{"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 421: The Real Reason You're Still at School at 6 PM (And It's Not Your To-Do List)","slug":"episode-421-the-real-reason-you-re-still-at-school-at-6-pm-and-it-s-not-your-to-do-list","published_at":"2026-06-18T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/teaching-middle-school-ela-341317/episode-421-the-real-reason-you-re-still-at-school-at-6-pm-and-it-s-not-your-to-do-list","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/teaching-middle-school-ela-341317","url":"https://www.buzzsprout.com/2071023/episodes/19366164-episode-421-the-real-reason-you-re-still-at-school-at-6-pm-and-it-s-not-your-to-do-list.mp3","audio_url":"https://www.buzzsprout.com/2071023/episodes/19366164-episode-421-the-real-reason-you-re-still-at-school-at-6-pm-and-it-s-not-your-to-do-list.mp3","summary":"If you have ever looked up at the clock and realized you are still in your classroom at 6 PM, we want you to hear this clearly: the real problem is not your to-do list. It is the belief underneath it. I walk through the story so many teachers live, the custodian making rounds while we are still grading, planning, and convincing ourselves that this is just “what good teachers do.” To make it practical, I give a simple three-step framework built for middle school ELA teachers who want re...","meta_description":"If you have ever looked up at the clock and realized you are still in your classroom at 6 PM, we want you to hear this clearly: the real problem is not yo…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1029,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/teaching-middle-school-ela-341317/episodes/episode-421-the-real-reason-you-re-still-at-school-at-6-pm-and-it-s-not-your-to-do-list/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-421-the-real-reason-you-re-still-at-school-at-6-pm-and-it-s-not-your-to-do-list.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}