If you're teaching ESL to middle schoolers, you know how important it is to make learning fun and engaging. That's why projects are such a great idea. They give students a chance to use their English skills in a real-world setting, while also exploring their interests and learning about different cultures. Here are a few project ideas that have worked well for me in the past. Each of these can be used in any multi-level class including those with different levels of English proficiency. I’ve used them in my 6th-grade multicultural studies class as well as my high school ESL classes.

As a teacher, finding time for everything can feel like a never-ending battle, right? From planning lessons and grading papers to meetings and helping students, it's easy to get overwhelmed. But, I have some tips that helped me free up my time this school year, and I'm sharing them with you in the hopes that they might help you too!

These strategies are the best ways to increase student engagement in the classroom. You as the teacher can establish an environment that encourages academic growth and develops a genuine love of learning in middle school and high school students. It’s important to remember that customizing these methods to meet the unique needs and preferences of your students can make a significant difference in student engagement and motivation levels throughout the school year. Besides, they’re good educational practices that make a huge impact on academic performance.

Socratic Seminars are amazing for ESL reading classes. They help students love learning, develop critical thinking skills, and confidently express themselves in English. Embrace the process, share your experiences, take this opportunity to create classrooms that are full of enriching discussions and learning.

Discover ten compelling ways to incorporate authentic writing opportunities into your secondary English classroom for ESL students. From pen pal exchanges to mock job applications, these practices foster real-life language application, encourage self-expression, and empower students with practical language skills, making the learning process engaging and meaningful.

Learn ten effective strategies tailored to ESL students, making language learning engaging and inclusive. From pre-teaching vocabulary to providing scaffolded assignments and promoting real-life language application, empower your students with a customized approach that fosters success and confidence in the English classroom.

Empower ESL students with effective reading response strategies tailored to their language proficiency levels. Learn actionable approaches, from pre-teaching vocabulary to extensive modeling, ensuring comprehension and confidence in English Language Learners' written reflections.

Learning verb tenses and verb forms can be a whole lot of fun! In this blog post, we'll explore 10 engaging activities tailored for secondary ESL classrooms that will help your students grasp verb tenses, irregular verbs, and verb forms with ease.

Here’s a teaching strategy that can make a world of difference in your students' reading comprehension: questioning while reading. In this blog post, we'll explore why asking questions during reading is such a game-changer, break down the types of questions, and provide you with examples to promote deeper comprehension.

In this blog post, we're going to explore effective strategies to make teaching idioms and figurative language a breeze and a barrel of fun. No pun intended.

Great activities that will add a dash of adventure to your classroom without sacrificing your students' reading and critical thinking skills. If you've been looking for a way to break the routine and make learning more engaging and interactive, you're in for a treat.

In this blog post, you’ll explore how you can tailor your teaching to meet the unique needs of your EB students.

Students learning English as a second language benefit tremendously from pre-reading strategies, the use of visual aids, and other supplementary materials. In this blog post, you’ll find 6 ways you can help your Emergent Bilingual students succeed in comprehending grade-level material

As an ESL teacher, I've found that the key to making adjectives come alive for students is through hands-on and enjoyable experiences. In this blog post, I'm going to share 10 interactive activities that are sure to engage and educate your ESL students about adjectives.

Here are some handy tips to make your weekly planning a breeze while staying sane. Assign a day for each of your administrative tasks. These include lesson planning, grading, parent communication, and other administrative tasks.

It's amazing how similar the grammar curriculum is throughout the years starting from first grade all the way to high school. Unfortunately, we still get students who need the basics, and even worse still is that the resources available for the basic skills, such as subject and predicate, are geared toward younger children.

This "All About My Country" project sparks curiosity and helps build rapport with your students. In this blog post, I'll walk you through the ins and outs of implementing this project in your classroom and share how it can transform your teaching experience.

The blog post discusses the importance of preparing ESL students for end-of-year state testing. It provides tips on how to do this, including building a strong foundation in language skills, practicing test-taking strategies, and creating a supportive classroom environment.

Here you’ll find a compiled a list of ten of the best back-to-school icebreakers that will leave our ESL students smiling and eager to learn.

Having routines in place provides the structure and familiarity that you and your students need in order to feel prepared every day.

In this blog post, you’ll find 5 of the best back-to-school classroom routines that will save your sanity throughout the school year.