Getting Students to Write- Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers improve student writing.

This is my last "episode" of Getting Students to Write. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last few years of recording this podcast. Being able to share ideas with fellow educators as well as speak with so many fabulous educators about writing instruction has been a fantastic experience. I hope you will continue to learn and improve your practice, and that writing time will be the best time of you day!...

All teachers have had students who struggle with handwriting, regardless of their grade level. What we learn in this episode is that this is not just a problem of messiness, but of a lack of motor as well as cognitive skills that prevent learners from reaching their potential. Holly Britton, a handwriting instructional specialist, talks about this and so much more in this informative episode. Abou...

Implementing effective writing instruction is a big task. There are many moving parts and lots of important young writers to take care of! Struggling writers? Struggling teacher? I find it helpful to know and remember that often times the little details are what also make a huge impact on your student writers. This episode shares examples of those small practices and hopefully helps to spark even...

"Two seemingly paradoxical things can be true at the same time...and that tension, we are never going to resolve that." In this episode, Leah Mermelstein helps us sort through one of the biggest issues of teaching writing. We hear and learn about so many different practices, many of which seem to be in opposition, but knowing we don't always need to choose one over the other, it opens us up to a m...

Episode Replay of one of my favorites! You want to help your writers, but often the more help you provide, the more you inhibit their learning. This can happen even more so with struggling writers. Listen in to hear how to provide support that truly helps! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education.  Her passion and ex...

What a fantastic discussion with a fantastic educator and writer, Ms. Ana Siqueira. Ana shares her journey of being an author and what is most important to her as a writer AND teacher of writers! We talk all about: -collaboration between writers -writing needing to be FUN -not being great the first draft -ways for writers to be inspired -the effectiveness of peer critique and how to get it started...

This episode holds the key to transforming your writing instruction from WRITING -focused to WRITER - focused! This is how we truly grow our elementary and middle school writers! What we say shows so much to ourselves and our writers about what we value. We want our writers to know that we value them and what they do as writers! What we say also forms what we think. Focusing our language on the wr...

The second half of my conversation with Ralph Fletcher is full of takeaways for every teacher of writing! If you have writers struggling to write or to grow as writers, Ralph shares several ideas for moving writers from reluctant to engaged and thriving. Listen in to hear: How more freedom helps reluctant writers more than increased structure The case for writing for pleasure Why differences in wr...

"The best teaching comes when we teach at the point of our own learning."- Ralph Fletcher The one and only author and writing expert Ralph Fletcher joins us in this episode to share his beliefs on all things writing and writing instruction. In this first part of our discussion, Ralph shares many insightful ideas that help us support our students as writers. A few topics: Benefits of teachers as wr...

When starting to implement Independent Writing in your classroom for the first time, it is important to know what is really happening with your writers as a class as well as individually. This episode will provide practices for: Observing writers and gathering information Assessing based on whole-class and individual needs Deciding next steps When combined with the ideas shared in previous episode...

In almost every classroom where independent writing time is implemented for the first time, the same few issues seem to occur with a few writers. This episode tackles what to do when: writers are lacking engagement there are just too many papers writers are lacking independence If you have implemented independent writing time in your classroom or are thinking of starting, this episode will help! *...

Listen in to a thought-provoking discussion with literacy consultant extraordinaire, Pat Pollock. Pat shares a multitude of thoughts and ideas about teaching writing effectively by lifting up students as writers. Pat also helps us to look at the Writing Rope by Joan Sedita with a new lens as she provides her insights on its structure and components, helping us to stay mindful and critical of the r...

The Independent Writing Series continues with lessons that will support all writers in this beginning phase. In this episode, Melissa shares a variety of lessons for all grade levels that will help writers to build their independence during writing time. Melissa also give advice on using this time for honoring writers as they are and learning more about their strengths and needs before worrying ab...

Part 2 shares valuable advice for teachers who lack a robust curriculum for writing instruction as well as Maggie Robert's new book (with co-author Melanie Meehan)! Kate and Maggie share the importance of teachers engaging in their own writing, finding mentors, and utilizing professional texts. Techniques such as using a writer's notebook and focusing on foundational writing skills are explored. A...

You just can't miss this episode with the amazing authors, consultants and passionate educators Kate Roberts and Maggie Beattie Roberts! We discuss the biggest needs of the young writers in classrooms today including a balanced approach to writing that includes both fun, creative low-stakes writing and rigorous skill-building. We also explore the importance of choice, authenticity, and emotional e...

When I first began using the workshop model, I felt very unequipped to help my writers. I wasn't a writer myself and certainly had not had any training in writing or how to teach writing. So, when I sat next to my little ones and read over their pieces, I felt like I didn't know how to help them. The truth was, I knew so many things about writing that would have been exactly what my students neede...

This series is all about Independent Writing: The why, the what and the how! It can seem overwhelming and almost impossible to allow students to write on their own, but you can do it and so can they! This first episode in the series goes over my definition of independent writing AND shares how to jump in and get started including: supplies (not many!) ways to introduce to students what to expect t...

I know there is not enough time for writing instruction. That means we need writing time to be as efficient as possible! This episode shares my top tips for making writing time the best for your students. Time stealers: Too much teacher talk Too much student talk Lack of writer independence Keeping writers all together Editing for your writers I hope you will choose one writing instruction time-sa...

Listen in to another fantastic conversation with authors Irene Latham and Charles Waters. Both share their experiences and strategies for making writing an effective an enjoyable activity for both teachers and students. The discussion includes: personal journeys as writers the significance of collaboration the importance of creating a safe and encouraging environment for student writers. Irene and...

It often seems that with writing, the first instinct for teachers when seeing a writer have difficulty is to hold them to what they are able to do correctly-to limit them to what they can do well. But isn't that only preventing them from making progress as writers? In this episode, I discuss the importance of placing your focus on the writer, not the product by allowing students to experience prod...

Where are the periods? Why isn't this capitalized? You teach it, but it doesn't show up consistently in their writing. UGH! In this episode, we take a fresh look at teaching grammar and punctuation and the expectations we have for our writers. You will hear: the idea of viewing grammar as a craft including grammar instruction in reading and writing connecting grammar and mechanics instruction to a...

Join Melissa Morrison in an engaging episode of 'Getting Students to Write' as she welcomes art teacher and author Trevor Bryan. They discuss innovative strategies to boost writing confidence and effectiveness for both teachers and students. Trevor shares insights on integrating art and literacy, the role of pictures in developing comprehension, and his books 'The Art of Comprehension' and 'Narrat...

Grading alone is a complicated topic, but grading writing, especially when wanting to value the writer, is even more difficult! The subjective nature of evaluating writing makes it difficult to be sure you have done so "correctly" for your students. It is also cumbersome to consider grading entire pieces from so many students. In this episode, I share ideas and strategies for grading that will hel...

This is such an important episode for all Pre-K, Kindergarten, First-grade and Second-grade teachers ( and has helpful tips for upper grade teachers as well! ) Language composition is the way students use language when reading books they have written, reading published books they are not yet decoding, and taking part in activities such as dramatic play. Matt Glover and Kathy Collins have been stud...

Writing volume, struggling writers, writing engagement, writing structure and more can all be affected by the paper that students are using to write. So yes, this episode is all about paper! We will explore: how paper makes writing more authentic the benefits of writers making "picture books" how paper choices communicate importance and expectations getting started with more authentic paper choice...