The winter months are tough, aren't they? Post-holiday fatigue sets in, the days are short, and student engagement can feel like trying to pull a wool sweater over a grumpy cat. As ELA and EAL teachers, we face a big challenge: how do we keep the academic rigor high—pushing for deep comprehension and evidence-based writing—when student energy is running on fumes? The answer isn’t more flashy activities; it’s creating a  weekly reading to writing cycle   . Unstructured ELA tim