

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

Jun 14, 2022 • 22min
The Flipped Classroom in a Post-Pandemic World with Mandy Rice - 180
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Are your students seeming apathetic, disconnected, and discouraged? Teachers all over the world are observing this as schools are lifting pandemic restrictions and full-time, in-class learning is resuming. Thankfully, Mandy Rice from Teach on a Mission is here to show you how to “flip” your classroom model in order to make learning more meaningful for students and make your teaching life more sustainable. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.teachonamission.com/pd Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review! Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like you! It would mean so much to us. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Rating and Reviews. Click on "Write a Review" and let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom! Other episodes you might enjoy: Constructive Criticism: How to Change Your Mindset and Be Open to Feedback Mini Literary Analysis Writing PD: H

Jun 9, 2022 • 15min
BONUS EPISODE: Episode 125: Why You Should Batch Plan at the Beginning of Summer
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!To find out more about our FREE 3 Pillars of Batch Planning Workshop click the following link: https://ebacademics.com/podcastjune2022 At first, you may not be excited by the thought of planning next year’s lessons in June, but by the end of this podcast episode, Caitlin and Jessica will have convinced you to do it. How? By giving you several reasons that batch planning early will make your teaching stronger, take pressure off your planning, and give you a fuller, happier summer. Links mentioned in this episode: https://ebacademics.com/2021/04/batch-planning-get-your-life-back.html https://www.ebteacher.com/offers/LJJ3FmCS/checkout Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review! Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like you! It would mean so much to us. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Rating and Reviews. Click on "Write a Review" and let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom! Other episodes you might enjoy: Constructive Criticism: How to Change Your Mindset and Be Open to Feedback Mini Literary Analysis Writing PD: H

Jun 7, 2022 • 15min
Behind the Scenes of Batch Planning Live (Dropping the Juicy Details Here!) - 179
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!If it feels like classroom behavior problems are different and more challenging than they have been in the past, you’re not the only teacher noticing this right now. Caitlin and Jessica have surveyed and spoken with many teachers who have felt overwhelmed in this last school year, and they’re giving you a sneak peek into Batch Planning Live (BPL) in order to help alleviate some of your burdens in your upcoming year. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.ebteacher.com/summer2022BPL http://ebacademics.com/narrative Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review! Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like you! It would mean so much to us. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Rating and Reviews. Click on "Write a Review" and let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom! Other episodes you might enjoy: Constructive Criticism: How to Change Your Mindset and Be Open to Feedback Mini Literary Analysis Writing PD: H

May 31, 2022 • 16min
Could Becoming a Happier Teacher Be as Easy as This? - 178
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!What are you willing to be wrong about? Caitlin and Jessica ask this thought-provoking question in order to help listeners learn to be more flexible in their beliefs about teaching. By being willing to be wrong, teachers can begin taking thoughtful steps toward making positive changes in their teaching, in order to achieve the results they’ve always wanted. Links mentioned in this episode: https://ebacademics.mykajabi.com/eb-detective-free-lesson https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/ebacademics/TMSELA_Podcast_Ep._177.mp3 Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review! Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like you! It would mean so much to us. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Rating and Reviews. Click on "Write a Review" and let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom! Other episodes you might enjoy: Constructive Criticism: How to Change Your Mindset and Be Open to Feedback Mini Literary Analysis Writing PD: Hooking Your Students

May 24, 2022 • 24min
What It Takes to Create the Teaching Life You Dream Of - 177
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!When did you know that you wanted to be a teacher? Does your reality of teaching match those dreams you had? In this episode, Caitlin and Jessica explore how you can bring the joy of teaching back to your life, by taking inspired action in order to achieve the work-life balance you need. Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/waitlist https://thelifecoachschool.com/ Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review! Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like you! It would mean so much to us. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Rating and Reviews. Click on "Write a Review" and let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom! Other episodes you might enjoy: Constructive Criticism: How to Change Your Mindset and Be Open to Feedback Mini Literary Analysis Writing PD: H

May 17, 2022 • 13min
What the Copy Machine Has to Do with Your Success as a Teacher - 176
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Listen in as Jessica walks you through an exercise to help you explore how your language affects your mindset and motivation. It’s a real opener! Next, Caitlin will talk about the “copy machine experiment” and what it shows us about the power of the word “because.” This little word really packs a punch, and Jessica will teach you how to apply it in your thinking and goal setting, to really be the teacher you want to be. Links mentioned in this episode: https://blakefly.com/ https://www.teachingonthedouble.com/ https://neillwilliams.com/ Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review! Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like you! It would mean so much to us. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Rating and Reviews. Click on "Write a Review" and let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom! Other episodes you might enjoy: Constructive Criticism: How to Change Your Mindset and Be Open to Feedback Mini Literary Analysis Writing PD: H

May 10, 2022 • 21min
Episode 175: Filling in the Gaps (When Some Students Are Ready for Essays and Some Struggle with Sentences) - 175
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!In this episode, Caitlin and Jessica will show you how to use sentence stems to help your students introduce evidence, with an additional component for your higher-level writers. The bonus? Your students’ improved writing will mean you get to enjoy reading essays, plus spend less time grading them!Links mentioned in this episode:http://ebacademics.com/writingwaitlistAre you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to!Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review!Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like you! It would mean so much to us. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Rating and Reviews. Click on "Write a Review" and let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom!Other episodes you might enjoy:Constructive Criticism: How to Change Your Mindset and Be Open to FeedbackMini Literary Analysis Writing PD: H

May 3, 2022 • 33min
The Collaborative Classroom w/ Trevor Muir - 174
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!So if you’re looking for practical ways to help your students give and accept constructive feedback, work together on an authentic project, and grow their collaborative skills, take a listen to this episode and start implementing Trevor’s ideas today! Links mentioned in this episode: http://trevormuir.com Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review! Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like you! It would mean so much to us. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Rating and Reviews. Click on "Write a Review" and let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom! Other episodes you might enjoy: Constructive Criticism: How to Change Your Mindset and Be Open to Feedback Mini Literary Analysis Writing PD: H

Apr 26, 2022 • 14min
A Fun End-of-Year Activity You’ll Want to Do (A Literature Parade) - 173
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Caitlin and Jessica will walk you through this activity, which will help you and your students create a special moment before you head out for summer break. Students will have so much fun reading self-chosen books, creating parade floats, and writing scripts, they won’t even realize that they’re learning or reviewing conflict, characterization, theme, and more! Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review! Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like you! It would mean so much to us. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Rating and Reviews. Click on "Write a Review" and let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom! Other episodes you might enjoy: Constructive Criticism: How to Change Your Mindset and Be Open to Feedback Mini Literary Analysis Writing PD: H

Apr 19, 2022 • 13min
Anticipation Stations: Your New Go-To Pre-Reading Activity - 172
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Anticipation activities help students better understand reading material, dig more deeply into discussions, and feel more engaged in the unit. If you’re looking for a great activity to help students go beyond the surface of a novel or short story and really enjoy their class reading, try out Anticipation Stations! Links mentioned in this episode: http://ebacademics.com/ebwaitlist Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us know which episode you're listening to! Make sure to Subscribe and leave us a Review! Your review helps us reach even more middle school ELA teachers just like you! It would mean so much to us. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Rating and Reviews. Click on "Write a Review" and let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom! Other episodes you might enjoy: Constructive Criticism: How to Change Your Mindset and Be Open to Feedback Mini Literary Analysis Writing PD: H