From Chaos to Confetti: 5 ELA Routines That Make All the Difference

Okay, real talk without judgement: How often do you arrive at school in the morning only to second-guess your Middle School ELA class routines? You always seem to be scrambling to pull together something (any meaningful task!) just to prevent chaos throughout each class day.

What if every class started with energy, with focus, with students already doing thinking work, and you got a built-in buffer (for attendance, checking in, slide prep)? 

…And then for the rest of class, what if transitions, discussions, writing, and closure all had quiet gears already in place with no more reinventing the wheel each day?

The “what if’s” end here with the practical, teacher-friendly shifts I’m sharing with you. Instead of a survival-mode scramble every period, you can lean into routines that carry your class. The routines do the heavy lifting so you get to teach.

I’ll show you the five routines I call my “workhorses” that have done this for me year after year. These are not cute little add-ons that look good for Pinterest or IG. These are lifelines: bell ringers that settle energy, station rotations that actually let you conference, task cards that spark real talk, three-minute writes that get ideas flowing, and “last word” routines that engage everyone at the end of class. 

Use even one or two of them consistently, and your class will feel different. Your planning will feel lighter. Your students will rise to what matters, and you’ll have something you can put into action tomorrow that moves the needle.

Hear these strategies from Laura Kebart herself. Watch the webinar!

1. Bell Ringers (the “Immediate Engagement” Move)

Why it matters (for ELA):

• Gets students’ brains back in “language mode” (reading, thinking, analyzing) before you ever open a text.
• Gives you “breathing room” — attendance, glancing at papers, arranging slides — while kids get into task mode.
• Helps spiral grammar, vocabulary, or literary skills over time (so you don’t lose them).
  
  

Tips & tweaks for middle school ELA:

Classroom tip: This is more about classroom management than it is anything else. Be consistent–5-10 minutes each day of “quiet time” for the bell ringer no matter what. If students finish early, they are to pick up their independent choice reading novel and start reading. If a student can’t answer the bell ringer or doesn’t know how to respond, then the expectation is that they copy the bell ringer prompt and then summarize it in their own words. Later, when you talk about the bell ringer as a class, the student can add a response. But this way, ALL students are working and writing, so there’s no excuse or reason to not do anything because “I wasn’t here yesterday” or because “I don’t get it.” 

Stretch move: Keep a running “bell ringer bank” spreadsheet of 100+ prompts. Each year, you only need to add 1–2 to freshen, and you always have “plug and play” ready.

2. Station Rotation Strategy

Why it works (especially in ELA):

• Allows you to pull small groups or conference while students are engaged elsewhere.
• Mixes modalities (reading, writing, discussion, grammar) so no one zone feels overdone.
• Creates built-in scaffolding, differentiation, and student choice.
  
  

How to work it in middle school ELA:

Core station rotation “menu” (Have two of each station if your class is large, which ensures your groups stay small):

1. Teacher Station
   

• • Small-group close reading, mini-lesson, or guided strategy.
    
    

1. Independent Read & Annotate
   
   
   • Students read assigned text, mark with guiding questions or annotation codes (you provide).
     
     
2. Task Card / Skill Station
   
   
   • Students pick from task cards focused on inference, figurative language, author’s purpose, etc.
     
     
3. Writing Response / Synthesis
   
   
   • Prompted writing (prediction, alternate ending, claim + evidence, extension) or discussion write-up.
     
     

Tips to make it smooth:

• Model ahead of time what talking in stations looks like and sounds like. If you have eight stations in your room (4 students per station for a total of 30-ish students), and if your rule is that only one person talks at a time in each station, then only eight voices are ever heard in the whole classroom at once. Let students hear what that sounds like so everyone is on the same page in terms of expectations for noise level.
  
  
• Time it tightly (e.g. 10–12 min per station). Use a timer, or have your rotation slide auto-change (if you run with slides).
  
  
• Label station instructions in the same format each time (e.g. “Station Name → Task → Product → Time”) so students internalize the structure and don’t have to constantly ask you about it.
  
  

Caveats:

• You’ll need front-load practice with transitions and noise level.
• Watch for unequal pacing — design optional “extension tasks” for early finishers.
  
  

3. Discussion Task Cards

Why they’re gold for ELA:

• They inject structure and intellectual lift into talk (so “turn and talk” doesn’t devolve into surface chatter).
• They give you an exit ticket, conversation control, and sometimes assessment data all in one.
• They can be reused in any text — you just swap the focus (theme, character, rhetorical strategy).
  
  

Ways to use them (plug-and-play):

• Scoot / Gallery Walk: Place cards around room, students rotate and respond (with evidence) at each card.
• Small Groups: Each group draws or is assigned a card during literature circles / during reading.
• Exit Ticket: Hand each student 1 card to respond to as they leave.
• Warm-up in pairs: Students each get a card, discuss, and then one shares to class.
• Anchor Task: If you finish early or want silent work, students pick a card and write a mini response.
  
  

Best practices (per ELA teachers):

• Keep a stable “deck” of ~20–30 cards that cover your go-to skills (inference, symbolism, tone, argument, etc.) so you never have to reinvent the wheel
• Laminate if possible so they last longer
• Let students help prep—cut, sort, bag, then label and organize
  
• Practice what it looks like and sounds like “to discuss” using the task cards. Students can use discussion stems to help them learn how to agree, disagree, add to another student’s point, or challenge—appropriately and respectfully.
  
  

4. Free-Writing (Start with 3 minutes and work up to 10)

Why it’s a hero move:

• It builds writing stamina without demanding full essays every time.
• It encourages students to think on their feet in relation to text.
• It gives you ongoing formative glimpses into how they’re internalizing reading/craft skills.
  
  

How to do it (with ELA flavor):

• Prompt types:
  
  
  • Literature / reading-based (open-ended)
  • Quotes from literature, life, music, verses, etc. that students respond to
  • Images that could have multiple interpretations (paintings, memes, photos)
    
    
• Logistics:
• • Use a timer (start with 3 minutes—gradually work up to 10 over time).
  • Students write in notebooks or mini-journals.
  • Re-use those free-writes when you teach grammar mini-lessons → Instead of teaching a grammar concept and following up with a worksheet, teach the grammar concept and have students choose one of their “old” free-writes to implement the concept.
  • Pair with a partners-share (students exchange their mini-writes and talk for 1 minute) for peer thinking.
    
    

Pro tip: Give students two choices each time it’s “free write” time. For instance: students can choose from a quote OR an image that you provide.

5. The Last Word Routine

Why this one is low-key powerful:

• It forces every student to speak one last time in class for the day (no hiding).
• The constraint (one sentence: claim + evidence) keeps it focused and rigorous.
• It clarifies class thinking — you see where everyone’s mind is at, and you can resolve misconceptions or elevate interpretations.
  
  

How to run it in your ELA class:

1. At the end of class discussion or reading, pose an open-ended question (e.g. “What is the most important conflict right now in the text?”).
2. Students think for 30–60 seconds, then share (orally or via index card) their “Last Word”: one sentence, including claim + supporting evidence.
3. Optionally, you can have students complete this in small groups rather than whole-class sharing (such a time-saver if you have only a couple minutes and want everyone to participate)
4. Use the “last words” as a launching point for tomorrow (you might say, “Some of your Last Words today gives me ideas for tomorrow’s reading”).
   
   

Tips & tweaks:

• If students tend to ‘copy’ each other, then have them write their Last Words first
• Collect a few (if written) to quickly scan how many are hitting claim + evidence properly.
• Occasionally invert: “Tell me what you changed in your last word after hearing someone else.” This forces listening and revision.

The bottom line: Your classroom doesn’t need more bells and whistles, and you don’t need more to plan. Really, your classroom just needs a few tried and true routines that run themselves with no extra prep. When students know exactly what to do at the start, in the middle, and at the end of class, you’re free to focus on the teaching.

Start small. Pick one of these five ELA routines and try it tomorrow. Once you’re consistent and your students know what to do without asking or prompting, you can layer in another routine. Before long, you’ll notice your students anticipating the rhythm of class (in the best way) and you’ll notice yourself breathing easier. 

At the end of the day, it’s not about having the cutest activity or the coolest tech. It’s about having a class that runs smoothly so you can go home with energy for the rest of your evening, proud of what you and your students accomplished. These five routines will help get you there.