Teaching Middle School ELA
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.
Teaching Middle School ELA
Latest Episodes
Episode 454: Hidden Gems of EB Series: “Hook” Lessons That Do the Heavy Lifting
We share three hook lessons that build background knowledge and activate student thinking so novels feel easier to enter and discussions get better fast. We break down exactly how to run each activity and how to recreate the same structures wit...
Episode 453: Monday Mindset: Seasons
When your usual teacher energy disappears, it can feel scary, embarrassing, or like you’re doing something wrong. We sit with that reality and name it for what it often is: psychological exhaustion after a long stretch of stress, loss, and chan...
Episode 452: Hidden Gems of EB Series: The Best Games You Didn't Know You Had
Welcome to the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast! In today’s episode, Caitlin and Pat kick off a new series, Hidden Gems of EB, featuring three low-prep classroom games that are fun, repeatable, and surpris...
Episode 451: Monday Mindset: You're Not Good at Everything
Our favorite, Monday Mindset! In today's episode, we’re talking about how perfectionism fuels teacher burnout, why being coachable matters more than always being “right,” and how leaning into your strengths can make teaching feel a whole lot li...
Episode 450: Wait…That’s a Classroom Job?! Genius Jobs From Our EB Teachers
You know that moment when you finish giving crystal-clear directions and a hand shoots up three seconds later asking, “Wait, what are we doing?” We found a classroom job that solves it instantly, and it’s called “Alexa.” Pat, our curriculum wri...
Fan Mail
I am so pleased you are well enough to do these podcasts. Just don’t overdo it - allow your body and mind to heal, you have been through a lot! I’m so excited the podcasts are back - I love them and often relisten to them to then try in my class. They are brilliant. Thank you. God bless and my prayers are with you for continued and complete healing. 💕🙏🙏🙏 Anne Gilbert.
New Zealand