

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 1, 2020 • 35min
Shake the Dirt Interview with Michael Arterberry - 083
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!We sat down with Michael Arterberry, a motivational speaker and award-winning youth encourager, to discuss how we can improve our relationships with students, see the whole child, and create stronger communities in our classroom. He had incredible stories to tell, some of which brought tears to our eyes, because Michael has overcome so much and teaches students and teachers how to do the same. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.shakethedirtexperience.com/free-book 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

Aug 25, 2020 • 13min
3 Easy Ways to Keep Your Students Engaged Remotely - 082
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Today’s episode will help! We explain three simple and incredibly engaging strategies you can implement tomorrow to make your digital classroom more fun and productive for your students. Engaging content and delivery is more important now than ever, so we take the overwhelm out of the equation to help you and your students enjoy each day online just a little bit more. And, if you’re not online, these strategies work perfectly in the classroom, too! Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/writingguide 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

Aug 18, 2020 • 17min
More Quick and Easy Tips to Get Your Students Mastering the Writing Standards - 081
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!2020 is putting us all through the wringer, but we are here to support you in every way we can. Let’s focus on the joy we can bring to our day-to-day lessons, no matter where we are this fall. Use these engaging strategies--in person OR online--to help your students gain confidence and build skills in ELA. The best part of today’s tips? No essays required! Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/writingguide 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

Aug 11, 2020 • 10min
Quick and Easy Tips to Get Your Students Mastering the Writing Standards - 080
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!In this episode, we’ve got your back. We share strategies to simplify the standards and make them engaging for your students. Plus, we offer you a FREE writing guide that will be the perfect resource to keep on hand as you go about planning all your writing units. Let’s make teaching writing stress-free and fun! Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/writingguide 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

Aug 4, 2020 • 15min
4 Things The Bachelor Can Teach You About Creating Engaging Lessons - 079
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Today on the podcast, we share four strategies for making any lesson more engaging. And fortunately, they’re simple! Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need tons of time or hundreds of props to create an unforgettable lesson for your students. We share tips to take your current plans to the next level. Listen in to get your students more excited about learning this year. 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

Aug 1, 2020 • 34min
4 Easy Tips for Leaving Meaningful Digital Feedback with Shana Ramin of Hello Teacher Lady - 078
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Shana’s tips will be particularly helpful if you use Google Classroom, but even if you don’t, she shares some awesome tips and tricks to help your students get the most out of an assignment. Shana is always about efficiency and effectiveness, which is just one of the reasons we love her so much. I’m so excited for you to catch this fantastic episode! Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/ebwritingprogram 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

Jul 28, 2020 • 17min
How to Differentiate Your Writing Instruction Without Any Extra Work! - 077
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!So, with that being said, today on the podcast we have several differentiation strategies for you that will work, and that you will find easy to implement. Remember, a strategy is only useful if it’s practical and manageable, and we understand how much is on every middle school teacher’s plate. Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/ebwritingprogram 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

Jul 21, 2020 • 22min
How We Cut Our Stress Levels in HALF During the School Year - 076
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Thankfully, over the years, we found that a little preparation goes a long way. In fact, spending just a few hours now could change your ENTIRE year. Listen to this episode to hear why we strongly encourage you to create a scope and sequence for your year. Plus, hear how we scheduled different units into our own! Whether you use our timing, or adjust and do what works for you, creating a scope and sequence for your school year today will completely change the way you teach all year long. Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/writingmasterclass 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

Jul 14, 2020 • 17min
How Breaking the Rules Just Might Improve Test Scores - 075
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!In today’s episode, we do something a little unconventional. We actually encourage you to break the rules, raise the bar, and take your students to new heights. Caitlin shares her experience defying (and then quickly exceeding) the expectations of her school administration when she knew in her heart that she could produce better results than the provided writing curriculum. Links mentioned in this episode: ebacademics.com/writingmasterclass 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

Jul 7, 2020 • 17min
What Can Beverly Hills 90210 Teach Us About Improving Students’ Success in Writing? - 074
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Today on the podcast, we share three unique and engaging ways to get your students analyzing and writing about literature without even realizing it! Plus, if you’re looking to take your entire writing instruction approach to the next level, join us for our FREE live masterclass and learn our proven strategies to get your students writing like never before! Links mentioned in this episode: https://eb-academics.ck.page/48d6b29028 ebacademics.com/writingmasterclass 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