The EB Academics Blog
Evidence-Based Strategies for ELA Success
Welcome to the EB Academics Blog, where our mission is to support and serve Middle School ELA teachers with engaging and rigorous lesson ideas backed by educational research. Each post offers practical strategies designed to increase student learning outcomes while helping you find joy and sustainability in your teaching practice. Our evidence-based approach ensures you can implement these techniques with confidence.
Narrative writing units have a way of taking over the calendar.
Students need time to brainstorm. Draft. Revise. Edit. Rewrite.
And before you know i...
If you’ve ever been halfway through your weekend when the panic hits—
Wait… do we have a test next week?
What am I doing with seventh grade on Tuesda...
If you love teaching writing… but feel like it takes over your life, you’re not alone.
Planning takes too long.
Grading never ends.
Students resist w...
If grammar time in your classroom feels like pulling teeth, you’re not alone.
Worksheets get groans.
Packets get rushed.
And engagement drops fast.
When teachers hear “virtual field trip,” they often assume it has to be complicated.
Fancy tech.
Hours of prep.
Links that don’t work the day of the ...
If you’re anywhere near testing season, you might feel the urge to spiral everything.
Every standard.
Every question type.
Every passage structure.
If transitions in your classroom feel chaotic right now, you’re not alone.
This time of year is tough. Energy is high. Focus is low. And every transi...
If you’re coming back from a long break, you already know how this feels.
Students are rusty.
Routines are shaky.
And jumping straight into writing a...
If you’re anywhere near testing season, you’re probably feeling the tension already.
You know your students need practice with test-style questions.
...