PRESTO PLANS BLOG

There are so many things to love about teaching middle school. Middle schoolers are old enough to work independently – at least some of the time! Plus, it’s great to watch students in middle school starting to come into “their own” – developing their own hobbies, interests, and goals for the future. However, there’s a […]

One of the most common challenges I hear from middle school ELA teachers is: How to engage reluctant readers? I totally get how tough it can be to engage reluctant readers in middle and high school ELA. In my experience, most of them eventually come around, although you might have to get creative in your […]

It’s no secret that it’s crucial for teachers to build positive relationships with their students. In my experience, these strong connections are especially important in middle school, where classroom management can be a tricky art (and science!) to master! Over the years, I’ve developed a few tricks to support more effective middle school classroom management. […]

In my experience, there are two groups of ELA teachers in the world: those who love middle school novel study units, and those who don’t! Novel studies can be incredibly powerful tools in middle school ELA. They create a shared culture and common language around a specific text, and students can explore themes and connections […]

If you’re looking for Halloween teaching ideas for middle school ELA, you can’t go wrong with a spooky short story or drama! I love to incorporate seasonal elements into my lesson designs whenever I can, and Halloween is no exception! In my experience, middle schoolers love holidays just as much as their younger counterparts in […]

Do you find teaching poetry in middle school intimidating? I totally get it! I think there’s a real misconception among students that poetry is hard to relate to. For teachers, teaching poetry can sometimes feel like fighting an uphill battle, especially if you don’t identify as a “poetry person” yourself! I’ve got you covered. Teaching […]

Something I’ve always liked about middle and high school ELA is the freedom and flexibility to change things up, depending on the interests and learning styles of the students in your space. One of the simplest ways to do this is to use pop culture in the ELA classroom! A few twists and tweaks that […]