Teaching Middle School ELA
Caitlin Mitchell
Welcome to the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, where we help English Language Arts teachers create dynamic, engaging lessons while balancing the everyday responsibilities of teaching middle school.I’m Caitlin Mitchell, a longtime ELA educator and curriculum creator, and I know firsthand how challenging it can be to manage grading, planning, and student needs—while still trying to have a life outside the classroom. That’s why every Tuesday and Thursday, I bring you practical strategies, curriculum inspiration, and innovative teaching ideas to help you feel confident, prepared, and energized.Whether you're looking to revamp your writing instruction, streamline your planning process, or engage even the most reluctant readers and writers, you’ll find actionable support here. You'll also hear real classroom stories, fresh lesson ideas, and occasional interviews with other passionate educators.If you teach reading and writing to middle schoolers and want to stay inspired and up-to-date with best practices in ELA education, you’re in the right place. Tune in every week and let’s transform your teaching—together.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 25, 2025 • 23min
Episode 353: The Shortcut Narrative Unit: How to Get Powerful Stories in Just 10 Days
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Narrative writing is such an important skill for middle schoolers—but let’s be honest, it often feels like it takes forever to teach. Before you know it, weeks (or even months!) are gone, and you’re scrambling to fit in argument and informational writing.In this episode, I discussed how to make narrative writing powerful and effective—without letting it hijack your calendar. You’ll learn:✅ Why narratives don’t have to take six weeks ✅ How to treat narrative writing as a skill-builder, not a time-sink ✅ Quick, practical strategies to streamline your instruction ✅ A sample two-week timeline that actually worksGive yourself permission to simplify while still giving your students the creativity, structure, and voice they need. 🎉👉 Tune in now and take back your instructional time!
Sep 23, 2025 • 15min
Episode 352: ChatGPT Series: Differentiation Without the Extra Work
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Differentiation doesn’t have to mean staying up late making three different versions of the same lesson. In this week’s Teaching Middle School episode, I shared how you can use ChatGPT to quickly create scaffolds, extensions, and tiered questions—so every student has a way into the learning without you doubling your workload.From rewriting texts at multiple levels, to generating leveled questions, to modifying assignments without losing rigor, you’ll walk away with practical strategies that save time and reduce stress. Best of all, you’ll see how AI can handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on what matters most: connecting with your students.👉 Tune in and discover how to make differentiation sustainable, effective, and—dare we say—joyful!
Sep 18, 2025 • 14min
Episode 351: Balancing Creative and Academic Writing in the Middle School Classroom
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!How do we strike the right balance between fun, engaging creative writing and the academic writing skills our students need to succeed? In this episode, let's dive into why both matter, how to weave them together, and practical strategies you can start using right away. Tune in to discover how creativity and rigor can go hand in hand to help your students grow into confident writers.
Sep 16, 2025 • 18min
Episode 350: ChatGPT Series: Communication & Admin Tasks Made Easier
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Emails, newsletters, behavior documentation… oh my! Communication and admin tasks can easily eat up hours of your week—but they don’t have to.In today’s episode of Teaching Middle School ELA, I shared how ChatGPT can act like your personal assistant for the behind-the-scenes work of teaching. From drafting parent emails to organizing class newsletters, you’ll learn practical ways to save time without losing your personal touch.Tune in to discover how AI can help you work smarter, not harder—so you can spend less time bogged down by admin tasks and more time connecting with your students. 💛
Sep 11, 2025 • 15min
Episode 349: Scaffolding Evidence: How to Help Students Choose Quotes That Actually Work
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Ever had a student pick a random quote just because it “sounded good”? 😅 You’re not alone! In today’s episode of Teaching Middle School ELA, I talked about practical scaffolds to help students go beyond guessing and actually choose evidence that supports their claims.From curated quote banks to our powerful Evidence Tracker, color-coding strategies, and the simple “Evidence Test,” you’ll walk away with tools to make literary analysis less overwhelming—and way more effective.Tune in and learn how to turn weak, random quotes into strong, meaningful evidence your students can confidently defend!
Sep 9, 2025 • 20min
Episode 348:ChatGPT Series: Planning Support Without the Overwhelm
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. In today’s episode of Teaching Middle School ELA, I am sharing how ChatGPT can be your planning partner—helping you brainstorm, differentiate, and save hours each week without sacrificing quality. Whether you’re an EB teacher already using the Portal or just looking for ways to cut down on prep time, this episode will show you how to plan smarter, not harder.
Sep 4, 2025 • 24min
Episode 347: From Summary to Justification: Teaching Students to Go Beyond the Obvious
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Today’s episode tackles a challenge every ELA teacher knows well: getting students to move beyond simply summarizing a text and into true analysis.This episode, From Summary to Justification: Teaching Students to Go Beyond the Obvious, is all about helping students answer the big “So what?”—why their evidence matters, how to justify their thinking, and what it takes to turn plot retellings into meaningful insights.Caitlin will walk you through why students often default to summary, practical scaffolds you can use to push them deeper, and classroom activities—like color-coding exercises and even a game called “Justification Jumble”—that will make analysis feel approachable, engaging, and doable for every student.And don’t forget—our free 3-Day Writing Workshop is coming up soon on September 23–25 at 5 PM PT. If you’re ready to transform your writing instruction and give your students the tools to write with clarity and confidence, head to www.ebteacher.com/writing-workshop to save your spot.
Sep 2, 2025 • 14min
Episode 346: ChatGPT Series: Brainstorming & Lesson Hooks Made Simple
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Welcome back to Teaching Middle School ELA! Today, we’re continuing our ChatGPT Series with an episode called Brainstorming & Lesson Hooks Made Simple.If you’ve ever found yourself staring at your planner, wondering how to start a lesson in a way that actually captures your students’ attention—or if you’re just tired of running out of creative ideas week after week—this episode is going to feel like a breath of fresh air.We’re talking about how to use ChatGPT as your brainstorming partner: from creating lesson hooks that immediately spark curiosity, to generating fresh, student-centered ideas you can adapt for your classroom. You’ll walk away with practical strategies to save your energy, keep lessons engaging, and maybe even have a little more fun planning.So, let’s dive into how ChatGPT can make brainstorming and lesson hooks simple, stress-free, and way more effective.
Aug 28, 2025 • 22min
Episode 345: Teaching Grammar in the Flow of Writing
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Have you ever taught a grammar skill on Friday, only to watch your students completely forget it by Monday? You’re not alone. Grammar taught in isolation rarely sticks—but when it’s woven into the flow of writing instruction, everything changes.In today’s episode, I’m sharing the EB Grammar Framework, a simple 3-pillar approach that makes grammar instruction clear, memorable, and connected to real student writing. You’ll learn how to: ✅ Use direct instruction to lay a strong foundation ✅ Reinforce skills with fun, low-prep grammar games ✅ Help students immediately apply grammar to their own writingBy the end of this episode, you’ll see how grammar can move from “boring and disconnected” to “meaningful and empowering”—for both you and your students.🔗 Free Resource: Golden Grammar Lesson 📅 Mark your calendars! Don’t miss my 3-Day Writing Workshop, happening September 23–25.
Aug 26, 2025 • 21min
Episode 344: ChatGPT Series: How to Train ChatGPT to Create Rubrics and Feedback
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Grading doesn’t have to steal your weekends anymore! 🎉 In this brand-new series, I’m showing you how to train ChatGPT to become your teaching assistant—saving you time, reducing stress, and giving you space to focus on what matters most: your students.In this first episode, we’re tackling the grading struggle head-on. You’ll learn how to train ChatGPT to: ✅ Create clear, student-friendly rubrics in minutes ✅ Generate consistent, growth-focused feedback for assignments ✅ Streamline the grading process without losing the personal touchIf you’ve ever spent hours buried under essays or dreaded writing the same feedback over and over, this episode is for you. By the end, you’ll have practical prompts, strategies, and tips to help you reclaim your time—while still giving your students the support they need to grow as writers and thinkers.
