Teaching tone and mood can get tricky fast. Students often hear both words and think, “Aren’t they basically the same thing?” And honestly, it makes sense. Both tone and mood deal with feelings. Both are connected to word choice. Both can shift throughout a text. But once students understand the difference, tone and mood become …
Exit tickets are one of the easiest ways to check for student understanding without adding a lot of extra work to your day. When used well, they give you quick insight into what students understood, what they are still confused about, and what you may need to reteach the next day. The key is to …
One of the most common writing struggles in middle school ELA is getting students to write more. You ask for a paragraph, and you get three sentences. You ask students to explain their thinking, and they write, “This shows the character is nice.” You ask for evidence, and they drop in a quote with no …
Figurative language can be one of the most fun ELA skills to teach—until students start calling every sentence a metaphor. Middle school students often understand figurative language when they hear it in songs, movies, jokes, and everyday conversations, but they may struggle to identify it in text or explain how it affects meaning. The key …
Teaching ELA with Limited Time Can Feel Impossible Teaching middle school ELA often feels like trying to fit an entire library into a lunchbox. You are expected to teach reading comprehension, writing, grammar, vocabulary, discussion, research, test prep, speaking and listening, digital literacy, and sometimes intervention skills too. Add in assemblies, testing windows, shortened schedules, …
As ELA teachers, we ask questions all day long. We ask questions during read-alouds, class discussions, small groups, exit tickets, writing conferences, novel studies, test prep, and pretty much every lesson in between. But not all questions require the same level of thinking. Some questions ask students to find an answer. Others ask students to …
Teaching thesis statements can feel like one of those lessons that should be simple…but somehow turns into a room full of blank stares. Students may understand that an essay needs a “main idea,” but when it comes time to write an actual thesis statement, they often give you something too broad, too vague, or just …
Teaching plot structure can feel simple at first: beginning, middle, end. Easy, right? Then students start mixing up the climax with the resolution, or they think every exciting moment is the climax, and suddenly plot structure becomes a lot less simple. One of the easiest ways to make plot structure click for middle school students …
Building student independence in ELA does not happen overnight. Many middle school students come into class expecting the teacher to explain every direction, define every word, and confirm every answer before they feel confident moving forward. While support is important, students also need opportunities to practice thinking, reading, writing, and problem-solving on their own. The …
Back in November, I decided to look at available jobs and start back interviewing for the 2026-2027 school year, because for some reason, that’s when they start hiring now. They like the availability of knowing before January that they have the position filled. I applied to several positions that started in January. Two of those …
