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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
Motivating Students through Book Talks with Mary Pat from Just Add Students [Ep. 38]
Want to build a classroom where students are excited to share what they read—and inspire others to do the same? In this episode, I’m joined by Mary Pat from Just Add Students to explore how student-led book talks can transform your reading culture. You’ll hear how she implemented book talks as a monthly activity, helping students practice persuasive speaking, explore genres, and generate peer-to-peer excitement around books.
Mary Pat shares strategies for coaching students to create strong hooks, give concise summaries, and explain why their book is worth reading. We also talk about using rubrics to guide presentations and how audience surveys can offer insight into student interests. Whether you’re just starting with book talks or looking to level up your current routine, this episode is packed with practical tips to help your students become passionate reading advocates.
Read more in the show notes.
Get to Know Mary Pat from Just Add Students:
I have been a classroom teacher for twenty years, My experience ranges from fourth grade to college, but the majority of my time has been in middle school teaching ELA, which I love. I have both my BA and MA in English. I love mentoring teachers, tutoring students, creating curriculum, and settling down with a good book.
Connect with Mary Pat
Be sure to listen to all the episodes in the Summer Series.
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Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/
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