Are you a middle school ELA teacher looking for practical, proven strategies to help your students grow as confident readers and writers? Middle School Café is your go-to podcast for engaging teaching ideas, classroom-tested tools, and real talk about what works in today’s ELA classroom. Each episode delivers actionable tips to help you close reading gaps, build student ownership, and create a classroom culture where literacy thrives. Whether you're navigating a curriculum, supporting struggling readers, or just looking for fresh ways to inspire your students, you'll find support, strategy, and a sense of community right here. Join a community of passionate middle school ELA teachers working to build confident, engaged readers. Visit www.middleschoolcafe.com for classroom tools, podcast extras, and resources to support every student on their reading journey.
In this episode, we are talking about reading anxiety, how to recognize it, why it holds students back, and six practical reading strategies you can start teaching right away to help move students past it. You’ll hear ideas for creating a safe, supportive classroom environment, giving students concrete steps to try when they get stuck, and building their stamina and confidence with challenging texts. These strategies are designed t...
Getting students to talk to each other in meaningful ways is harder than it sounds—but it’s a crucial part of building classroom community and engagement. In this episode, I’m diving into practical strategies you can use at the beginning of the year to help students feel safe and confident sharing their ideas in class.
From low-risk warm-ups and silly writing prompts to silent debates and structured turn and talks, I’ll walk you thr...
In this episode, we’re tackling a challenge many ELA teachers face—students struggling with reading stamina. With canned curriculum, short excerpts, and fast-paced instruction, students often lack the focus and endurance to finish full-length texts. We’ll dig into why reading stamina matters for critical thinking and long-term academic success, and I’ll share practical, classroom-tested strategies to help students stay engaged. Fro...
We’re kicking off a brand-new series on reading strategies for back to school—and this first episode is all about helping students see themselves as readers. I’m sharing my own story (spoiler: I didn’t always love reading), and how that experience shapes the way I build reading culture in my classroom. You’ll hear how I start the year with intentional conversations, low-stress activities like reader one-pagers, and time for student...
Think genre review is just for younger grades? Think again. In this episode, I’m breaking down why a simple genre review at the start of the year is one of the best ways to build reading confidence, spark student choice, and set the tone for meaningful reading conversations. You’ll get practical, low-prep ideas—including one of my favorite mystery-based review games—that help students reconnect with what they already know and start...
Think independent reading has to disappear with a canned curriculum? Not so fast. In this episode, I’m sharing how flexible, low-pressure reading challenges can help you keep independent reading alive—even when you're tied to a scripted program. You’ll get ideas for tying challenges to curriculum themes, recognizing effort without rewards, and giving students meaningful roles that promote ownership. Whether you already use in...
As the school year wraps up, it’s not just our students who benefit from reflection—we do, too. In this episode, I’m taking a step back to do my own end of year reflection. I’m sharing what worked in my classroom this year and what I’ve decided to leave behind. From managing tech use to reconnecting with parents through positive communication, I’ll walk you through the shifts I’m making for next year—and why.
Whether you’re still fi...
Want to help your students move beyond surface-level thinking during independent reading? In this episode, I’m sharing practical ways to build deeper comprehension through structured student reflection. From weekly check-ins and book talks to one-on-one conferences and end-of-unit reflections, you’ll get flexible strategies that fit into your existing routine. These simple but powerful tools help students track their growth, talk a...
Student reflection is one of the most overlooked tools for building reading comprehension. This episode shares easy ways to make reflection part of your regular reading routine using strategies like Stop and Jot, Sketch Notes, and partner discussions.
Whether you're working on reading comprehension, critical thinking, or just trying to keep students more engaged during independent reading, these practical ideas will help studen...
In this special bonus episode, I’m hitting pause on my usual content to have an honest and much-needed conversation about teacher burnout. While I typically focus on teaching strategies, classroom routines, student engagement, and building a love of reading, today I’m shifting the spotlight to the emotional toll this profession can take—because supporting our students starts with supporting ourselves.
I’ll walk you through what burn...
Let’s be honest — keeping students engaged during the final weeks of school is tough. In this episode, I’m continuing our conversation about re-engaging students by sharing practical, low-stress ways to bring more student choice into your classroom.
We’ll talk about how to give students a voice without creating chaos, why even small shifts in how we structure tasks can lead to more buy-in, and how letting students make some of the d...
Looking for a meaningful way to keep students engaged in reading—at the end of the year or really any time? In this episode, I’m sharing how student-led book talks can build confidence, spark authentic reading conversations, and create a classroom culture where students want to read. You’ll learn how I structure book talks to keep things low-stress and flexible, how they differ from traditional book reports and book clubs, and how ...
If you’ve ever wondered how to make vocabulary instruction more engaging and effective without adding to your packed schedule, this episode is for you! In part two of our vocabulary mini-series, we explore low-prep strategies that help students truly learn, use, and remember new words—making vocabulary a consistent and meaningful part of their learning.
Read more in the show notes.
Let me help you with these FREE Vocabulary ideas!
Is vocabulary instruction getting enough attention in your classroom? We’ve moved away from traditional word lists—but have we gone too far? Vocabulary is key to reading, writing, and confidence, yet many students struggle simply because they don’t know the words they need to understand or express ideas.
In this episode, we’ll cover why vocabulary matters and how to make it a natural part of your lessons—without adding to your workl...
How do we hold students accountable for independent reading without turning it into a chore? In this episode, I’m sharing creative, low-pressure strategies that promote reading engagement while still helping you track progress. You’ll hear practical ideas like peer-to-peer book recs, simple reflection tools, and interactive activities that make accountability feel fun and meaningful—even for reluctant readers. Whether you’re buildi...
Welcome to the first full episode of our relaunched podcast! In this episode, we’re exploring the importance of independent reading and its place in the classroom, even when a canned curriculum is in play. With a focus on flexibility and consistency, we’ll discuss how to create space for student choice and foster a love of reading in a structured environment.
If you’ve ever wondered whether independent reading can coexist with curri...
After an extended hiatus, the Middle School Café Podcast is back! In this special relaunch episode, I’m sharing why I took a step away, the lessons learned during this time, and what’s ahead for the podcast in 2025. Tune in to hear about the new format, a renewed focus on actionable strategies for middle and high school ELA teachers, and my mission to help all students grow as readers. Whether you’re a seasoned teacher or new to th...
Helping students find their “just right” book is one of the most powerful ways we can nurture lifelong readers. In this episode, I’m sharing practical strategies to match students with books that fit both their reading level and personal interests—so reading feels enjoyable, not like a task. You’ll learn how to use book talks to build anticipation, how to make the most of your classroom and school library, and why access and choice...
In a world full of distractions—social media, video games, and viral content—getting students excited about reading can feel tough. But teacher book talks might be the secret weapon you didn’t know you needed. In this episode, I’m sharing how teacher-led book talks act like movie trailers for books, sparking curiosity, building anticipation, and showing students that reading can be just as exciting as their favorite screen time. Y...
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...
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!