Middle School Café - A Podcast for Secondary ELA Teachers

In a world filled with distractions like video games, social media, and viral TikTok videos, inspiring a love for reading in students can feel like an uphill battle. However, in this week's episode, we dive into a powerful tool that can captivate even the most reluctant readers: teacher book talks.

Think of teacher book talks as the trailers of the literary world. Much like a movie trailer teases the most exciting par...

Today, we are exploring the importance of establishing consistent routines and procedures in the classroom and how they will help us in building a classroom community. While focusing on middle school students, the ideas provided are relevant to all grade levels. Discover how well-defined routines and procedures create a thriving learning environment. We explore the impact these practices have on student comfort, engagement, and com...

This episode explores the importance of building strong teacher-student relationships that extend beyond getting to know you activities. I discuss the misconception that teachers need to be friends with their students, emphasizing instead the value of creating a professional and caring connection. These relationships foster a sense of belonging, individualized learning, trust, and motivation. I also provide practical strategies for...

Imagine turning your classroom into a hip coffee shop or observing your students actively browsing through your classroom bookshelves to create poetry.  This is exactly what we are talking about in this episode!  Katie Saj from Mochas and Markbooks stops by for a fun interview about creative ideas she uses to engage her students in reading!

Katie shared her amazing classroom transformation inspired by the cozy vibes of Tim Hort...

Escape rooms are inclusive and engaging activities that consist of games and puzzles aimed at fostering critical thinking and creativity.  In this week’s episode, Lyndsey from Lit with Lyns shares her experience in both creating and presenting digital escape rooms in her secondary ELA classroom. Escape rooms can be tailored to introduce or review various topics, making them the perfect activity any time of year. Regardless of stude...

In this episode, we explore the benefits of book talks and their impact on students' motivation as students promote books they loved to their peers.  Join me as I interview Mary Pat from Just Add Students, who shares her firsthand experience with implementing book talks in the classroom. 

Unveiling the secrets of effective book talks, Mary Pat unravels the art of captivating hooks, genre introductions, concise summaries, i...

The pandemic has left many middle school students with learning gaps in their writing abilities.  Join me this week as I interview Lisa from Mrs. Spangler in the Middle, who has developed a writing program created specifically for middle school students that focuses on addressing those gaps. 

Discover the transformative power of Leveled Writing Labs, an innovative writing intervention program created by Lisa and tested by teach...

Reading is a fundamental skill that forms the foundation for all other academic subjects and is an important life skill!  In this episode, I’m joined by Jennifer from Books, Babbles & Bows.  We explore several strategies to promote reading and discuss practical methods for holding students accountable. Strategies such as assigning regular reading time, using book trailers and first-chapter Fridays to generate interest, allowing...

When students are given choices, their engagement and output increase, leading to a sense of ownership in their learning. Join me this week as I interview Kristy from 2 Peas and a Dog about the importance and benefits of student choice. 

In this episode, Kristy and I discuss the power of student choice in the classroom and its impact on engagement and learning. We explore how offering choices, such as choice reading or topic selecti...

Centers, also known as learning stations, offer a structured approach to self-directed learning activities in the classroom. In today’s episode, Rachel from Uniquely Upper highlights several benefits of incorporating centers, with one key advantage being the ability to provide differentiated instruction for all students. In a classroom with diverse learning styles, abilities, and interests, centers allow teachers to accommodate the...

Today is launch day for the book, Motivating Readers: Teaching in the Post-Pandemic Era!  In today’s episode, I share why I wrote the book and what I hope you will gain by reading the book.  

Motivating Readers: Teaching in the Post Pandemic Era, is written for secondary ELA teachers. It acknowledges the challenges faced during the pandemic and emphasizes the need to address the learning gaps in student knowledge and adjust tea...

In today’s episode, I’m sharing with you my reflections on this past school year.  I share both the positive things I implemented that I’ll be keeping and a few areas where I want to make some changes. It is important to take some time at the end of the school year to reflect on the past year as it allows me to ponder the ideas over the summer and be ready to make adjustments in the fall. 

In this episode, I share my reflection...

In this week's episode, I'm discussing independent reading in your secondary ELA classroom by answering five thought-provoking questions submitted by listeners. Join me as I share practical strategies and insights to make independent reading a more positive experience for both you and your students.

In this Q&A episode on Independent Reading, I share: 

• Prioritize reading to help students value it and develop a ...

Summer break is just around the corner, and it's the perfect time to rest, recharge, reflect, and invest in some relevant professional development.  In today’s episode, I’m sharing books that have changed and inspired my own professional practices.  

If you're looking for ways to enhance your teaching skills and inspire best practices in reading instruction, I've got you covered. In this blog post, I've cura...

In this episode, I share the idea of productive struggle and its significance in education. Productive struggle is all about allowing students to tackle challenging tasks with limited adult intervention, enabling them to develop problem-solving skills, build confidence, and cultivate critical thinking abilities. Throughout the episode, I highlight the common tendency for both new and veteran teachers to provide answers too quickly,...

In this episode, I explore the importance of teaching students how to reflect on their learning and the impact it can have on their educational journey. By encouraging students to reflect, we shift their mindset from viewing education as something that happens to them to realizing that they have control over their learning. Reflection helps students understand how they learn, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and set more sp...

A classroom library is important for improving literacy as it provides access to books and reading materials that are essential for developing reading skills. In this week’s episode, I discuss the value of having a classroom library and tips for keeping it updated by spending time reviewing it each year.  Having a well-stocked classroom library is critical for student literacy development. 

Additionally, I will provide you with...

In this episode, I share some end of the year tasks for teachers that will set you up for a smoother back to school in the fall.  Teaching is stressful and there are many things to manage before you leave for summer break.   I talk about how to close out the year, review your library, make copies of activities you'll use in the first few weeks, and remind you to take a moment to reflect on the successes from the year!

It&a...

Teaching has significantly changed in the past few years!  Students returned to the classroom with large learning gaps and teachers are left to pick up the pieces. The traditional methods of teaching are no longer as effective as they once were, and teachers are struggling to find ways to motivate students to engage. To help address these issues, I’ve written a book titled Motivating Readers: Teaching in the Post Pandemic Era.

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