Welcome to
Commas in the Chaos
A podcast for upper elementary teachers who are juggling lesson plans, classroom chaos, and trying out what today’s grammar lesson is, all before lunch.
Listen to the Latest Episode
Episode Summary You know that moment when you open your pacing guide and immediately think, How on earth am I going to fit all of this in? Between teaching 500 standards, trying to keep your sanity, and still having a few minutes left in the day, it’s a lot. That’s
Episode Summary For years, I heard the same advice you probably have — that teaching grammar in context is all we need to do. If students read good writing and write enough on their own, grammar will just click. But if you’ve been in the classroom for more than five
Episode Summary Have you ever taught a grammar lesson and felt like your students were staring at you as if you were speaking another language? You’re not alone — and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad teacher. It usually means your students are missing an earlier building block. In this
Episode Summary When you hear the phrase grammar centers, do you tense up a little? I used to. Back when I was juggling reading groups, math rotations, behavior charts, and the never-ending stack of ungraded essays, the thought of adding one more moving part to my day made me want
Episode Summary We talk about grammar a lot on this podcast, but today I want to press pause and zoom in on something just as important. Let’s talk about building classroom community. I know, I know… “building community” can sound like one of those fluffy buzzwords you see plastered on