Welcome to Teacher Bestie Talks with the Word Nerd – Episode 1! In this episode, we’re diving into a real-life moment (yes… baseball pants 😅) and turning it into something way bigger: engaging middle school students with brain breaks that actually work.
If you’ve ever struggled with student focus, low energy, or keeping your middle school ELA class engaged—this video is for you.
Inside this episode, you’ll get:
✨ A relatable teacher story that turns into a powerful classroom takeaway
✨ Easy, low-prep brain break ideas for middle school
✨ Practical student engagement strategies for ELA teachers
✨ A peek inside tools and resources you can use right away
Whether you teach middle school ELA, reading, or writing, these quick strategies will help you:
✔ Increase participation
✔ Reset classroom energy
✔ Build a stronger classroom community
✔ Keep students engaged (without extra prep)
📲 Want all of this in one place?
Inside the FREE Word Nerd Daily app, you’ll find:
• First Chapter Friday videos
• Writing prompts + ideas
• Teaching tips + brain breaks
• RitaBot (your lesson planning + book rec bestie!)
• And more!
👉 Download the app here:
APP STORE LINK: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/word-nerd-daily/id6760918609
GOOGLE PLAY LINK: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vyten.wordnerdopolis
Tell me in the comments: What’s your go-to brain break that your students LOVE? Or, what kind of brain break do you want me to make next?!?!
P.S. I know dads and kids can wash baseball pants too! Sorry for that slip in the video! Obviously I know this because my husband has modeled this behavior well enough that my teenager asked how to wash his own pants. :)
middle school ELA, student engagement strategies, brain breaks for middle school, classroom management middle school, ELA teaching tips, engaging students in reading, middle school classroom ideas, low prep teaching strategies, teacher vlog, teacher tips and tricks, first year teacher help, teacher bestie talks
If you’ve ever struggled with student focus, low energy, or keeping your middle school ELA class engaged—this video is for you.
Inside this episode, you’ll get:
✨ A relatable teacher story that turns into a powerful classroom takeaway
✨ Easy, low-prep brain break ideas for middle school
✨ Practical student engagement strategies for ELA teachers
✨ A peek inside tools and resources you can use right away
Whether you teach middle school ELA, reading, or writing, these quick strategies will help you:
✔ Increase participation
✔ Reset classroom energy
✔ Build a stronger classroom community
✔ Keep students engaged (without extra prep)
📲 Want all of this in one place?
Inside the FREE Word Nerd Daily app, you’ll find:
• First Chapter Friday videos
• Writing prompts + ideas
• Teaching tips + brain breaks
• RitaBot (your lesson planning + book rec bestie!)
• And more!
👉 Download the app here:
APP STORE LINK: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/word-nerd-daily/id6760918609
GOOGLE PLAY LINK: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vyten.wordnerdopolis
Tell me in the comments: What’s your go-to brain break that your students LOVE? Or, what kind of brain break do you want me to make next?!?!
P.S. I know dads and kids can wash baseball pants too! Sorry for that slip in the video! Obviously I know this because my husband has modeled this behavior well enough that my teenager asked how to wash his own pants. :)
middle school ELA, student engagement strategies, brain breaks for middle school, classroom management middle school, ELA teaching tips, engaging students in reading, middle school classroom ideas, low prep teaching strategies, teacher vlog, teacher tips and tricks, first year teacher help, teacher bestie talks