Writing is hard—especially when you’re teaching middle schoolers with a million distractions (the group chat! the snacks! the existential crisis over which hoodie to wear!). As AI becomes more and more embedded in our lives as adults (I mean, I can’t even run a quick Google search of local dog
If you’re anything like most middle school ELA teachers in May, you’re basically running on caffeine, countdowns, and sheer willpower. 🏃♀️✨ Students are distracted, the summer buzz is real, and you’re out here trying to teach literally anything without resorting to bribing them with snacks (again). 🍫 That’s why these
There’s a shift in the air, y’all. I’m not hearing a whole lot in the way of, “How do we catch AI usage / How do we stop it / How do we keep it out of our classrooms?” Rather, I’m hearing a lot MORE of this: “How do we
Getting right to it: April 28 each year is “National Superhero Day” which allows me to leverage the magic and intrigue of fictional superheroes all month long.… And THIS time of year? Anything to capture the 5-second goldfish attention span of my Middle School ELA/R students is welcome. To run
Middle School ELA/R Test Prep Review Games (No Tech Required!) Can we please take a break from red-eye device zombie screen time? Yes. Yes, we can. Look, I’m not anti-tech. It’s just that since we use digital tools SO much, I’ve found it actually enhances engagement when we put them
March ELA Stations: Fresh Reads & No-Prep Fun for Middle Schoolers Ahh, March. The month where students have just enough spring fever to make them antsy, but there’s still too much school year left to go full-on summer mode. The solution? Engaging, low-prep stations that keep them busy and boost
It’s tough when you’re a teacher and realize that the usual tricks of the trade just aren’t cutting it. Teaching in the trenches, especially when students are in that “too cool for middle school” phase, can feel like trying to herd caffeinated cats… Especially when they suddenly lose all their
Blending digital tools into Middle School ELA stations for enhanced learning and student engagement. Want to keep your students on task and engaged at every station? Let’s plug in some digital tools that do some of the heavy lifting for you, while reducing the amount of paper and clutter that
How to manage student behavior effectively in ELA stations, so they can confidently run stations without chaos. “Ever feel like you’re running a zoo instead of a classroom during station time? Start with these simple management strategies, and you’ll have students rotating through centers like clockwork.” Section 1: Set Clear
Creating Classroom Stations for Night by Elie Wiesel How to Create Organized Stations in Your Middle School ELA Classroom Looking to help your middle school students process and engage with Night to further explore its themes, lessons, and universal relevance? Stations are the perfect way to dive into key concepts
1. Choose a Monthly Topic Based on the Season or Time of Year Action Step: Start by selecting a theme that ties into what’s currently happening in your students’ lives. Think about what’s relevant, whether it’s football season in September, spooky vibes in October, or gratitude for Thanksgiving in November.
Active, Hands-On Poetry Analysis in Middle School ELA A Guide for Middle School ELA Teachers Before I share my four ways below, lemme just say. . . It’s fine to practice vocabulary– Y’all—there’s nothing wrong with any of that! The more ways we provide to students to practice a skill,
10 Quick Steps to Support Poetry Comprehension: A Guide for Middle School ELA Teachers Active, Hands-On Poetry Analysis in Middle School ELA I am SO JUST KIDDING on ^that list of 4 steps. . . Please don’t do that! {But if you were taught to teach poetry that way, and
Due to the unique structure and form of poetry, leveraging punctuation, grammar, and mechanics provides a way for students to interact authentically and realistically without “teaching grammar” per se. Here’s an example: This is a poem I wrote myself (be nice—I tried!) because when I set up my monthly stations,
Understanding the Importance Knowing the difference between regular and irregular verbs is crucial for clear and effective communication. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern when forming the past tense, while irregular verbs have unique past tense forms. Mastering these concepts will help your students write with precision and clarity. Regular