I might be in the minority, but I absolutely love teaching poetry. I especially love having kids write poems because I get to know my students on a deeper and more meaningful level. One of the steps to becoming a good poet is to be a good reader of poetry. However, many middle school kids don’t know where to start. Therefore, you need a good plan of action for poetry analysis. The key? Keep it simple. Read here for tips for poetry analysis in 4 easy steps.

We will discuss:

• Starting with songs
• Starting with small steps
• Poetry Analysis sheet to streamline the process
• Discussion

Let's connect!

• Subscribe: Get updates and free products when you subscribe
• Facebook Group: Middle School Language Arts Teacher
• Instagram: @all.in.one.middle.school
• Info on products: Follow me on TPT
• My website: www.allinonemiddleschool.com
• My TPT Store: All in One Middle School - TPT
• Email: lindacasaro22@gmail.com

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the All in One Middle School Membership!
• Poetry Activities for Middle School
• Free Poetry Analysis Sheet
• Free Poetry Discussion Questions
• My YouTube Channel – FREE lessons where I teach your class, plus First Chapter Fridays!
• One-on-One Coaching for Observations and Lessons
• Teaching Writing Workshop Course
• Click here to join the Middle School Language Arts Facebook Group

Teaching poetry...we either love it or hate it. I'm in the "love" category. Why? Poems are simply songs without the music...and middle schoolers love music. Once they understand that, and once we simplify the poetry writing process, they usually are in the "love" category as well. One way to simplify the process is by giving kids specific types of poems to write.

We will discuss how to write:

• Found Poems
• Calligrams
• Mask Poems
• Inanimate Object Poems
• Color Poems

Let's connect!

• Subscribe: Get updates and free products when you subscribe
• Facebook Group: Middle School Language Arts Teacher
• Instagram: @all.in.one.middle.school
• Info on products: Follow me on TPT
• My website: www.allinonemiddleschool.com
• My TPT Store: All in One Middle School - TPT
• Email: lindacasaro22@gmail.com

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the All in One Middle School Membership!
• How to Write 5 Engaging Poems - Blog Post
• Poetry Choice Board
• Poetry Activities for Middle School
• Free Poetry Writing Activity
• Blog Post on the 5 types of poems (with visuals)
• Blog post “How to Write Poetry in 5 Steps”.
• One-on-One Coaching for Observations and Lessons

If you are a middle school language arts teacher, teaching reading skills is a must.There is a certain "finesse" that you will need to do this well at the middle school level. This is the third in a mini-series on teaching reading skills to our middle schoolers. This episode focuses on teaching conflict in literature. Understanding types of conflict and how characters respond to conflict will be a definite skill for kids to have in their reading arsenal for the rest of their academic careers. Listen here for tips on teaching reading skills, specifically conflict in literature, in middle school.

We will discuss:

• Why Teach Conflict in Literature
• General tips on teaching reading skills
• What to include in a lesson on conflict in literature
• Practice with conflict in literature - activities for kids

Let's connect!

• Subscribe: Get updates and free products when you subscribe
• Facebook Group: Middle School Language Arts Teachers
• Instagram: @all.in.one.middle.school
• Info on products: Follow me on TPT
• My website: www.allinonemiddleschool.com
• My TPT Store: All in One Middle School - TPT
• Email: lindacasaro22@gmail.com

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the All in One Middle School Membership!
• Become an Email Subscriber
• Join our Middle School Language Arts Facebook Group!
• Conflict in Literature Mini-Lesson
• Conflict in Literature Centers
• Teaching Reading Mini-Lessons Podcast
• Free literary terms and plot structure mini-lesson
• Reading Workshop products available on TPT
• Coaching: Help with lesson planning and teacher observations
• Teaching Writing Workshop Course

If you are a middle school language arts teacher, then you teach reading skills. There is a certain "finesse" that you will need to do this well at the middle school level. This is the second in a mini-series on teaching reading skills to our middle schoolers. This episode focuses on teaching character analysis. Teaching a deep understanding about characters will be a definite skill for kids to have in their reading arsenal for the rest of their academic careers. Listen here for tips on teaching reading skills, specifically character analysis, in middle school.

We will discuss:

• Why Teach Character Analysis
• General tips on teaching reading skills
• Ideas for teaching character analysis in your classroom
• Practice with character analysis - activities for kids

Let's connect!

• Subscribe: Get updates and free products when you subscribe
• Facebook Group: Middle School Language Arts Teachers
• Instagram: @all.in.one.middle.school
• Info on products: Follow me on TPT
• My website: www.allinonemiddleschool.com
• My TPT Store: All in One Middle School - TPT
• Email: lindacasaro22@gmail.com

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the All in One Middle School Membership!
• Become an Email Subscriber
• Join our Middle School Language Arts Facebook Group!
• Character Analysis Centers
• Teaching Reading Mini-Lessons Podcast
• Free literary terms and plot structure mini-lesson
• Reading Workshop products available on TPT

Mini lessons on character analysis:

• Character Traits
• Character Identity
• Pressures on Character
• Less Likable Traits of Characters
• Minor Characters
• Coaching: Help with lesson planning and

If you are a middle school language arts teacher, then you teach reading skills. There is a certain "finesse" that you will need to do this well at the middle school level. This is the first in a mini-series on teaching reading skills to our middle schoolers, and we will begin with teaching plot structure. Teaching plot structure will be a definite skill for kids to have in their reading arsenal for the rest of their academic careers. Listen here for tips on teaching reading skills, specifically plot structure, in middle school.

We will discuss:

• Why Teach Plot
• General tips on teaching reading skills
• Practice with plot structure - activities for kids
• Free plot structure mini-lesson

Let's connect!

• Subscribe: Get updates and free products when you subscribe
• Facebook Group: Middle School Language Arts Teachers
• Instagram: @all.in.one.middle.school
• Info on products: Follow me on TPT
• My website: www.allinonemiddleschool.com
• My TPT Store: All in One Middle School - TPT
• Email: lindacasaro22@gmail.com

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the All in One Middle School Membership!
• Become an Email Subscriber
• Join our Middle School Language Arts Facebook Group!
• Plot Structure Centers
• Teaching Reading Mini-Lessons Podcast
• Free literary terms and plot structure mini-lesson
• Reading Workshop products available on TPT
• Coaching: Help with lesson planning and teacher observations
• Teaching Writing Workshop Course

It's December and you're a teacher. If these two things are true, I don't need to spend much time explaining why it is such a stressful time of year. You're busy at school and you're busy at home. The tasks never end. Instead of stressing, take a deep breath, grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine...no judgment), and listen for easy winter classroom ideas to not only survive December but crush it as well.

We will discuss:

• The Key: Planning
• Winter Classroom ideas
• Keeping some of the activities on the fun side
• Holiday Movies
• Holiday Parties
• Holiday Games
• The day back from winter break

Let's connect!

• Subscribe: Get updates and free products when you subscribe
• Facebook Group: Middle School Language Arts Teachers
• Instagram: @all.in.one.middle.school
• Info on products: Follow me on TPT
• My website: www.allinonemiddleschool.com
• My TPT Store: All in One Middle School - TPT
• Email: lindacasaro22@gmail.com

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the All in One Middle School Membership!
• Become an Email Subscriber
• Join our Middle School Language Arts Facebook Group!
• Winter/December Products on TPT
• New Year's Jamboard
• New Year's Color Code
• New Year's Flip Book
• Free December Planning Template
• Free Reading Response “It Says/I Say” Activity
• Holiday Karaoke
• Holiday Playlist
• Random Letter Generator
• Coaching: Help with lesson planning and teacher observations
• Teaching Writing Workshop Course

We are going to talk about a really exciting concept: GRAMMAR! Grammar lessons are the best! Just kidding. But, we know kids need it, so we must teach it. Yet somehow we are all over the place in this country with how we should teach it, when we should teach it, and how much we should teach it. I am hopeful that by sharing my many years of experience, you will feel more confident and on track with some of the ideas that I have to offer. We will discuss:

• Why teach grammar
• The importance of having some sort of grammar program
• 3 ways to sneak in grammar in creative ways

Let's connect!

• Subscribe: Get updates and free products when you subscribe
• Facebook Group: Middle School Language Arts Teachers
• Instagram: @all.in.one.middle.school
• Info on products: Follow me on TPT
• My website: www.allinonemiddleschool.com
• My TPT Store: All in One Middle School - TPT
• Email: lindacasaro22@gmail.com

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the All in One Middle School Membership!
• Become an Email Subscriber
• Join our Middle School Language Arts Facebook Group!
• Read the blogpost on using Google Questions
• Full-Year Grammar Program
• Free Grammar Sampler
• Halloween Pixel Art Parts of Speech
• FREE Back to School Parts of Speech Pixel Art
• Grammar Choice Board
• Fall and Winter Holidays Language Arts Boom™ Cards
• Coaching: Help with lesson planning and teacher observations
• Teaching Writing Workshop Course

This is the eighth and last part of a mini-series on reading workshop in middle school.

If you've started your reading workshop, I hope you are finding success and enjoyment in presenting your mini-lessons, having kids discuss in book clubs, and conferencing. But like everything else we do, we have to find a way to purposefully assess what our students have learned. Having some reading assessment examples might help.

We will discuss:

• Grading Reading Notebooks and Activities
• Grading Group Discussions
• “Cold Reads" for Final Assessments
• Writing Pieces for Final Assessments
• Choice Boards for Final Assessments

I am hopeful that through my experience, this podcast series will help guide and inspire you to either get started with a reading workshop model of teaching or to hone your skills further.

Let's connect!

• Subscribe: Get updates and free products when you subscribe
• Facebook Group: Middle School Language Arts Teachers
• Instagram: @all.in.one.middle.school
• Info on products: Follow me on TPT
• My website: www.allinonemiddleschool.com
• My TPT Store: All in One Middle School - TPT
• Email: lindacasaro22@gmail.com

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the All in One Middle School Membership!
• Become an Email Subscriber
• Reading Notebook Freebie
• Reading Workshop products available on TPT
• Coaching: Help with lesson planning and teacher observations
• Teaching Writing Workshop Course