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.
Episodes
82 episodes
5 Student Reflection Strategies for the End of the Year [Ep. 76]
As the school year starts to wind down, this episode focuses on helping students recognize how much they’ve grown since the beginning of the year. Without time to reflect, a lot of that progress goes unnoticed. Today’s conversation looks ...
Using Questioning to Strengthen Reading Comprehension [Ep. 75]
Are your students answering questions but still struggling with true comprehension? In this episode, we’re talking about how to use questioning to move students beyond basic recall and into deeper, critical thinking.You’ll learn how smal...
Rebuilding Reading Stamina After Spring Break [Ep. 74]
After spring break, it’s common to see a shift in student focus, especially in reading. In this episode, we’re talking about how to rebuild reading stamina without starting over or adding more tasks to your already long list of To Dos. You’ll w...
Teachers Need Teachers: Why Support Matters in the Classroom [Bonus]
Teaching reading in middle school involves constant decision-making. Teachers are choosing texts, adjusting strategies, supporting struggling readers, and working to keep students engaged in meaningful conversations about books. Much of that wo...
Building Critical Reading Skills with Short, Complex Texts [Ep. 73]
As testing season approaches, many middle school ELA teachers feel pressure to shift everything into test-prep mode. But strong reading instruction is still strong reading instruction, even in the weeks leading up to state assessments. In this ...
Read Like a Writer: How to Strengthen Student Writing [Ep 72]
Most middle school students can summarize what they’ve read, but their thinking often stops there. In this episode, we explore what it really means to help students read like writers by shifting their focus from what happened to how the author ...
Bias as a Research Skill: Helping Students See Author Choices [Ep 71]
In this episode, we continue the research series by focusing on how students learn to recognize bias in informational texts. Instead of treating bias as a separate lesson, the episode explores how it grows from the reading habits students alrea...
Research Isn’t a Unit: Teaching Evidence Evaluation All Year Long [Ep. 70]
Research often feels overwhelming because students are asked to read, take notes, decide what matters, paraphrase, organize ideas, and write—all at once. One of the biggest misconceptions about research is that these skills only belong inside a...
Rethinking the Way We Teach Research (Without the Overwhelm) [Ep. 69]
Research is a core part of ELA, but it’s also where many students feel stuck and unsure how to begin. In this episode, I break down why research feels challenging for students and reframe it as familiar reading and writing skills students alrea...
Why Nonfiction Belongs in Independent Reading [Ep. 68]
Happy New Year! As the new term begins, many middle school ELA classrooms start to shift toward nonfiction, informational text, and research. In this episode, we talk about how to make nonfiction a natural part of independent reading—without tu...
RERELEASE Using Reading Challenges to Engage and Stretch Student Readers
This is a rerelease of Episode #54Think independent reading has to disappear with a canned curriculum? Not so fast. In this episode, I’m sharing how flexible, low-pressure reading challenges can help you keep independent reading...
Easy Ways to Celebrate Reading Wins and Motivate Readers [Ep 67]
The days leading up to winter break can feel a little wild, and it’s easy to overlook all the quiet reading growth happening in your classroom. In this episode, we’re slowing down just enough to notice those moments. I’m sharing simple, low-pre...
Moving Students Beyond Surface-Level Reading [Ep 66]
In this episode I’m talking about those familiar one-line reading responses like “I liked it” or “I don’t know” and how we can help students move beyond them. Students are capable of deeper thinking, and sometimes they just need a few simple ro...
How Nonfiction Pairings Build Understanding and Reading Success [Ep 65]
Looking for new ways to make reading more meaningful? In this episode, we’ll explore how pairing fiction and nonfiction can benefit all readers, helping every student, from those who need a little more support to those ready for deeper analysis...
How to Use Nonfiction to Engage Reluctant Readers [Ep. 64]
Nonfiction doesn’t have to be dry or something students just “get through.” In this episode, we’ll share how high-interest nonfiction can spark curiosity, build confidence, and help even the most reluctant readers see themselves as capabl...
Building Better Readers with Short Stories [Ep. 63]
Short stories are quick to read but powerful when used with purpose. In this episode, we’ll look at how short texts can strengthen reading skills, spark discussion, and build confidence for even the most hesitant readers. You’ll discover how th...
Boost Student Focus with Reading Sprints for Independent Reading [Ep. 62]
Stamina is harder than ever for middle schoolers, and independent reading often feels like an uphill climb. In this episode, you’ll learn how reading sprints, short, focused bursts of reading, can help students strengthen attention, build confi...
Quick Wins for Helping Students Pick a Just-Right Book [Bonus]
September brings an extra Tuesday, which means you get a bonus episode! In this short and practical episode, I’m sharing quick wins to help your students pick out the just-right book for right now. Whether you’re planning your very fir...
10 Easy Ways to Encourage Student Book Recommendations in Your Classroom [Ep. 61]
Peer recommendations are one of the most effective ways to spark interest in reading. Students are much more likely to pick up a book when a classmate suggests it. In this episode, I share ten practical ways you can bring student voices into yo...
How to Keep Reading Energy Alive Beyond the First Month [Ep. 60]
The first few weeks of school often bring a real buzz around reading—students are exploring the shelves, setting goals, and diving into new books. But as the back-to-school excitement fades, that momentum can slip, and independent reading start...
How to Reduce Reading Anxiety: 6 Strategies for Confident Readers [EP. 59]
In this episode, we are talking about reading anxiety, how to recognize it, why it holds students back, and six practical reading strategies you can start teaching right away to help move students past it. You’ll hear ideas for creating a safe,...
Easy Ways to Start Peer-to-Peer Academic Conversations [Ep. 58]
Getting students to talk to each other in meaningful ways is harder than it sounds—but it’s a crucial part of building classroom community and engagement. In this episode, I’m diving into practical strategies you can use at the beginning of the...
How To Build Reading Stamina: Practical Strategies For ELA Teachers [Ep. 57]
In this episode, we’re tackling a challenge many ELA teachers face—students struggling with reading stamina. With canned curriculum, short excerpts, and fast-paced instruction, students often lack the focus and endurance to finish full-length t...
Where Reading Feels Like Belonging - Building a Reading Culture [Ep. 56]
We’re kicking off a brand-new series on reading strategies for back to school—and this first episode is all about helping students see themselves as readers. I’m sharing my own story (spoiler: I didn’t always love reading), and how tha...
Don’t Skip Genre Review: Why It Matters in Middle School ELA [Ep. 55]
Think genre review is just for younger grades? Think again. In this episode, I’m breaking down why a simple genre review at the start of the year is one of the best ways to build reading confidence, spark student choice, and set the tone for me...