Welcome to the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast , where we help English Language Arts teachers create dynamic, engaging lessons while balancing the everyday responsibilities of teaching middle school. I’m Caitlin Mitchell, a longtime ELA educator and curriculum creator, and I know firsthand how challenging it can be to manage grading, planning, and student needs—while still trying to have a life outside the classroom. That’s why every Tuesday and Thursday , I bring you practical strategies, curriculum inspiration, and innovative teaching ideas to help you feel confident, prepared, and energized. Whether you're looking to revamp your writing instruction, streamline your planning process, or engage even the most reluctant readers and writers, you’ll find actionable support here. You'll also hear real classroom stories, fresh lesson ideas, and occasional interviews with other passionate educators. If you teach reading and writing to middle schoolers and want to stay inspired and up-to-date with best practices in ELA education, you’re in the right place. Tune in every week and let’s transform your teaching—together.
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Teaching Middle School ELA is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 596 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
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Episode #448
Episode 448: Stop Doing Everything: Classroom Jobs That Make Your Day Easier
Sep 8, 202634 minS2
This week's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode: The fastest way to feel less overwhelmed in your middle school ELA classroom is not a new curriculum or a stricter rule. It’s a better system for all the tiny tasks that steal your attention while you’re trying to teach. Caitlin and Genevieve share a practical approach to classroom jobs that focuses on reducing teacher cognitive load, tightening classroom procedures, and giving students meaningful responsibility without creating a complicated job board you have to manage. The takeaway is simple: find the friction in your room, start small, and build one routine that actually sticks. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, we want to encourage you to do that today. We don’t want you to miss a single episode. We add a brand-new episode every week, and if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes ! Now if you’re feeling extra awesome today, we would be super grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes , too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast, and they’re also so much fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review , select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!
Episode 447: Monday Mindset: You'll Regret What You Didn't Do
Sep 7, 202610 minS2
You know that feeling when you’re weighing a decision and every option seems loaded? That tense, looping thought of “What if I make the wrong choice?” Today, Caitlin shares a story that cuts straight through that noise and lands on a simple truth: the regret that sticks is often the choice you never made. Caitlin talks about a real crossroads moment, the kind that feels exciting and terrifying at the same time. For one person, it was the leap to teach English abroad and build a life in a new country. For many middle school ELA teachers, the leap looks different but hits the same nerve: trying a new lesson planning approach, saying yes to a leadership opportunity, joining a community, changing a habit, or finally making a decision you’ve been circling all year. It’s about choosing intentionally, trusting your ability to adapt, and protecting your time, energy, and wellbeing so you can be the teacher and person you want to be. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a teacher friend who needs a push, and leave a quick review so more ELA teachers can find the support they deserve. What are you giving yourself permission to say yes to this week? Here's to another week of living intentionally.
Episode 446: Word Study Across the Grades (5th Grade Foundations + Scaling in 6th–8th)
Sep 1, 202621 min
In Part 2 of this behind-the-scenes conversation, we sit down with EB Academics curriculum writer Pat to break down what effective word study looks like from 5th through 8th grade and how to build a system that becomes more rigorous each year without becoming overwhelming. We dive into why 5th grade begins with syllables, sounds, and decoding before introducing vocabulary, how spelling rules are intentionally concentrated in 5th grade, and what to do when older students still need foundational support. You’ll also learn how to revisit 5th grade word study without making students feel “behind,” strategies for small groups, supporting struggling readers, special education students, and English language learners, and how consistent routines, vertical alignment, and even gestures help word study stick. If you want a word study system that builds stronger, more confident readers year after year, this episode is for you! Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, we want to encourage you to do that today. We don’t want you to miss a single episode. We add a brand-new episode every week, and if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes ! Now if you’re feeling extra awesome today, we would be super grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes , too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast, and they’re also so much fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review , select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!
Episode 445: Monday Mindset: Let Go of Expectations
Aug 31, 20268 minS2
That sinking feeling when something doesn’t work out the way you pictured it can hit hard, especially in teaching. You plan the lesson, you see it in your head, you walk in ready, and then the room goes quiet in the worst way. Today we’re sharing a Monday Mindset that starts with a personal story of unmet expectations and turns it into a practical tool you can use all year long in your middle school ELA classroom. If this resonates, subscribe for more mindset and planning support, share this with a teacher friend who needs it, and leave a review so more middle school ELA teachers can find us.
Episode 444: The Truth About Word Study: Behind the Scenes with Our Curriculum Writer
Aug 25, 202634 minS2
Memorising vocabulary lists can look like “rigor,” but we’ve all watched it evaporate the moment the quiz ends. We want word learning that transfers into real reading and real writing, so we brought back our curriculum writer and word study specialist Pat to walk through what actually makes vocabulary instruction stick for middle school ELA students. We dig into the heart of word study: teaching word parts (Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, suffixes, and Old English patterns) so students build a toolkit for tackling unfamiliar academic vocabulary. We also explain why we include a quick review of syllable types across grade levels not to teach “baby phonics,” but to help kids break down and pronounce big multisyllabic words before they chase meaning. That decoding confidence changes everything when students meet new words in novels, tests, and content-area texts. If you want more time back while strengthening vocabulary, decoding, and comprehension, subscribe, share this with an ELA teacher friend, and leave a review so more teachers can find these strategies.
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