Middle School Café - Empowering Secondary ELA Teachers
Are you an ELA teacher striving to help your middle and high school students become confident, capable readers and writers? Middle School Cafe is your go-to podcast for practical strategies, proven methods, and inspiration to close the reading gap and unlock every student's potential.
In each episode, I will share real-world insights and actionable tips drawn from years of classroom experience to help you meet students where they are and guide them toward growth. From implementing the workshop model to fostering student ownership of learning, you'll discover ideas and strategies that make a real impact.
Join the community of educators working to create classrooms where every student thrives. Visit www.middleschoolcafe.com to learn more and start building the readers and writers we know your students can be.
Middle School Café - Empowering Secondary ELA Teachers
Student Reflection Strategies That Build Better Comprehension
This week, we're continuing the conversation on student reflection — and taking it to the next level. If you've already tried strategies like Stop and Jot or sketch notes, this episode is all about how to help students reflect more deeply on what they read and recognize their growth over time.
I'm sharing easy ways to incorporate structured reflection into your reading routine through weekly check-ins, student-led book talks, one-on-one reading conferences, and end-of-unit reflections. These strategies are practical, flexible, and meaningful.
I’ve also linked a few done-for-you resources, blog posts, and past episodes to help you put these ideas into practice. Tune in and grab some fresh ideas for building confident, reflective readers in your classroom.
Student Reflection Resources you may find helpful:
- Weekly Reading Reflection Sheets
- Reading Response Logs
- Student Led Book Talks
- End of Unit Reflection Sheets
- Visual Student Reflections
Related episodes and blog posts:
- Make Reflection Part of your Reading Routine
- Student-Led Book Talks: A Meaningful Way to Keep Students Reading
- 4 Strategies for Productive Independent Reading in Middle School
- Empowering Students with Reflection Opportunities
Join me this summer at these free PD events: Annotated ELA, MSELA, and Joyful Reading. Click the link below for more details!
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