{"podcast":{"title":"Teaching Middle School ELA","slug":"teaching-middle-school-ela-341317","podcast_index_feed_id":341317,"rss_url":"https://rss.buzzsprout.com/2071023.rss","website_url":"https://ebacademics.com/","image_url":"https://storage.buzzsprout.com/1cc9gqye9zeab0de4s64gsb8570r?.jpg","author":"Caitlin Mitchell","episode_count":577,"summary":"Welcome to the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast , where we help English Language Arts teachers create dynamic, engaging lessons while balancing the everyday responsibilities of teaching middle school. I’m Caitlin Mitchell, a longtime ELA educator and curriculum creator, and I know firsthand how challenging it can be to manage grading, planning, and student needs—while still trying to have a life outside the classroom. That’s why every Tuesday and Thursday , I bring you practical strategies, curriculum inspiration, and innovative teaching ideas to help you feel confident, prepared, and energized. Whether you're looking to revamp your writing instruction, streamline your planning process, or engage even the most reluctant readers and writers, you’ll find actionable support here. You'll also hear real classroom stories, fresh lesson ideas, and occasional interviews with other passionate educators. If you teach reading and writing to middle schoolers and want to stay inspired and up-to-date with best practices in ELA education, you’re in the right place. Tune in every week and let’s transform your teaching—together.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-10T02:19:32.544878+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/teaching-middle-school-ela-341317"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 401: Graphic Group Essays: A Writing Assignment Your Students Will Actually Like","slug":"episode-401-graphic-group-essays-a-writing-assignment-your-students-will-actually-like","published_at":"2026-04-07T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/teaching-middle-school-ela-341317/episode-401-graphic-group-essays-a-writing-assignment-your-students-will-actually-like","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/teaching-middle-school-ela-341317","url":"https://www.buzzsprout.com/2071023/episodes/18974660-episode-401-graphic-group-essays-a-writing-assignment-your-students-will-actually-like.mp3","audio_url":"https://www.buzzsprout.com/2071023/episodes/18974660-episode-401-graphic-group-essays-a-writing-assignment-your-students-will-actually-like.mp3","summary":"April makes it hard to keep essay writing rigorous without burying ourselves in grading. We use graphic group essays to help students practise claims, evidence, and justification through a visual, collaborative process that keeps writing engaging and low stakes. • why April is the perfect time for a lighter essay structure • what a graphic group essay is and how it combines visual planning with group writing • using the strategy to replace a standard essay or prep for a formal draft • how co...","meta_description":"April makes it hard to keep essay writing rigorous without burying ourselves in grading. We use graphic group essays to help students practise claims, evi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":813,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/teaching-middle-school-ela-341317/episodes/episode-401-graphic-group-essays-a-writing-assignment-your-students-will-actually-like/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/teaching-middle-school-ela-341317/episode-401-graphic-group-essays-a-writing-assignment-your-students-will-actually-like.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}