Teaching Middle School ELA
Teaching Middle School ELA
Caitlin Mitchell
BONUS: How to Run a March Madness Poetry Bracket in Any Classroom
30 minutes Posted Feb 19, 2026 at 12:00 pm.
Welcome And Mission
Introducing The Poetry Bracket
Why March Needs Fresh Energy
What A Poetry Bracket Is
Materials And Setup
First Pass Reads And Predictions
Round One: Topics And Themes
Voting Systems And Justification
Round Two: Imagery Focus
Round Three: Figurative Language
Championship Round: Making Connections
The Big Reveal And Celebration
Reflection, Mindset Shifts, Next Steps
Closing And Resources
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Show notes
March can bring some unpredictable classroom energy… but what if you could channel it into something that boosts engagement and hits reading, writing, and discussion standards all at once? In this week’s Teaching Middle school ELA podcast episode, we’re walking you through exactly how to run a March Madness Poetry Bracket in any classroom. From choosing poems and setting up your bracket to building powerful justification skills through authentic voting, this strategy turns poetry into somethi...