Mrs. Beers Language Arts Classroom

5 Time Management Tips for the Middle School ELA Classroom

Erin Beers — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 18:14:28 +0000

Between homework turn-ins, read-aloud chapters, lesson instruction, questions, and discussions, a middle school ELA block disappears FAST. That’s why it is important to build time-management structures into your classroom routines. Here are 5 ways I help my middle schoolers understand how much time they have ...

Creative Book Report Alternatives That Nurture Real Readers

Erin Beers — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:54:53 +0000

I have graded a LOT of book reports in 26 years of teaching. Same five paragraphs, same plot summary, same “the theme of this book is…” sentence matched across every report. It’s often hard to tell if they even liked a single page of the ...

Remembering 9/11 in my ELA Classroom

Erin Beers — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:20:09 +0000

America has had plenty of tragedies that are not easy to explain to our children. 9/11 is one of those events, but it is also an important part of American history. Here are the activities I utilize to teach and discuss the events surrounding September ...

10 Things 6th Graders Want You to Know…Rapport Building 101

Erin Beers — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 18:11:23 +0000

I’ve taught 6th graders for over 10 years, so while I may not be an expert, I do know a thing or two about building trust and rapport with them. It is a grade level that I love, but 6th grade is NOT for everyone. I ...

Quick Strategies for Student Engagement and Assessment

Erin Beers — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:38:15 +0000

The idea of engaging AND assessing students from MINUTE ONE of DAY ONE sounds a little crazy, right? But after 26 years of teaching middle school ELA, I promise it’s possible, and it doesn’t require a single worksheet. Every group of students I’ve taught is ...

Easy Classroom Banners Using Canva and Walgreens Printing

Erin Beers — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 22:44:01 +0000

One trend I just had to try this year was designing my own classroom banners like the ones you see all over TikTok. My first concern, though, was about the printing quality. Could I design something large enough in Canva, with enough resolution, that it ...