikes. If I had been standing in another part of the room
What are some fun board games for English class? If you have never used the game Snake Oil…You need to start. My students LOVE it, and it’s about arguing your point. It’s perfect for argumentative writing. It is also MENSA-approved. But let’s look at other board game options, too— and
Are you looking for some spine-chilling short stories to engage your middle school students during the high-energy Halloween season? Look no further! I’ve curated a small-but-mighty collection of the best spooky short stories that will leave your students wanting more of them. These stories are perfect for Middle School English
As an ELA teacher and curriculum writer, I know that writing essential questions is an important part of developing lessons that engage and challenge students. Essential questions help students to think critically, make connections, and leave the classroom with memorable experiences they’ll take into other aspects of their lives. Here,
As a middle school ELA teacher, I know firsthand the importance of effective and efficient lesson planning. With so many students to teach and a limited amount of time, it can be overwhelming to create lesson plans that engage and educate each student. That’s why I’ve found batch planning to
Middle School ELA Teachers have a LOT to teach with only a very limited amount of time, like all the reading genres and the writing that comes with it. I’m talking about fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry. Within each of those genres are seemingly limitless sub-genres that we have to
Featuring tips, tricks, and must-do’s from Mentoring in the Middle’s Marion Piersol-Miller: See the discussion LIVE at the MSELA Summit session If you’ve tried implementing independent choice novels but felt that it was too overwhelming, too confusing, or just too much, then you’re in exactly the right place. . .
FOUR interactive, hands-on, engaging ways to help students “GET” main idea: Strategy 1 Teach (re-teach) in small groups. There’s something almost magical about just having you and a few students together at a table vs. a whole class… even if it’s just a quick few minutes before moving on to
Elements of fiction and short stories in the Middle School English Language Arts classroom provide countless ways to teach, re-teach, and spiral some of the most-needed standards and skills. If you’ve felt overwhelmed or confused about what it means to teach details of the setting in works of fiction—as far
Teaching Middle School English Language Arts (ELA) demands more time, energy, and dedication than any other grade level or subject area (forgive my bias—just speaking from personal experience here)! * Hundreds of students at one time that we’re responsible for * Grading writing and essays in lieu of multiple choice