Keeping Students Engaged with Simple Choice Strategies [Ep. 50] Artwork

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.

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Middle School Café – Strategies & Support for Middle School ELA Teachers

Keeping Students Engaged with Simple Choice Strategies [Ep. 50]

April 23, 2025 • Carolyn Wahl - Middle School ELA • Episode 50

Let’s be honest — keeping students engaged during the final weeks of school is tough. In this episode, I’m continuing our conversation about re-engaging students by sharing practical, low-stress ways to bring more student choice into your classroom.

We’ll talk about how to give students a voice without creating chaos, why even small shifts in how we structure tasks can lead to more buy-in, and how letting students make some of the decisions actually leads to more focus — not less. Bonus? It can lighten your load, too.

Whether you're working within a tight curriculum or just feeling the burnout, these easy-to-implement strategies can help you wrap up the year strong — with students still learning, still participating, and maybe even enjoying it along the way.