Teaching text structure goes beyond identifying signal words in short passages. To truly understand how informational texts work, students need opportunities to think like authors and make decisions about how information is organized. In this post, I share a step-by-step activity that helps students move from identifying text structure to writing their own informational paragraphs with support and purpose.
Read MoreOnce students can identify text structure in short passages, the next challenge is helping them apply the skill to longer texts. Text structure stations are an effective way to move from quick practice to real application. In this post, I share exactly how I set up text structure stations, group students, choose articles, and guide students through the process so the focus stays on meaningful thinking instead of guessing.
Read MoreTeaching text structure in middle school works best when students understand why authors organize information the way they do. Before diving into practice or analysis, I always start with a foundation lesson that helps students think like authors.
In this post, I share how I introduce text structure, connect it to real-life thinking students already do, and use engaging practice to make the concept stick.
Read MoreWhen my students scored an average of 30% on questions asking how individuals, events, and ideas interact in informational texts, I knew something had to change. They understood basic cause and effect, but they struggled to explain the relationships within a text — who influenced what, how events shaped ideas, and why one moment led to another.
So I built a simple, step-by-step mini lesson that shows students exactly how to track connections while reading.
Read MoreRevising and editing are often the hardest parts of the writing process—for both students and teachers. By the time students reach the final period, they’re ready to be done, not go back.
In this post, I walk through how I teach revising and editing in a way that actually works for middle schoolers. You’ll see how I separate revising from editing, keep the process focused, and give students clear steps so they can improve their writing without feeling overwhelmed.
Read MoreThe change section of a personal narrative isn’t about explaining the lesson—it’s about showing how a moment actually mattered. In this post, I walk through how I teach students to write meaningful change sections using mentor texts and clear, manageable steps.
Read MoreWhen students write personal narratives, the challenge section is often rushed or summarized even though it’s the most important part of the story. In this post, I share how I teach students to slow down the challenge, stay inside the moment, and “show their work” using mentor texts and clear writing structure.
Read MoreStarting a personal narrative is often the hardest part for students—not because they lack ideas, but because they think the beginning has to be dramatic. In this post, I share how I teach the beginning of a personal narrative using a quiet mentor text and three simple ways to help students place readers inside a moment without overwhelming them.
Read MoreWhen students struggle with writing personal narratives, the problem usually isn’t the writing—it’s the planning. In this post, I share how I teach students to plan one meaningful moment instead of an entire life story, using a simple three-part structure that actually helps them draft with confidence.
Read MoreBefore students can write strong personal narratives, they need to understand what a personal narrative actually is. In this post, I share how I teach the overview of personal narrative writing so students focus on one meaningful moment with a clear beginning, challenge, and change.
Read MoreHelp students explore friendship, loyalty, time, and change with this engaging and meaningful lesson based on After Twenty Years by O. Henry.
This resource is designed to go beyond basic comprehension and guide students through discussion, close reading, analysis, and reflective writing. You can use the full lesson sequence or choose individual components based on your time and students’ needs.
Read MoreIn middle school, most students already know the terms protagonist and antagonist.
They’ve heard them for years — but their understanding often stops there.
And honestly? That’s totally fine for elementary school.
But once they hit middle school, it’s time to go deeper.
Our goal is to help students see that character types aren’t just vocabulary words. They’re the building blocks that shape every story.
Read MoreHave you ever read a student’s “summary” that’s really just every single detail of the story crammed into one never-ending run-on sentence?
Or, on the flip side, the student who fully embraces minimalism—“The article was about whale sharks.” The end.
Makes you want to lay your head down on your desk and ‘accidentally’ let their papers fall into the trash can, doesn’t it?
Well…head up, buttercup! ☕ There’s an easy way to teach objective summaries, and I promise—it actually clicks.
Here’s how you can easily get your students writing solid, structured, and actually objective summaries:
Read Moret was 2:00 PM, 6th period, and I had a couple of advanced students sitting at their desks, vacantly staring at their independent book, clearly done with their assignment (and their day).
They’d crushed the Voices from the Woods project early (check that one out here) and were pretending to read—but let’s be real, they were just staring at me.
I had two options: let them stare holes into my soul for the rest of class or pivot.
Read Morehad one of those teacher moments recently where I realized my usual lesson wasn’t going to cut it.
I gave my advanced class a pretest on narrative point of view, expecting to find a few areas to reinforce.
Instead? Most of my students had already mastered the basics!
I knew the usual mini lesson I was using with my regular classes would be too easy and repetitive—I needed something that would push them to think deeper and apply their knowledge in a creative way.
Read MoreThat first week back after winter break... whew. 😅
Students are sluggish, attention spans are short, and getting back into the groove can feel like trying to run through quicksand.
I know the feeling—so why not channel that “fresh start” energy into something meaningful and easy to implement?
I’ve got just the thing.
Read MoreResearch shows that setting goals before a test helps students focus and take ownership of their learning. I’ve seen it firsthand: when students are invested in their own growth, they try harder. It’s not always about passing the test—it’s about doing better than last time.
And let me tell you, the shift in mindset has been a game-changer.
Read Moreknow teaching inference and text evidence can sometimes feel like an uphill battle (especially when you’re trying to help students read between the lines and they are just so literal).
That’s why I’m so excited to share something that might make your life a little easier!
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