Commas in the Chaos is 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.
Whether grammar feels like your jam or your nemesis, this show is here to help you make it easier, clearer, and a whole lot more doable.
Hosted by Rachel, the owner of Uniquely Upper, each week brings short, actionable episodes packed with ideas that actually work — from quick grammar routines and sentence strategies to mindset shifts and survival tips.
It’s all served with just a little humor to get you through a busy week. Whether you’re planning tomorrow’s lesson or just trying to make it to Friday, Commas in the Chaos is your pause in the madness.
🎧 New episodes drop weekly. In the meantime, if you’re looking for tips, strategies, or just a teacher friend who gets it, come hang out on Instagram @uniquelyupper or visit www.uniquelyupper.com for more support.
25. How to Teach Subject-Verb Agreement in Upper Elementary
Episode Summary:
Subject verb agreement seems simple until students keep missing it. In this episode, we’re looking underneath the agreement rule to figure out what may actually be causing the struggle.
I’ll walk you through the foundational skills students need before they can successfully make subjects and verbs agree, including identifying subjects and verbs, connecting the correct subject to its verb, and avoiding the trap of choosing a verb based on the closest noun.
We’ll also talk about why “what sounds right” isn’t enough and how one simple question, “How do you know?” can give you valuable insight into how your students are thinking.
If you’re tired of reteaching subject-verb agreement without seeing it stick, this episode will help you pinpoint the breakdown, so you know what to teach next.
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Connect With Rachel
Instagram: @uniquelyupper (https://www.instagram.com/uniquelyupper)
Show Notes: www.uniquelyupper.com (https://www.uniquelyupper.com/)
TpT Store: Uniquely Upper on TpT (https://my.captivate.fm/dashboard/podcast/aa597c77-29ee-41ad-8b8d-26be98930faf/episode?reloaded=1#)
Email: uniquelyupper@gmail.com
The Grammar Collective (https://www.thegrammarcollective.com)
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Commas in the Chaos wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode!
8 Sept 2026
24. How to Help Students Become Independent With Grammar
Episode Summary:
Your students can answer your questions, follow your prompts, and get the right answer during a grammar lesson then struggle the second they have to do it on their own.
That doesn’t always mean they need the skill retaught.
In this episode, we’re looking at the difference between knowing a grammar skill and being able to use that knowledge independently. We’ll talk about why whole-group success can be misleading, how teacher prompts can quietly carry more of the thinking than we realize, and what it means to intentionally hand that thinking over to students.
You’ll walk away with one important question to ask when students seem successful with you but struggle without you:
Who was doing the thinking?
Because real independence isn’t about giving less help. It’s about students owning more of the decision-making.
Beyond Build 4th Grade Grammar Membership
Read more about the membership and what it includes. Click here (https://www.thegrammarcollective.com/4th-grade) to learn more.
Connect With Rachel
Instagram: @uniquelyupper (https://www.instagram.com/uniquelyupper)
Show Notes: www.uniquelyupper.com (https://www.uniquelyupper.com/)
TpT Store: Uniquely Upper on TpT (https://my.captivate.fm/dashboard/podcast/aa597c77-29ee-41ad-8b8d-26be98930faf/episode?reloaded=1#)
Email: uniquelyupper@gmail.com
The Grammar Collective (https://www.thegrammarcollective.com)
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Commas in the Chaos wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode!
25 Aug 2026
23. Teaching Fragments and Run-On Sentences: How to Help Students Use the Skill in Writing
Episode Summary:
Students can circle the right answer and still not understand why it's right. That gap is what grammar discussion closes.
In this episode, I walk through how I would lead grammar discussions in my classroom, starting with the layers students move through: identify the skill, explain how they know, prove it with evidence, compare choices, and apply it in a new way. I share a sample sentence and the exact questions I ask, from sentence type and structure all the way down to classifying a single noun.
I also get into what to do when a student gives the wrong answer. The mistake isn't the problem; it's the information, and I explain how to find the thinking behind it without putting anyone on the spot.
Then I break down the three-part move I come back to again and again: ask, listen, investigate. Plus a small set of go-to questions that work with any sentence, so you're not hunting for a new list every week.
This doesn't require restructuring your block. It takes five to ten minutes a day, a couple of days a week.
Beyond Build 4th Grade Grammar Membership
Read more about the membership and what it includes. Click here (https://www.thegrammarcollective.com/4th-grade) to learn more.
Connect With Rachel
Instagram: @uniquelyupper (https://www.instagram.com/uniquelyupper)
Show Notes: www.uniquelyupper.com (https://www.uniquelyupper.com/)
TpT Store: Uniquely Upper on TpT (https://my.captivate.fm/dashboard/podcast/aa597c77-29ee-41ad-8b8d-26be98930faf/episode?reloaded=1#)
Email: uniquelyupper@gmail.com
The Grammar Collective (https://www.thegrammarcollective.com)
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Commas in the Chaos wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode!
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