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

We all get stuck in a rut with our teaching. Sometimes it just takes a different perspective to figure out what works! This episode shares a few examples of looking at parts of teaching writing in a new way and provides you with steps to try it out yourself! Listen in to this short episode for some helpful tips for improving your writing instruction. **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want t...

Implementing effective writing instruction is a big task. There are many moving parts and lots of important young writers to take care of! 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 more ideas for you to implement. Listen...

Teaching is hard. Teaching writing is hard...and, it's not the only thing you have to teach! I get it. Trying new things can be time-consuming and a bit scary. But also... it can be so worth it! If you want your students to be engaged and successful in writing, it's time to take a risk! If you are frustrated with lack of student progress and even student interest and motivation for writing, then i...

Part 2 with Michelle Ruhe of Coach from the Couch continues with more actionable steps for implementing peer feedback with your writers. In this episode we discuss: the importance of slow, strategic implementation using checklists and rubrics providing quality, exemplar writing pieces and how to set goals while staying within a writer's ZPD This conversation will get rid of any fears and frustrati...

It can sound scary and impossible, but it's not! In this first episode with Mrs. Michelle Ruhe of Coach from the Couch, we share the power of peer feedback to: enhance writing quality engage students and distribute the feedback workload You will hear about the transformative potential of peer feedback in fostering student ownership and improving writing through collaborative learning. Listen in to...

Can't stand the mess? Then get out of the kitchen! I couldn't help but think of that saying when writing show notes for this episode! Just like I over-supported my children when baking cookies to avoid the "mess" of little hands, writing teachers often over-scaffold their writers. If you have ever said, "I taught you how to do that!" or "We've been over this!", it's very likely you have provided t...

I recently had a teacher I am coaching say, "That's going to be hard for me," when we discussed allowing students to try multiple drafts on different topics for their informational books. I completely understand why this fabulous teacher was hesitant...and there are so many reasons! But the truth is, we all need repeated practice to improve our skills, and developing skills as writers is no differ...

Melissa saved one of the best, but possibly "scariest" writing conference for last! The Research-Decide-Teach conference originates from Lucy Calkins and is a highly effective method for truly meeting your writers' needs and moving them forward as writers. In this final installment of the Writing Conference Series, Melissa discusses how to gather information from students, make instructional decis...

Are you looking for more than "use describing words" and "tell me more" when it comes to helping students elaborate in their writing? In this episode, Melissa dives into strategies for improving writing elaboration for students by first considering a few overall understandings and techniques for opinion, narrative and informational writing and then sharing specific strategies for ways to elaborate...

Raise your hand if you have felt unsure, ill-equipped, or stressed out when making decisions about writing instruction. Teachers tend to place too much responsibility on themselves when it comes to instruction in general, and definitely with writing instruction! This creates unnecessary stress that can be alleviated by establishing student autonomy and agency. Involving students in their learning...

What does a conference sound like you ask? Listen in to hear Melissa provide a detailed example of a "Re-teach Conference." Quite often, the strategies you have taught are not being implemented in each student's independent writing pieces. The purpose of a "Re-teach" conference is to provide follow-up, explicit instruction on a previously taught writing strategy from a whole-class mini-lesson. Bec...

"I don't know what to write about!" is what is heard in classrooms all over. In this episode, Melissa emphasizes the importance of supporting students in having the independence to generate their own ideas for writing. She discusses the negative impacts of consistently providing students with topics and offers practical strategies to help students generate ideas on their own. When students are inv...

Are you wondering where to begin when conferring with your writers? This episode will teach you all about the Compliment Conference and how to use it as not only a way to encourage your writers but also as a formative assessment for your writing instruction. This conference has four simple steps: Open the conversation Identify evidence of a successful writing behavior or action Share the complimen...

Raise your hand if you have students coming up to you or sitting and staring or raising their hands during independent writing time! There are so many reasons why students are not fully independent writers, and this episode provides a variety of ideas and strategies for creating a classroom full of writers who are! Melissa shares four ideas for supporting independence during writing time: Implemen...

Welcome to the first episode in the Conferring Series! This series will discuss a variety of conference types for writing to help you feel more confident in meeting one-on-one with your writers in order to meet their needs. This first conference, the Writer's Inquiry Conference is all about getting to know your writers. It is extremely helpful for students to feel at ease and accepted in their wri...

This episode is the beginning of the Writing Strategies Series and is all about supporting students with the most foundational aspect of writing- Engagement! Just as with any learning-academic to athletic-learners must be engaged in order to progress. Drawing from educational research and expert Jennifer Serravallo, I discuss the multi-dimensional construct of writing engagement, including affecti...

This episode shares the understandings needed in order to get the most out of the two upcoming series: Strategies for Writing and All About Conferring There are a variety of common struggles for our writers and I hope to help you by sharing specific strategies for each of them in the upcoming podcast series. Conferring is a topic I have not yet thoroughly addressed so I will be alternating the str...

You've gotten to know your students as writers, and you've chosen goals for your class. Now what? It's time to find strategies for writing that your writers can use to meet their goals! In this episode, Melissa shares four techniques for finding and choosing teaching points. Leveraging Your Own Writing Experience Mining Mentor Texts Thinking Outside the Box Utilizing Professional Texts Listen in a...

Part 2 with Dana Teague is here! Dana's energy is contagious, and she shares so many ideas for supporting your student writers. Listen in to hear: Why you don't need to be a perfect writer to teach your writers Ways to get to know your writers Free Writing Assessment Helping writers use AI effectively I hope you enjoy the episode! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous l...

I know this episode (and its sequel) will have you nodding your head in agreement again and again! Ms. Dana Teaque is an experienced and passionate educator who will make you feel seen and inspire you to do what is best for your students. Listen in to hear: Dana's educational journey Writing strategies for diverse learners Fostering student growth Embracing flexibility About Melissa: Melissa is an...

You may not have had said this out loud, but I know it has been in the back of your mind. It is there each time you make a decision to: -provide a structure graphic organizer for planning Or -have students "check in" before moving ahead in the work In this episode, I encourage teachers to consider the purpose of their fear and provide less structured guidance, allowing students to make errors as p...

Writing Prompts- they can be cute but looks can be deceiving! Yes, they have their place and may be a needed activity for our elementary and middle school students in order to prepare for testing or other situations, BUT They should not be the only writing students are doing on a daily basis! In this episode, I explain the limitations of prompts, such as their failure to foster independent writing...

I have had many questions recently regarding content area writing instruction. Although writing across the curriculum is not a new term in education, most content area teachers still have little training in how to incorporate effective writing practice and instruction into their subject area. This episode shared 4 techniques to not only help get more writing into your class as a content area teach...

We all know practice is necessary for all of us to grow in any capacity. Whether you are a writer, athlete, construction worker or musician, the more you practice your skills the more skilled you become at your craft. I often find that in the classroom, this practice is limited for students as writers. This may be due to teachers' lack of time, or the concern teachers hold over managing multiple w...

If you are looking for inspiration for teaching writing, this is the episode for you! My guest, Cassandra Williams, owner of Educational Innovation 360 brings her energy and passion for literacy and supporting teachers. Listen in to hear us discuss: -Cassandra's observations of writing programs in various districts -Bringing real-world writing into the classroom -Cassandra's hopes for writing inst...