Nov 13, 2025
If your students stare blankly at rubrics or ignore them altogether, this episode is for you.
In this episode of Two Middle School ELA Teachers, Shannon shares a fun, low-stakes, and unforgettable way to introduce students to what a rubric really is—by blowing bubbles. You’ll hear how she uses a bubble-blowing challenge to teach the two essential parts of a rubric (criteria and levels) and how that experience gives students the confidence to understand and use the SC READY argumentative writing rubric.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to set up the bubblegum rubric activity
How to transition into the real writing rubric using student-friendly language
How to run a fishbowl scoring activity that helps students internalize rubric expectations
Why rubrics give students power—and how to make that message stick