The Hungry Teacher
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Features middle school grammar, reading, writing, ELA planning, and organization. Martina Cahill is Middle School ELA teacher committed to helping you improve your teaching & implement systems that help you get everything done during the school day.
The Hungry Teacher
2w ago
I’ve read my fair share of PD books, and some are much better than others. When I was in the classroom, I used these books for English teachers to enhance my lessons and work with students. Now, I utilize what I learn to create resources and workshops that support your efforts in the classroom. Through all my reading, I’ve landed on a few favorites that I refer back to time and time again.
I’m sharing these PD book titles because you’ll find endless options when you search online. But like I said, some aren’t that great. I don’t want you to waste your time reading the bad. Instead, you can pic ..read more
The Hungry Teacher
1M ago
Raise your hand if teaching narrative writing has you feeling stressed or overwhelmed. I’ve been there. Every writing unit seems to bring its own challenges and narrative writing has a few unique ones. Unlike other types of writing, narrative writing is more flexible and involves more creativity. But that doesn’t mean it’s without “rules”! Getting students to master the narrative writing elements is what will take their stories to the next level.
Tips for Teaching Narrative Writing
I spoke about this on another blog about using mentor texts novels, but I am a big fan of using mentor texts to t ..read more
The Hungry Teacher
1M ago
You would think narrative essays would be one of the easier forms of writing. Students have been interacting with narrative stories since they were little kids. Not to mention, we tell stories all the time in our daily lives. But actually writing narrative essays? It’s a big challenge for students. Using novel mentor texts for narrative writing is a super effective tool to guide students towards strong essays and develop independence with writing.
What are Narrative Writing Mentor Texts?
Mentor texts act as a model of the skill you want to teach students. They help deepen students’ understandi ..read more
The Hungry Teacher
2M ago
Let’s face it, grammar can be really boring – for you and your students. Not to mention, it feels like there is never enough time to teach it. Between your reading and writing units, where should you cram in daily grammar practice? I struggled with this, so I was committed to finding another way to teach grammar for middle schoolers. Luckily, I found a strategy that works and can be done in only a few minutes a day.
It’s Not Just You: Teaching Grammar is Hard
I’m going to guess one of the reasons you became an ELA teacher is because you love to engage in thoughtful discussions with students. T ..read more
The Hungry Teacher
2M ago
You’ve probably heard all the hype around the Science of Reading (SOR). Sounds pretty great, right? Research-based approaches to reading, sign me up! But a quick Google search turns out results like phonics, decoding, and phonemic awareness – topics we don’t usually cover in middle school ELA. So, where does that leave you when looking for strategies for struggling readers?
While a large portion of SOR focuses on lower-elementary, that doesn’t mean we have to throw it out the window completely. There are still valuable tools and strategies for struggling readers supported by SOR.
What is the S ..read more
The Hungry Teacher
3M ago
I’m a huge fan of using mentor texts in the classroom because I’ve seen what they can do. Traditionally in the classroom, students are given the definition of a concept, and then they jump straight into applying it. This leads to a lot of students feeling lost and teachers feeling frustrated when students can’t work independently. Mentor texts and mentor sentences make learning more tangible and support students’ understanding of a concept, so they can better apply it on their own.
What Are Mentor Texts?
Mentor texts act as a model of a skill you want to teach students. They can be sentences o ..read more
The Hungry Teacher
3M ago
One of my favorite classes I ever taught was a books and movie elective class. Students loved it. I loved it. In this class, we would read books that were made into movies for young adults. While teaching this class, I saw how movies were a huge incentive for students. I had reluctant readers who would finish a book because they wanted to compare it to the movie. I also saw kids get really excited about reading because they were familiar with a movie.
Of course, you don’t have to teach an elective to make this possible. You can incorporate popular books made into movies into your regular class ..read more
The Hungry Teacher
4M ago
Teaching middle school students how to write high-quality literary analysis can be a huge challenge. As I’m sure you’ve found, oftentimes, students’ literary analysis barely scratches the surface and sounds more like a summary than an analysis. While it can be tough to get students to go deep and move beyond the surface, I promise you it’s not impossible. Let’s talk about how to deepen students’ literary analysis essays and how to encourage deeper thinking.
What is Literary Analysis?
In a literary analysis essay, students analyze a piece of literature and interpret elements of the text with ev ..read more
The Hungry Teacher
5M ago
If the thought of student writing conferences makes you break out in a cold sweat, this one’s for you. Student writing conferences seem like a good idea, but the implementation can be a headache. Trying to conference with every student feels impossible. You’re not sure what to say during conferences or if you’re even helping. And then, you have to manage behavior while also meeting 1:1 with students. The good news is student writing conferences don’t have to be that way. After years of practice, I found tried-and-true strategies for student writing conferences that make them worth it.
Tips for ..read more
The Hungry Teacher
5M ago
Essay grading can be time-consuming and tedious. After years of trial and error, I found a great way to make grading papers easier while also helping my students produce better essays. It’s a win-win! Instead of doing all of the grading outside of school hours, I used writing conferences to support students and reduce grading time.
How to Reduce Time on Essay Grading
The best part about using writing conferences to reduce grading? There are truly no downsides. You get to meet with students 1:1. You can help students in real time and provide individualized support. And because you’ve help ..read more