9 Literary Outfits for English Teachers


Teacher fashion is a whole different game than most of the "office" outfits that magazines and fashionistas say we can "wear to work".

18 Books for a Middle School Classroom Library


One of the toughest parts of teaching middle school English is choosing which books to recommend to each reader. In this age group, reading ability AND student maturity vary widely. Further, adults tend to disagree about which books are "appropriate" for middle school, so YA fiction with mature content can be risky.

7 Times to Put Students in Control of English Class


Sara: It's not easy to surrender control and trust middle school students to make decisions that will impact your curriculum, classroom, or content. 

But squeezing too tightly to your control can also choke their learning, especially in middle school, a time when students need to learn independent problem-solving. 

Writing with me today is Darlene Anne (the ELA Buffet), a fellow middle school ELA teacher.