Middle School Café – Strategies & Support for Middle School ELA Teachers
Are you a middle school ELA teacher looking for practical, proven strategies to help your students grow as confident readers and writers? Middle School Café is your go-to podcast for engaging teaching ideas, classroom-tested tools, and real talk about what works in today’s ELA classroom.
Each episode delivers actionable tips to help you close reading gaps, build student ownership, and create a classroom culture where literacy thrives. Whether you're navigating a curriculum, supporting struggling readers, or just looking for fresh ways to inspire your students, you'll find support, strategy, and a sense of community right here.
Join a community of passionate middle school ELA teachers working to build confident, engaged readers. Visit www.middleschoolcafe.com for classroom tools, podcast extras, and resources to support every student on their reading journey.
Middle School Café – Strategies & Support for Middle School ELA Teachers
End of year ELA activities to finish the year strong [Ep. 23]
As the school year winds down, it’s easy to fall into a routine or just try to make it to the finish line—but this time of year is actually the perfect opportunity to try something new. In this episode, I’m sharing a variety of engaging ELA activities that incorporate technology, collaboration, and student choice to keep learning meaningful through the final weeks of school.
From literary field trips and student-led book talks to silent debates and creative podcast projects, these strategies aren’t just fun—they also give you a head start on ideas to carry into next year. If you’re looking to finish strong and keep your students invested in learning, this episode is full of doable, low-pressure ideas to help you mix things up without starting from scratch.
Read more in the show notes.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- FREE Book Club Planning Guide
- Silent Debate (Introduction to Debate)
- Student Led Book Talks
- Book Clubs for Secondary ELA
Related blog posts and podcast episodes:
- #16 The Value of Book Clubs in Secondary ELA
- #17 How to Plan and Implement Book Clubs in Secondary ELA
- #18 Strategies for Peer to Peer Conversations (Student Led Book Talks)
- Benefits of Book Clubs in Middle School ELA
- Academic Conversations Though Silent Debate
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