How to Plan a Unit for Your ELA Classroom
If you’ve ever looked over your standards for the year and wondered how you will ever get through them all, you’re far from alone. It
A Lesson Plan Format for Deeply Exploring Standards
A lot of times when we think about planning a unit, we imagine really wide, sweeping units over an entire genre, like nonfiction. Or you
13 Different Ways to Host Classroom Book Clubs
Are you struggling to figure out how classroom book clubs or literature circles fit into your curriculum? If so, you aren’t alone! Finding ways to
Teaching Argumentative Writing in Middle School ELA: Part Two
If argumentative essays make you groan, you aren’t alone. Teaching and writing an argumentative essay can be challenging, which is why I’m diving deep into
Teacher Organization Hacks to Prepare For Next Year
The school year is winding down, and you can nearly taste summer break! Some teachers have a vacation planned, some will be living out their
Literature Circles and Book Clubs: Which one should you use?
Are you wanting to move towards student-led reading in your classroom, but you’re unsure where to start? We all want our students to love reading
Tips and Strategies for Book Clubs in Middle School ELA
Setting up book clubs in the classroom can be intimidating! You’re giving students lots of freedom and choice, which means things don’t always go as
Teaching Argumentative Writing in Middle School ELA: Part One
If you teach middle school, you know that teenagers have a lot of opinions! Luckily, you can use that to your advantage when teaching students
Ideas for Middle School First Chapter Fridays
Watching students come to life when they find a book they love has to be the best part about teaching. But, for some students, it’s
How to Teach Rhetorical Analysis in Middle School
When I say rhetorical analysis, do you cringe a little or show some excitement? I think most teachers cringe at the word, and I totally
My Favorite Books for 7th Graders
One of the best parts of being an ELA teacher? Getting to read young adult literature (especially with students). There is no better feeling than
Socratic Seminar: The Guide to Getting Started
When you became an English teacher, you probably dreamed of reading fun books in class and having deep discussions. But the reality is – diving
