Empower Students Now

Teaching English is tough. It is so tough that often we default to what we know best…reading books and then writing essays. But, it doesn’t have to be this way! In this episode you’ll learn five obstacles English teachers face and more importantly…how to overcome them. Before I get started I just want to let you know about an awesome FREE opportunity for you this summer to go more in depth about t...

This episode is probably the most important one I've recorded thus far! If you are looking to change your life this summer, this is a must listen episode. I discuss the podcasts and books that have transformed my personal and teaching life and they could change yours too. https://amandawritenow.com/life-changing-podcasts-and-books-for-teachers/

Teaching argumentative writing CAN be engaging especially if you use video. There are so many video resources available today that can help teach students about the structure of an argumentative piece. https://amandawritenow.com/teach-argumentative-writing-through-video/

Researching online is easier than ever. But, thoughtlessness is easier than ever too! Classrooms are transforming. They are spending more and more time learning online. We need to think about, discuss and question our online habits. In this episode you’ll hear about five bad habits exhibited by many students and tips for how to begin discussing and teaching students how to correct these bad habits...

Most secondary teachers I know, wonderful teachers who are friends of mine by the way, teach information/expository writing using essay assignments. In this episode I discuss how to teach information writing in a way that is more applicable to the technology age. The world is changing and we as teachers need to change our instruction with it!https://amandawritenow.com/why-youre-probably-teaching-i...

The Workshop Teacher School is ABSOLUTELY FREE and was created with the obstacles YOU face in mind! What is it? Starting Friday June 14th I will be hosting a live webinar event every Friday for five weeks. Here's what's in store each week...Week 1: How to Get Started with Workshop…and Why Workshop is the Very Best Way to Teach Reading & WritingWeek 2: Fitting Everything in…How to Tea...

Want to survive the week before any break?!?! The answer is to have fun with your students! In this episode Amanda discusses ten ways to have fun with your students the week before a break. Because, who wants to do boring school work when a much needed break is just around the corner? https://amandawritenow.com/10-ways-to-make-reading-writing-joyful-before-break/

Google Classroom has completely transformed classrooms. We can easily share and make copies of Docs, Slides, Forms and more with our students. But, how can we utilize this powerful tool during writing workshop. In this episode learn five creative ways to use Google Classroom during writing workshop! https://amandawritenow.com/5-ways-to-use-google-classroom-during-writing-workshop/

In this episode learn how to support writers who finish early, who have special needs, who are sloppy, who are unmotivated and who are overachievers. https://amandawritenow.com/supporting-writers-at-all-levels/

Lessoning planning can be easy! Find out how to simplify the process in this episode for writing teachers!

In this episode learn some ways to start your writing unit or introduce a writing assignment that actually might just excite your students. Here is the blog post associated with this episode: https://amandawritenow.com/5-exciting-ways-to-introduce-your-writing-unit/

What are mentor texts and where do you find them? This episode answers both those questions! https://amandawritenow.com/places-to-find-mentor-texts-that-you-may-not-have-thought-of/

It is tough coming back to school after a long break but it doesn't have to be. In this episode I discuss five fun, simple activities you can do with your class when you come back from a long break. https://amandawritenow.com/5-fun-activities-to-do-with-your-students-the-day-after-coming-back-from-a-long-break/

In this episode I discuss three passions beyond reading and writing workshop: community building, meditation and digital literacy. https://amandawritenow.com/im-more-than-an-english-teacher/

Fiction is neglected in English classrooms everywhere. In this episode learn five reasons you should bring fiction back into your writing curriculum. As a bonus learns some pitfalls when teaching fiction writing too! https://amandawritenow.com/we-need-to-stop-neglecting-fiction/

Why is your writing awful? Why are some writers better than others? Why do some people hate writing? In this episode learn the answers to these questions and get inspiration for ways to teach students about these elephant in the room questions. https://amandawritenow.com/the-truth-about-writing-part-one/

Do you want to try writing workshop but aren't sure how to get started? In this episode I walk beginners through the process of starting a writing workshop program in their classroom. You won't want to miss this episode if you've been wanting to try writing workshop but feel unsure about how to start. https://amandawritenow.com/the-beginners-guide-to-writing-workshop/

I kill a love of writing in my classroom! Do you? In this episode I discuss ways to minimize this negative impact we sometimes have on students just because of the words we use when teaching writing. https://amandawritenow.com/8-ways-teachers-kill-a-love-of-writing/

In the summer of 2016 I had the opportunity to attend the Summer Writing Institute hosted by the leading think tank for teaching writing, The Reading & Writing Project. This week-long experience was life changing. I am a different teacher because of the things I learned at this conference. In this episode I share ten takeaways from the experience. https://amandawritenow.com/ten-realizations-ab...

Grading hundreds of papers is the bane of an English teacher’s existence. Don’t get me wrong. I love being able to get a thorough look into the minds of my students and their writing abilities. Reading their writing can actually be quite pleasurable. It’s slapping a letter grade onto that writing that has always bothered me. So in this episode I’d like to go over ten things that have helped me mak...

There are five major routines that students need to get down before workshop can actually work. Learn the five routines and how to teach them in this episode.https://amandawritenow.com/the-ultimate-writing-workshop-routines-guide/

Teachers struggle to fit it all in. This episode delves into how exactly I manage to teach both reading and writing workshop in one period. https://amandawritenow.com/how-i-teach-reading-and-writing-workshop-in-54-minutes/

English teachers struggle to fit it all in. We want to teach the novels we love while also allowing the freedom and choice that reading workshop provides. Can we do both? Yes! Keep reading to find out how…https://amandawritenow.com/whole-class-novels-reading-workshop-style/

What can we do to minimize the goofing off and increase on task behavior during independent writing/reading time? How can we make sure that our classrooms are productive places where readers and writers thrive? Listen to this episode to learn how to create an environment that allows for real reading and writing to take place. No more of that fake stuff!https://amandawritenow.com/my-students-dont-w...

Learn exactly what I did in my classroom to launch both reading and writing workshop in fourteen days.https://amandawritenow.com/launching-writing-workshop/