Middle School Café – Strategies & Support for Middle School ELA Teachers

Carolyn Wahl - Middle School ELA
  • 5.0 (3)
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  • Updated Weekly

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. 

  1. 5d ago

    Summer Book Study: Reflecting on Reading Instruction [Bonus]

    In this special bonus episode, I'm sharing three key ideas from our summer book study of In the Best Interest of Students by Kelly Gallagher. Whether you're reading the book along with us or hearing about it for the first time, you'll come away with practical reflections to consider as you prepare for the new school year. We explore the importance of protecting instructional practices that help students become readers, creating meaningful reading experiences, and recognizing how small instructional decisions shape students over time. Rather than offering a list of new strategies, this episode is an invitation to pause and reflect on your own teaching. What practices are worth protecting? What reading experiences will your students remember? And how can small, consistent choices make a lasting difference throughout the school year? If you're looking for thoughtful encouragement as you begin planning for the months ahead, I hope you'll find an idea or two to carry into your classroom this fall. Want to be part of the conversation? Join our free Building Strong & Confident Readers community! I go live each Monday throughout the summer to discuss another chapter and reflect on practical ideas for the classroom. We still have several chapters to go, and all previous discussions are available as replays.  FREE ELA Community Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/ TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

    11 min

  2. Jun 16

    Creating Readers Requires More Than Reading Instruction [Ep. 79]

    Creating readers is one of the most important goals of ELA instruction, but it's also one of the hardest things to measure. In this episode, I explore the difference between reading instruction and reading practice and ask an important question: Are we helping students become readers? As schools continue to focus on improving reading achievement, I wonder if we've unintentionally reduced the amount of time students spend actually reading. We'll talk about reading identity, the role of reading practice, and why students need more than reading skills if we want them to develop a lasting relationship with reading. We'll also discuss what happens when reading becomes primarily a performance task, why some of the outcomes we value most are difficult to measure, and how creating readers requires us to think beyond today's lesson or assessment. If you've been looking for ways to balance reading instruction, reading practice, and independent reading within a structured curriculum, this episode offers a thoughtful conversation about helping students become readers for the long term. ELA Reset Summit - Grab your free ticket! Community Book Study - In the Best Interest of Students by Kelly Gallagher Read more in the show notes.  FREE ELA Community Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/ TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

    13 min

  3. Jun 2

    Building Reading Culture Through Student Experience [Ep. 78]

    What makes a classroom feel like a reading classroom? In this episode, we explore the difference between a classroom where reading is simply part of the curriculum and a classroom where reading becomes part of the culture. We'll discuss what students experience in strong reading classrooms, how reading culture develops over time, and why students are constantly paying attention to what is truly valued in our classrooms. Reading identity, student confidence, belonging, and the role of everyday experiences are all part of creating a culture where students see themselves as readers. This episode also explores why reading becomes more meaningful when it feels social, how early successes help build trust and confidence, and what students are likely to remember long after they leave our classrooms. Read more in the show notes.  Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here! Related episodes and blog posts:  Cultivating a Culture of Reading in the ELA Classroom12 Ways To Encourage a Culture of ReadingBuilding a Reading Culture-Where Reading Feels Like BelongingHow to Create a Culture of Reading in the Middle School Classroom that Will Excite Your StudentsHow to Support Struggling Readers and Reduce Reading AnxietyJoin the FREE ELA community for ongoing conversations about building strong, confident readers. If you found this episode helpful, feel free to share it with a colleague. FREE ELA Community Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/ TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

    15 min

  4. May 19

    End-of-Year Teacher Reflections: What to Keep and What to Change [Ep. 77]

    End of year teacher reflections can be easy to skip as you’re wrapping up your classroom and heading into summer, but taking a few minutes to pause can make a real difference in how you plan, prioritize, and start the next school year. In this episode, we’re focusing on teacher reflections in a way that feels simple and manageable. You’ll think through what actually worked with your students, where you saw growth beyond test scores, and how to recognize the small moments that made an impact. We’ll also talk about how to use those reflections to make intentional decisions for next year, including what to keep, what to adjust, and how to walk into your classroom with more clarity and confidence. This isn’t about creating a long list or overanalyzing every detail. It’s about using what you’ve already experienced to guide your next steps so you can head into the next school year feeling prepared and focused. Join the FREE ELA community for ongoing conversations about building strong, confident readers. If you found this episode helpful, feel free to share it with a colleague. Read more in the show notes.  Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here! Resources you may find helpful: Student Reflection Sheets for End of Unit or End of YearStudent Reflections End of Unit Visual Reflection PromptsReading Reflection SheetsRelated episodes and blog posts:  Teacher Reflection: What Worked This Year And What I’m Leaving BehindReflective Students in 5 Easy Steps  FREE ELA Community Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/ TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

    12 min

  5. May 5

    5 Student Reflection Strategies for the End of the Year [Ep. 76]

    As the school year starts to wind down, this episode focuses on helping students recognize how much they’ve grown since the beginning of the year. Without time to reflect, a lot of that progress goes unnoticed.  Today’s conversation looks at why reflection matters and how it helps students see themselves as learners who have made real progress, not just students completing assignments. It also addresses why common reflection questions tend to lead to surface-level answers and how small shifts in the way we ask reflection questions can make a big difference. You’ll walk away with five simple, practical ideas you can use right away, from having students name something they’re proud of to thinking about how they learn and how they’ve changed as readers. Each strategy is easy to implement and designed to help students make clear connections between what they did and how they’ve grown. The goal is to create space for meaningful reflection so students leave your class with a stronger sense of confidence and a clearer understanding of what they’re capable of moving forward. Read more in the show notes.  Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here! Resources you may find helpful: Student Reflection Sheets for End of Unit or End of YearStudent Reflections End of Unit Visual Reflection PromptsReading Reflection SheetsRelated episodes and blog posts:  Easy Ways to Build Student Reflection into Your ELA RoutineEmpower Students with Reflection OpportunitiesStudent Reflection Strategies to Promote Ownership and Growth Join the FREE ELA community for ongoing conversations about building strong, confident readers. If you found this episode helpful, feel free to share it with a colleague. FREE ELA Community Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/ TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

    12 min

  6. Apr 21

    Using Questioning to Strengthen Reading Comprehension [Ep. 75]

    Are your students answering questions but still struggling with true comprehension? In this episode, we’re talking about how to use questioning to move students beyond basic recall and into deeper, critical thinking. You’ll learn how small shifts in the questions you ask can significantly impact how students read, think, and respond to text. This episode focuses on practical strategies you can use right away, including how to ask higher-level questions, how to support students when they struggle to respond, and how to guide them toward stronger, evidence-based thinking. Read more in the show notes.  Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here! Related episodes and blog posts:  Moving Students Beyond Surface-Level Reading7 Ways to Help Middle School Students Who Struggle with Reading ComprehensionHow to Reduce Reading Anxiety: 6 Strategies for Confident ReadersPractical Ways to Increase Reading Stamina Join the FREE ELA community for ongoing conversations about building strong, confident readers. If you found this episode helpful, feel free to share it with a colleague. FREE ELA Community Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/ TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

    16 min

  7. Apr 7

    Rebuilding Reading Stamina After Spring Break [Ep. 74]

    After spring break, it’s common to see a shift in student focus, especially in reading. In this episode, we’re talking about how to rebuild reading stamina without starting over or adding more tasks to your already long list of To Dos. You’ll walk away with practical ways to reset routines, re-engage students, and build stamina back through structured discussion. We’ll focus on using classroom discussion to support reading, including strategies like purposeful turn and talks, stop-and-jot, structured discussion prompts, claim-it discussions, and small group collaboration. If you’re looking for simple, effective ways to help students stay connected to texts, strengthen comprehension, and rebuild reading stamina before testing season, this episode will give you clear, classroom-ready ideas you can use right away. Read more in the show notes.  Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here! Join the FREE ELA community for ongoing conversations about building strong, confident readers. If you found this episode helpful, feel free to share it with a colleague. Related episodes and blog posts:  Moving Students Beyond Surface-Level ReadingCreating Better Readers with Short StoriesHow to Reduce Reading Anxiety: 6 Strategies for Confident Readers FREE ELA Community Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/ TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

    16 min

  8. Mar 31 ·  Bonus

    Teachers Need Teachers: Why Support Matters in the Classroom [Bonus]

    Teaching reading in middle school involves constant decision-making. Teachers are choosing texts, adjusting strategies, supporting struggling readers, and working to keep students engaged in meaningful conversations about books. Much of that work happens independently, with limited time during the school day to talk through ideas, ask questions, or learn from colleagues who are facing the same challenges. In this bonus episode, we take a step back and talk about why teacher support matters. Some of the most valuable insights come from conversations with other educators who understand the realities of the classroom. When teachers have space to share ideas, talk through challenges, and learn from each other’s experiences, the work of helping students become stronger readers becomes more collaborative and a little less isolating.  Come join us inside the free Building Strong & Confident Readers teacher community.  FREE ELA Community Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/ TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

    8 min
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About

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. 

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