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 p...
Listen in the Podli app 🎧
Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
Sep 29, 2026 · 24:39
We share three hook lessons that build background knowledge and activate student thinking so novels feel easier to enter and discussions get better fast. We break down exactly…
Sep 28, 2026 · 10:28
When your usual teacher energy disappears, it can feel scary, embarrassing, or like you’re doing something wrong. We sit with that reality and name it for what it often is:…
Sep 22, 2026 · 22:12
Welcome to the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast ! In today’s episode, Caitlin and Pat kick off a new series, Hidden Gems of EB , featuring three low-prep classroom games that…
Sep 21, 2026 · 12:51
Our favorite, Monday Mindset! In today's episode, we’re talking about how perfectionism fuels teacher burnout, why being coachable matters more than always being “right,” and how…
Sep 15, 2026 · 20:31
You know that moment when you finish giving crystal-clear directions and a hand shoots up three seconds later asking, “Wait, what are we doing?” We found a classroom job that…
Sep 14, 2026 · 14:16
Today's Monday Mindset episode is a special re-air, but it’s one worth revisiting! 💛 In “Creating Evidence for Yourself,” we’re reminded to recognize our progress, trust our…
Sep 8, 2026 · 34:05
This week's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode: The fastest way to feel less overwhelmed in your middle school ELA classroom is not a new curriculum or a stricter rule.…
Sep 7, 2026 · 9:57
You know that feeling when you’re weighing a decision and every option seems loaded? That tense, looping thought of “What if I make the wrong choice?” Today, Caitlin shares a…
Sep 1, 2026 · 21:23
In Part 2 of this behind-the-scenes conversation, we sit down with EB Academics curriculum writer Pat to break down what effective word study looks like from 5th through 8th…
Aug 31, 2026 · 8:01
That sinking feeling when something doesn’t work out the way you pictured it can hit hard, especially in teaching. You plan the lesson, you see it in your head, you walk in…
Aug 25, 2026 · 28:21
Memorising vocabulary lists can look like “rigor,” but we’ve all watched it evaporate the moment the quiz ends. We want word learning that transfers into real reading and real…
Aug 24, 2026 · 4:04
Another Monday Mindset today! We talk about a small but powerful gratitude practice that fits into real teacher life, plus the positive psychology research that explains why it…
Aug 18, 2026 · 37:35
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, We start with Genevieve’s non-negotiable: teach a writing and thinking framework first. When students learn how to make a…
Aug 17, 2026 · 6:35
Another inspiring Monday Mindset eipisode, We walk into a new school year with fresh notebooks, a new seating chart, and a quiet hope that this year will finally feel lighter,…
Aug 11, 2026 · 22:28
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, Grammar shouldn’t live on a worksheet and die on a quiz. We want middle school writers who can actually use conventions,…
Aug 10, 2026 · 8:12
We start August with a Monday Mindset that pulls the focus back where it belongs, on you as a human being with limited energy. We walk through a simple but uncomfortable…
Aug 4, 2026 · 18:02
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, we're tackling one of the most common classroom frustrations: teaching grammar in a way that actually sticks. We discuss…
Jul 28, 2026 · 27:26
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, we're talking all about bell ringers—and why so many of them end up feeling like busy work instead of meaningful learning.…
Jul 27, 2026 · 6:11
What if the only thing standing between you and a productive week is waiting until you "feel like it"? This Monday Mindset episode is a reminder that your mood doesn't get to…
Jul 23, 2026 · 15:42
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, we're talking about one of the biggest challenges in teaching literary analysis: helping students write strong…
Jul 21, 2026 · 14:28
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, we're diving into one of the biggest challenges middle school ELA teachers face: finding enough time to teach writing…
Jul 20, 2026 · 9:20
Your life gets loud fast: notifications, inbox urgency, endless content, and the constant pressure to keep up. Then a real moment hits and suddenly the only questions that matter…
Jul 16, 2026 · 13:03
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, Your next writing unit might not be “too hard” or “too time-consuming” at all. The real problem could be the way we use…
Jul 14, 2026 · 14:26
Another Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, Most students can pull a quote. The hard part is explaining why that quote proves anything. We’re tackling the #1 skill gap…
Jul 13, 2026 · 11:02
Another Monday Mindset, The fastest way to feel stuck as a middle school ELA teacher is to believe your peace depends on someone else doing their job differently. If admin were…
Jul 9, 2026 · 22:57
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, watching a class freeze at a blank page is one of the fastest ways to lose your confidence as a writing teacher and it’s…
Jul 7, 2026 · 14:17
The RACE writing formula simply stands for “restate, answer, cite, and explain”. This is widely used by middle school ELA teachers teaching writing as it makes a great tool to…
Jul 6, 2026 · 8:55
The moment you want to quit is often the moment you are about to grow. I’m sharing a simple phrase that has been sticking with me lately: stay brave. Not “be brave someday” or…
Jul 1, 2026 · 14:39
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, Caitlin shares why evidence-based writing is the one writing genre every middle school ELA teacher should prioritize.…
Jun 30, 2026 · 15:27
That moment when you open a brutal parent email before sunrise, or realise your admin still doesn’t see how hard you’re working, can hijack your whole day. We’re sharing a simple…
Jun 25, 2026 · 16:51
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode. I walked through four concrete ways to cut your lesson planning time in half without cutting corners. First, I talked about…
Jun 23, 2026 · 20:16
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, I tackled the three beliefs that keep middle school ELA teachers stuck: the idea that you cannot plan until you know your…
Jun 22, 2026 · 12:45
Our Monday Mindset Episode for today is about Discomfort is not your enemy, it’s your evidence. We open with a raw teaching memory: a first day in front of students, every word…
Jun 18, 2026 · 17:09
If you have ever looked up at the clock and realized you are still in your classroom at 6 PM, we want you to hear this clearly: the real problem is not your to-do list. It is the…
Jun 16, 2026 · 13:51
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast episode, I stopped blaming short periods and long blocks and show how a simple daily framework makes any middle school ELA schedule…
Jun 16, 2026 · 9:53
In today's Monday Mindset episode, I talked through the mindset shift that changes the game for teachers and for anyone chasing a bigger life: Ready isn’t a feeling, it’s a…
Jun 11, 2026 · 31:21
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, Caitlin gets real about teacher burnout and the challenges middle school educators face every day. She challenges common…
Jun 9, 2026 · 22:42
Do your students struggle to retain skills from one unit to the next? You're not alone. In this episode, I explored why standards mastery often feels out of reach for middle…
Jun 8, 2026 · 7:05
🎙️ In today's Monday Mindset episode... Who you spend time with matters more than you think. In this episode, I shared a powerful reminder that our mindset, confidence, and…
Jun 4, 2026 · 28:43
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, I challenged the idea that Sunday planning sessions are just part of being a teacher. Let's explore how week-to-week…
Jun 2, 2026 · 23:21
🎙️ In today’s Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode... Ever feel like there’s never enough time to get through your lesson? You're not alone. In this episode, Caitlin…
Jun 1, 2026 · 13:38
🎙️ In today’s Monday Mindset episode... When teaching feels like a constant stream of new mandates, less time, and less control, it’s easy to feel powerless. But what if the one…
May 26, 2026 · 37:50
In today’s episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, Caitlin is joined by EB teachers Genevieve and Melinda for an honest conversation about what worked this school…
May 19, 2026 · 15:51
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, I share the most powerful lever I’ve seen for middle school ELA engagement: making engagement your north star. Not entertainment.…
May 19, 2026 · 13:33
In today's Monday Mindset episode, You’ll hear concrete mindset shifts: separating valid feelings from limiting narratives, finding gratitude without pretending, advocating for…
May 12, 2026 · 20:42
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, The fastest way to make next year feel different isn’t a new binder or a prettier calendar. It’s a single belief you stop…
May 11, 2026 · 14:16
You can’t “think” your way into becoming a new version of yourself. You become them by collecting proof one small action at a time and that’s the Monday Mindset I’m bringing to…
May 5, 2026 · 36:09
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, I talked about how you can love teaching and still feel crushed by everything wrapped around it. We get real about the…
Apr 28, 2026 · 18:34
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, I share Step-by-Step Approach for Implementing "Genius Hour" in Middle School. The last few weeks of school can feel like…
Apr 27, 2026 · 7:12
In today's Monday Mindset episode, Your toughest habits don’t break in big dramatic moments. They break in quiet negotiations you barely notice, the quick “just this once” you…
Apr 21, 2026 · 26:17
In today's Teaching Middle School Podcast Episode, your prep period is getting stolen and it’s not because you’re “bad at time management.” Between emails, copies, surprise…
Apr 14, 2026 · 18:03
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, We share a practical before-during-after feedback framework built from real teacher tips across our staff. Before grading, we…
Apr 13, 2026 · 10:48
You can look fine on the outside and still feel alone on the inside and that gap can get painfully wide when you’re a teacher expected to carry everyone else. Today’s Monday…
Apr 7, 2026 · 13:33
April makes it hard to keep essay writing rigorous without burying ourselves in grading. We use graphic group essays to help students practise claims, evidence, and justification…
Mar 31, 2026 · 11:21
Struggling to get your students to actually find the main idea—without guessing or copying random sentences? You’re not alone. In today’s episode, we’re sharing a simple,…
Mar 30, 2026 · 5:31
Today's Monday Mindset, We challenge ourselves to teach for the “May us” by making choices now that reduce end-of-year stress and strengthen student skills. We unpack why…
Mar 26, 2026 · 11:29
Today's episode is Part 2 of Episode 397. Your students can label sentence types on a worksheet, crush the grammar game, and still hand in an essay packed with run-ons and…
Mar 24, 2026 · 15:22
If your grammar lessons feel like they’re going in one ear and out the other… You are not alone. In today’s Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, we’re breaking down why…
Mar 23, 2026 · 9:17
In today's Monday Mindset, March and April can feel like the point where everything starts slipping at once. You’re running on fumes, your students are restless, and the pull of…
Mar 19, 2026 · 24:15
In this bonus episode, we’re joined by our very own EB Membership Manager, Genevieve, to talk about one of the most powerful (and underrated) strategies in the classroom— silent…
Mar 10, 2026 · 13:54
Want to honor Women’s History Month without adding another unit to your already packed schedule? In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, Caitlin shares a simple…
Mar 3, 2026 · 24:31
Hello, March and welcome back to the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast. So today, I shared five simple, whole-group strategies that make differentiation workable and sustainable…
Mar 3, 2026 · 8:40
March is not the month for reinventing yourself. It's the month for trusting what's already working. The routines feel heavy, testing looms ahead, and suddenly the urge to…
Feb 24, 2026 · 11:45
In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, we break the myth that informational text requires a massive unit and replace it with a quiet, repeatable five-minute…
Feb 19, 2026 · 30:31
March can bring some unpredictable classroom energy… but what if you could channel it into something that boosts engagement and hits reading, writing, and discussion standards…
Feb 17, 2026 · 9:58
For today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, I share the Friday whiteboard planning system that moves next week’s decisions out of your head and onto a public board,…
Feb 16, 2026 · 11:13
In today's Monday Mindset, We call out the myth that you must fill your cup before you care for others, and replace it with a practical plan to refill while you pour. Simple,…
Feb 10, 2026 · 17:41
Virtual field trips don’t need to be fancy to be powerful. In today’s Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, I have once again, Pat from Team EB, we're walking you through…
Feb 3, 2026 · 13:44
Today’s Teaching Middle School ELA episode is all about grammar games that actually work. Not the chaotic, overcomplicated kind—but the print, pass out, play, done kind. I’m…
Feb 2, 2026 · 13:02
Today's Monday Mindset episode, we explore how to quiet outside noise and trust our professional judgment, especially when admin directives and social media trends collide with…
Jan 27, 2026 · 16:49
We trade cram-heavy test prep for a focused plan that teaches test literacy so students think clearly under pressure. You’ll learn how to coach two-part multiple choice,…
Jan 20, 2026 · 12:05
We share a station-based routine that keeps rigor high, lowers stress, and makes ELA test prep engaging with short passages about sweets from around the world. Students rotate,…
Jan 19, 2026 · 12:12
The belief that “more equals better” can quietly run your classroom and your life. We challenge that script with a fresh, practical look at simplicity—how lean lesson plans,…
Jan 15, 2026 · 27:28
If you’ve ever felt like you’re being told to “do more writing” without anyone actually showing you where it fits , this episode is for you. Today, Caitlin is joined by a…
Jan 13, 2026 · 8:40
Today’s Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode is all about turning chaos into calm. If transitions in your middle school classroom feel loud, rushed, or all over the place,…
Jan 6, 2026 · 10:21
Coming back from break can feel overwhelming—for you and your students. In today’s Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, we’re sharing the very first writing routine you…
Jan 5, 2026 · 8:49
It’s our first podcast episode of the year, and we’re starting with a message so many of us need right now. If you’ve been stepping into the new year feeling behind, this Monday…
Dec 30, 2025 · 34:07
Today’s episode is a special one because we’re welcoming back a familiar face—our very own Pat from the EB Team 🎉 You’ve heard Pat before, and since then, we’ve gotten so many…
Dec 29, 2025 · 9:39
Today’s Monday Mindset episode is your gentle permission slip to skip the pressure of traditional New Year’s resolutions and try something that actually works . We’re sharing a…
Dec 23, 2025 · 26:01
Looking for simple, high-impact routines that make teaching feel lighter and your classroom run smoother? In today’s episode, Caitlin shares five of her favorite practical…
Dec 22, 2025 · 10:28
In today’s Monday Mindset, is your cozy little reminder that winter break alone won’t magically refill your cup— unless you do one simple, powerful thing. We’re diving into the…
Dec 17, 2025 · 17:05
In today’s episode, we’re talking about the uncomfortable truth most teachers don’t want to hear: skipping planning doesn’t save time—it drains it. When you plan day-to-day,…
Dec 15, 2025 · 8:29
Today’s Monday Mindset episode is a powerful reminder that being an incredible teacher doesn’t mean sacrificing your evenings, weekends, or well-being. The best teachers aren’t…
Dec 9, 2025 · 36:49
Today on the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, we’re joined by our very own Membership Manager, Genevieve Chavez , who’s sharing the incredible story of how one teacher got her…
Dec 8, 2025 · 7:43
In today’s Monday Mindset episode, we’re reminding ourselves that rest isn’t a reward—it’s a necessity. When we intentionally slow down, we give our minds and bodies the space…
Dec 2, 2025 · 19:32
Before break energy hits full chaos mode… we’ve got you covered. In today’s episode, we’re bringing on Pat from our curriculum team to share a pre-break activity your students…
Dec 1, 2025 · 12:03
Today, we’re talking about staying calm amidst the chaos — especially during this busy season when everything feels louder, faster, and more overwhelming than usual. In this…
Nov 25, 2025 · 13:56
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving can feel chaotic — high energy, low focus, zero attention span. But what if it didn’t have to be survival mode? In today’s episode, Caitlin…
Nov 24, 2025 · 10:37
This week’s Monday Mindset episode dives into one of the hardest parts of personal growth: facing the truths we’ve been avoiding. Caitlin opens up about the “mirror moments” in…
Nov 18, 2025 · 14:14
If your students seem “allergic” to writing — or if teaching writing feels like it’s eating your entire prep time — today's Teaching Middle School ELA episode will completely…
Nov 17, 2025 · 12:46
If you’ve ever felt the slow creep of burnout — the shrinking energy, the growing to-do list, the joy that quietly slips away — this episode is going to hit home. Caitlin opens…
Nov 11, 2025 · 25:18
Teaching writing doesn’t have to feel hard — it just takes one mindset shift and a clear framework. In today's Teaching Middle School ELA podcast episode, Caitlin shares how to…
Nov 10, 2025 · 6:45
You know that uncomfortable middle space — where you can see the vision of who you’re becoming, but you’re not quite there yet? That’s what today’s episode is all about. Caitlin…
Nov 6, 2025 · 16:16
In today’s episode, Caitlin dives into why the RACE formula falls short for essay writing—and how the EBW Approach takes students from “answering questions” to thinking like real…
Nov 4, 2025 · 29:57
Today, on the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, Caitlin breaks down exactly why writing feels overwhelming — and how the problem isn’t you , it’s the system . You’ll discover…
Nov 3, 2025 · 9:09
When we think of courage, we often picture grand, dramatic moments — standing up to someone, taking a huge leap, or making a bold change. But in today’s Monday Mindset episode,…
Oct 30, 2025 · 10:31
Ready to turn ordinary review time into pure excitement? In today’s episode of The Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast , we’re bringing you another hit from our Classroom Games…
Oct 28, 2025 · 43:30
Your classroom culture starts with you. 💛 In this week’s episode, Caitlin shares three powerful mindset shifts that can completely transform how you show up—for yourself and…
Oct 23, 2025 · 9:30
Welcome back to our Games Series! Today, we’re bringing the energy with one of the most exciting review games you’ll ever play in your ELA classroom— Knockout. This game…
Oct 21, 2025 · 10:32
Halloween week in middle school can feel like complete chaos—costumes, candy, and zero focus. But what if you could channel that energy into something productive and fun ? In…
Listen in the Podli app 🎧
Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
Your podcast? Get the Podli badge for your site
