Two Writing Teachers Podcast: Recent Episodes
Two Writing Teachers
Since 2007, Two Writing Teachers has been a vibrant community of reflective writers. We're excited to take our passion for teaching writing to new heights in the second season of our podcast. Join us as we explore ways to create, lead, and sustain joyful and productive writing workshops, empowering educators to help their students become competent, brave, and confident writers. Let's make writing instruction engaging and rewarding for everyone involved!
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In the season four finale, Stacey Shubitz and Melanie Meehan tackle the increasingly contentious topic of “writing workshop” in today’s educational climate. They reflect on the origins and evolution of the writing workshop, the research supporting its key principles, and why certain foundational practices remain crucial, even if the label itself is under fire. Drawing from recent evidence-based recommendations and their own classroom experiences, Stacey and Melanie unpack what truly effective writing instruction looks like and why authentic, joyful writing communities matter now more than ever.
Resources Mentioned:
- “All Children Can Write” by Donald H. Graves
- Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
- “Evidence-based recommendations for teaching writing” by Steve Graham, Alyson A. Collins & Stephen Ciullo
- Literacy Specialist Graduate Program at Teachers College
- More Than Words: How to Think about Writing in the Age of AI by John Warner
- Sentence Structure for Young Writers: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie
- The Art of Teaching Writingby Lucy Calkins
- Transfer Writing Skills Across Genres: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
- Writing, 20th Anniversary Ed.: Teachers & Children at Work by Donald H. Graves
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, Stacey dives into what happens when educators reconnect with the familiar passions that ground them after a demanding school year. While the daily hustle of teaching often forces educators to put their own needs on the back burner, summertime presents a vital opportunity for them to reclaim their personal identities. Through a reflection on what it means to be a "swimmer with a lowercase s," Stacey explores the powerful shift that happens when teachers step out of their educator personas and reconnect with their own identity as writers. This episode is a call to action for teachers to dust off their notebooks, embrace writing practices that bring them joy, and find peace in the rhythm of the craft. Listeners will discover how making time for their inner writer this summer can help them unplug, decompress, and build a writing repertoire for future school years.
GO DEEPER:
- Listen to one of our first TWT podcast episodes, “Why Teachers Should Write.”
- Read Creating a Consistent & Meaningful Writing Life, or It's Not Magic (but it IS): The Power of Being a Teacher Who Writes.
- Check the deep TWTBlog archives by visiting the category “teacher of writing.”
- Check out Tapping the Writer Within: Practical Ways to Help All Students Claim Their Wri-dentity by Ralph Fletcher.
Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This episode features a rich conversation with author and educator M. Colleen Cruz about her new book, Neurodiversity in the Literacy Classroom: The General Educator’s Guide to IEPs, Dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, and More. Colleen shares the story behind the book and explains why information about neurodivergent learners must move out of special education silos and into every general education classroom. Melanie, Stacey, and Colleen explore universal design for learning (UDL), explicit writing instruction, and concrete strategies to reduce instructional obstacles so that vulnerable learners can fully participate. They also discuss strengths-based IEPs, collaboration between general and special educators, and practical classroom strategies—from fine-motor supports to executive-function scaffolds—that help all writers, not just those with identified disabilities. Throughout the episode, Colleen emphasizes curiosity as a core stance for teachers seeking to better understand students’ behaviors, needs, and potential in the writing workshop.
M. Colleen Cruz is an educator, independent consultant, and author committed to making rich literacy education accessible. Her popular books include The Unstoppable Writing Teacher, the Writers Read Better series, and Border Crossing, a Tomás Rivera Mexican- American Children’s Books Finalist. Her student-centered, research-driven work is used by classroom teachers, administrators, and teacher education programs nationally and internationally. She lives in Brooklyn with her family, her persnickety dog Charlie, and way too many books.
Connect with Colleen Online:
- Instagram: @mcolleencruz
- LinkedIn: m-colleen-cruz
- Substack: @mcolleencruz
- X: @colleen_cruz
- Website: colleencruz.com
Mentioned in the episode:
- Archaeology of Self: The Introspective Educator’s Guide to Racial Literacyby Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz
- "Living with Dignity in Education: How noticing dignity can transform teaching, learning, and collaboration" by Leah Mermelstein
- Maryanne Wolf
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Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Melanie introduces customizable writing bingo boards to keep students writing over summer. These boards combine playful activities with purposeful skill-building, like fine motor and oral language development, while encouraging writing for real audiences. The approach is flexible for primary and upper elementary students and easy to adapt. Families can support writing at home, making summer a time for growth instead of regression.
Summer is a great time for young writers to build foundational skills, explore topics, and share their work with the world. These BINGO boards provide inspiration and ideas. One board is for primary students, the other for older writers. Both focus on play, purpose, and audience. Enjoy!
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Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This year’s 11th Annual Author Spotlight Series transforms professional creators into accessible mentors to help you inspire the next generation of writers and artists. We dive into the diverse creative processes of Gabbie Benda, Lauren Castillo, R. Gregory Christie, Julie Leung, Orit Magia, Àlàbá Ònájìn, and Mel Rosenberg. From demystifying graphic novel drafts to mastering the synergy between words and images, these experts share the practical "how-to" behind their craft. To bring this magic directly to your students, we share how you can enter to win exciting book giveaways and exclusive virtual author visits. Tune in to find the tools and inspiration needed to integrate professional artistry into your classroom writing time.
Preview the series on Two Writing Teachers.
Learn more and follow this year’s authors and illustrators on Instagram:
- Gabbie Benda: @patchysourkids
- Lauren Castillo: @studiocastillo
- R. Gregory Christie: @rgregorychristie
- Julie Leung: @jleungbooks
- Orit Magia: @oritmagia
- Àlàbá Ònájìn: @alabaonajin
- Mel Rosenberg: @writer_inventor_musician
Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Stacey is joined by beloved authors and educators Lily Howard Scott and Ralph Fletcher to explore how teacher language shapes students’ writerly identities. They examine what it means to make writing personal and joyful, even amid standards, rubrics, and formulaic structures like the five-paragraph essay. Lily and Ralph offer practical tips for using inclusive, encouraging language that welcomes every child and keeps their voices at the center. The conversation also explores the impact of AI, asking important questions about creativity, authenticity, and how we help young writers distinguish real writing from AI-generated text. This episode will leave you rethinking how your words as a teacher can help build or limit students’ confidence and independence as writers.
Ralph Fletcher has written over fifty books for writing teachers and young readers. His books include Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid, Joy Write, Craft Lessons, and Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide. His most recent book for writing teachers is Tapping the Writer Within: Practical Ways to Help All Students Claim Their Wri-dentity (published by Corwin).
Ralph visits schools and frequently speaks at educational conferences around the world, helping teachers find wiser ways of teaching writing. Check out his website, or follow him on Facebook or Instagram.
Lily Howard Scott, MSEdis an educator and author. She teaches graduate school at Bank Street College of Education and supports school leaders, teachers, and caregivers around the country with literacy learning and social and emotional learning.
For nearly 10 years, Lily taught elementary school in both independent and public settings. She is the author of The Words That Shape Us(Scholastic), selected by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center as a Top Book for Educators in 2025. Learn more about Lily from her website or follow her on Instagram.
Go Deeper
- More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AIby John Warner + a related podcast
- The Mind-Expanding Ideas of Andy Clark
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Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Stacey spotlights a foundational principle of writing instruction: "Teach, don’t just tell." Inspired by Sarah Valter’s insights and rooted in educational research, she explores the impact of modeling: making the invisible processes of writing visible for our students. You’ll hear about the difference between simply giving directions and authentically showing your thinking and writing moves, and why this distinction matters so much for young writers. Stacey also discusses practical ways to shift from telling to teaching and offers reflective questions to help you examine your own classroom practices.
GO DEEPER:
- Read “Teachers Model and Think Aloud: Practices of Great Writing Teachers” by Sarah Valter
Use these reflective questions:
1) Do you mostly give directions, or do you model your thinking and writing?
2) In one-on-one conferences, do your questions and feedback help students try new strategies, or do you just tell them what to do next?
3) When you use mentor texts, are they published works, curriculum samples, or your own writing?
4) If you use your own writing, do you show your process? That is, do you let students see your thinking, mistakes, revisions, and decisions?
5) Are you only sharing the finished product, or also the rough drafts and your thoughts about them?
6) What chances do you give students to see your real process, and do you invite their questions or encourage them to notice your writing moves?
Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, we talk with Two Writing Teachers Contributing Writer Jess Mazzone about using AI to scaffold and gamify test prep. By generating model responses, encouraging analysis, and adding elements of play, AI can help shift test prep from routine practice to more engaging, meaningful learning for students.
Go Deeper
- Scaffold and Gamify Test Prep With AI
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, Melanie shares three ways to inspire and scaffold students with exemplar and mentor pieces of writing.
Go Deeper:
- Reimagining Immersion
- Immersion in Writing Workshop is Always Worth the Time
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This episode features Doug Kaufman and Tracey-Ann Lafayette talking about student activism, voice, and writing as a tool for social change. They explore how students move from personal concerns to purposeful action through inquiry, research, and dialogue.
- Books mentioned in the podcast
- Article by Doug Kaufman
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Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Two Writing Teacher Co-author Jessica Carey joins Melanie to talk about the power of read alouds with tips and strategies that you can use right away in literacy instruction. Jess is a literacy coordinator in Westport, CT, and she is inspirational in the work she does every day with young learners.
Go Deeper:
- Owen Davey
- No More Chairs by Dan Gill
- Teachers Read Professionally- a blog post from Jess Carey
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this tip for tomorrow, Melanie talks about why morphology is so important as students learn and use words. She also offers strategies for how to build students' skills in this critical area.
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Conferences don’t always go as planned, but you can quickly get back on track with a simple reset. Whether a student shuts down, you start over-teaching, or time runs out, each situation has a quick recovery line to try. Pause to rebuild trust, return control to the student, or end with a clear next step. These small pivots help students feel supported and keep your conferences productive. Pick one reset to try in tomorrow’s writing workshop.
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Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, Stacey talks with Melanie Meehan and Maggie Roberts about their book, Foundational Skills for Writing: A Brain-Based Guide to Strengthen Executive Functions, Language, and Other Cornerstones for Writers. The discussion highlights the "Conversations with a Colleague” sections, which bring expert voices to teachers and promote classroom collaboration. Melanie and Maggie explain how graphic organizers serve as thinking tools that support executive functioning and make writing more accessible. They also discuss the connection between gross motor development and fine motor writing skills, sharing strategies for learners of all ages. The episode offers practical tips on topics like cognitive flexibility and playful sentence combining.
ABOUT TODAY’S GUESTS
Maggie Beattie Roberts is a national literacy consultant, author, and highly sought-after professional learning facilitator. As co-author of DIY Literacy: Teaching Tools for Differentiation, Rigor, and Independence (2016; with Kate Roberts), Maggie continues to empower educators with tools that enhance student learning and independence. Her forthcoming book, Unboxing the Curriculum, helps educators and school leaders navigate prepackaged curriculum and tailor it to their students’ needs. Learn more about Maggie's work at kateandmaggie.com
Melanie Meehan opened The Writing Clinic, an in-person and online center for inspiring and nurturing competent, confident, and joyful young writers, after retiring from her public school position as an Elementary Curriculum Coordinator. Melanie’s published works include Every Child Can Write (2019), The Responsive Writing Teacher (2021), and Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing (2022), all published by Corwin Press.
GO DEEPER
- Landmark College in Putney, VT
- Purchase Foundational Skills for Writing: A Brain-Based Guide to Strengthen Executive Functions, Language, and Other Cornerstones for Writers.
Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This week’s TFT episode shifts the conversation about conferring from technique to equity. Even with solid conferring routines, some students, especially multilingual learners, students with IEPs, and quieter voices, can miss out on meaningful conferences. Learn how a quick equity scan of your conferring notes can help close these gaps. You’ll hear practical strategies to ensure every student benefits from your best teaching moves. Tune in to see how a few simple shifts can make your conferences more equitable and impactful for all writers.
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Stacey and Melanie dive into the transformative power of the Slice of Life Story Challenge, a writing initiative that has connected educators since 2008. Stacey shares the origins of the challenge, emphasizing the importance of community and daily writing. The discussion highlights how participating in this challenge not only enhances writing skills but also deepens empathy and understanding among teachers, impacting their overall teaching practices. Melanie reflects on a recent meeting with fellow educators who revealed that the challenge has been a game-changer in their careers, enriching their approach across various content areas. Join them as they explore the profound insights gained from being authentic learners within a supportive writing community.
Go Deeper:
- Building on “Rallying a Community of Writers”: A February Support System by Ana Valentina Patton
- Embracing Imperfection as a Teacher-Writer: A Conversation With a Colleague - Stacey Shubitz and Ana Valentina Patton
- Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose by Jennifer Breheny Wallace
- On a Thought by Ona Gabriel
- One Writer at a Time: Fostering An Adult Writing Community by Jessica Carey
- Rallying a Community of Writers by Jessica Carey
- Writing: The Gift We Give Ourselves by Jessica Carey
- Essential FAQs for First-Time Slice of Life Story Challenge Participants
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Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
While interval training shouldn't take the place of process writing, there are potential benefits to writing in short spurts. In this episode, Melanie shares some reasons to give interval writing a try, as well as some strategies to get you started.
Go Deeper:
- Interval Training With Writers
Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This episode features Ana Valentina Patton, an Instructional Coordinator at KLA Academy in Miami and a contributing writer for the Two Writing Teachers blog. Together, Stacey and Ana tackle the challenges teachers face during the mid-year slump, when energy dips and the pressure of test scores can overshadow the joy of writing. Ana shares practical ways to reclaim presence and authenticity as a teacher-writer, focusing on small shifts that make a big difference in the K-6 classroom. Drawing on her global teaching background, Ana offers strategies for connecting and making writing a more joyful, meaningful part of daily classroom life.
GO DEEPER:
- A Teacher's Guide to Mentor Texts, K-5 (The Classroom Essentials Series) by Carl Anderson
- Building on “Rallying a Community of Writers”: A February Support System by Ana Valentina Patton
- Morning message ideas from Responsive Classroom
- “Persistence and Pedagogy” by Amanda Potts
- Rallying a Community of Writers by Jessica Carey
- Sign up for the 19th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge on Two Writing Teachers
- When Teachers Write: Three Shifts Toward Becoming a Present Writing Teacher by Ana Valentina Patton
- Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark
Ana Valentina Patton, the Instructional Coordinator at KLA Academy in Miami. With over 20 years of experience across the globe—taught in Venezuela, Egypt, and now the U.S.—Ana is an expert in literacy coaching and writing workshops. She’s passionate about the 'reciprocal power' of teaching and learning, and she’s here to help us cultivate stronger writing communities in our schools.
Instagram: @anavpatton
Blog: https://anavpatton.org
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Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Discover how teaching self-advocacy during writing workshop empowers students to express their needs and take charge of their learning. Drawing on insights from her upcoming book,Make the School System Work for Your Child with Disabilities: Empowering Kids for the Future, Stacey shares practical sentence starters to help students ask for help with revision, clarify instructions, and participate in peer conferences with confidence. Learn how teaching your students these sentences can foster independence and help them speak up for themselves clearly.
Six Self-Advocacy Sentences for Writing Workshop
- I’m feeling confused about my writing. Can you help me understand what to do next?
- I need help with this part of my writing. Could you help me?
- I’m not sure how to revise this. Could you show me again?
- Can you please check if I understood the instructions correctly?
- I’m struggling with giving feedback. Can we talk about how to do it?
- I’m not comfortable sharing this piece. Is there another way I can participate?
Learn more about Stacey’s book, Make the School System Work for Your Child with Disabilities: Empowering Kids for the Future(Guilford Press, 2026).
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Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, Melanie talks with Stacey about her forthcoming book, Make the School System Work for Your Child with Disabilities: Empowering Kids for the Future. From its three-part structure and recurring features, such as tips for cultivating joy and engaging in self-care, to its asset-based approach that builds partnerships while fiercely advocating for services, the book offers practical guidance. Designed primarily for parents and caregivers, it also benefits educators and service providers by demystifying technical language, procedures, and processes, serving as a quick-reference roadmap—making it valuable for non-special ed teachers, new special educators, administrators, and more. It offers key insights on self-advocacy, agency, and strategies to empower kids for lifelong success ahead of its January 20 release from Guilford Press.
Use promo code AU2E to receive 15% off your pre-order this text at Guilford.com.
Connect with Stacey Shubitz online:
- Instagram: @thestaceyshubitz
- LinkedIn: @staceyshubitz
- Subscribe to her Substack: Your Ally in Advocacy
- Website: staceyshubitz.com
Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, Melanie provides a few tips for building students' automaticity with letter formation.
Go deeper
- Effective Strategies for Teaching Handwriting in Grades 3-8
- The Handwriting Part of Writing
Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This week, we examine cognitive flexibility and its importance for young writers and learners. Listeners will hear clear, classroom-based examples—such as switching from an outside voice to an inside voice, adapting to new assignments, and seeing disappointing grades as growth opportunities. The discussion links cognitive flexibility to writing, emphasizing how it aids in planning, revising, experimenting with different leads and endings, and responding to teacher feedback productively. Practical strategies like perspective-taking, word play, experimentation, writing within constraints, and goal-setting are shared to help teachers develop this skill. The episode also features picture book mentor texts such as Don’t Feed the Bears, Beautiful Oops, The Dot, and One Word from Sophia, using them as springboards to discuss flexible thinking with students.
Sources Mentioned
- Dr. Nelson Cowan
- Pip the Guide Dog
- Valerie Boling podcast
- Jess Mazzonne’s post
- Mindset by Carol Dweck
- Beauty of Opinion Writing podcast
- One Word From Sophia
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Send us Fan Mail
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Opinion writing in grades K–6 is more than just persuasive essays. It lets kids express what they really think and see their ideas matter on the page. In this episode, we look at what makes opinion writing special: children sharing real opinions on topics they care about, building their sense of self, and bravely taking risks with their words. You’ll hear how opinion writing grows from simple preferences with pictures and labels to more thoughtful arguments that consider other viewpoints. We also share a list of mentor texts you can use to lift the level of your students’ opinion writing. Finally, we offer ways to celebrate students’ work, like author’s chair, hallway displays, family mailings, and online publishing, all focused on giving students a voice and the joy of sharing their opinions with real audiences.
Go Deeper
- Doug Kaufmann
- Tracey Lafayette
- Beth Moore’s website for paper
- The New York Times’ Writing Contests
Books We Mentioned:
- 1,000 Awesome Things by Neil Pasricha
- Breakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable Essays: Your Favorite Authors Take A Stab at the Dreaded Essay edited by Brad Wolfe and Rebecca Stern
- Don’t Feed the Bear by Kathleen Doherty
- Can I Be Your Dog by Troy Cummings
- Eating to Save the Planet by Ann Broyles
- Our Favorite Day of the Year by A.E. Ali
- The Black Mambas by Kelly Crull
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In this episode, Stacey explores how picture books about moving, starting over, and making a new home—including stories of immigrants, refugees, and families in transition—can inspire and elevate students’ writing. Drawing on Rudine Sims Bishop’s work about books as mirrors and windows, she highlights three powerful titles: My Home is in My Backpack, You Are Home, and Just Say Welcome. Each book offers students opportunities to see themselves, build empathy, and practice meaningful writing craft moves. You’ll also learn a simple, actionable routine for using picture books as mentor texts in your classroom right away. Whether your students have lived through significant changes or are learning to welcome others, these stories will help every child find their voice and build a sense of belonging through writing.
Click here to look inside the picture books in “Finding Home and Building Voice: How Picture Books on Moving and Belonging Inspire Young Writers.”
References:
Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Textsby Stacey Shubitz (Stenhouse Publishers, 2016)
Just Say Welcome by Emily Raij and Nathalia Takeyama (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2025)
Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors by Rudine Sims Bishop (1990)
My Home is in My Backpack by Eugenia Perrella and Angela Salerno (Floris Books, 2025)
You Are Home by Bex Tobin Fine and Andres Landazabal
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This Writing Roundtable episode features Valerie Bolling discussing her book, Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom: Building Student Agency, Independence, and Success. Valerie shares what inspired her focus on writing, goal setting, and how teachers can balance guidance with student ownership. She explains how to model goal setting, teach effective strategies, and assess student progress. Valerie also addresses common challenges teachers face and offers practical solutions. This episode provides valuable insights into fostering agency and independence in young writers.
Go Deeper: Here are several Two Writing Teachers blog posts and past podcast episodes that deal with the topics discussed in this episode:
- A Few Tips for Small Group Instruction
- Build Strong Writers with Executive Function Tools
- Increasing Student Agency as Writers
- Student Agency, Self-Assessment, and Small Group Instruction
- Student Seminars and Goal-Setting
- The Power of Goal-Setting
Valerie Bolling is an award-winning 30-year educator/author who has written over 10 books for children; Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom: Building Student Agency, Independence, and Success is her first book for teachers, and she has two others on the way. Follow these links to find Valerie online:
- Website
- Bluesky
- X
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In this episode, we explore the typical path that every writing unit follows, regardless of the curriculum. We highlight teaching strategies that work in different settings. We discuss immersion, its importance, and how to make it more beneficial for writers. We also discuss how co-creating anchor and process charts can support students, focusing on what authors do and how they do it. You'll hear tips on helping students think about their purpose and audience, guiding them through planning, drafting, and revising, and building a strong classroom community through partnerships, sharing, and feedback. We wrap up with ideas for celebrating writing and encouraging meaningful reflection.
GO DEEPER:
- A Trajectory to Duplicate: These Poems Were VERY Good Things
- Something Do-Able to Try: The Editing Minute
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This episode explores practical executive functioning tools that support students’ writing and goal-setting success. Inspired by Valerie Bolling's book, Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom: Building Student Agency, Independence, and Success (Stenhouse Publishers, 2025), Stacey highlights seven strategies—such as making timelines, using timers, and tracking progress—that help improve organization, focus, and motivation. These tools build essential skills for writing and lifelong executive functioning. Drawing on personal experience, the episode shows how goal-setting applies both in and out of the classroom. Tune in to learn how to help students develop confidence and independence with their writing goals.
GO DEEPER!
- TWT Podcast Episodes That Deal with Executive Functioning
- Accommodations for Access to Writing Instruction
- Build Executive Functioning with Time Management Techniques
- Build Writing Confidence with the "Ready, Do, Done" Model
- Co-Create Writing Goals
- Help K-8 Students with Executive Functioning Needs: A Conversation with a Colleague
- Unlock Strategies for Task Initiation
- TWT Blog Posts That Explore Executive Functioning
- Contingency Maps for Writing Workshops
- From Memory to Mastery
- Hands in the Air: How Gestures Support Writing Instruction
- Routines Build Capacity
- Writing and Working Memory: Reflective Practice
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In this episode, Melanie talks with TWTBlog co-authors Sarah Valter and Leah Thomas about ways to infuse writing experiences in students' lives beyond classroom instruction.
GO DEEPER:
Finding Wider Audiences for Student Work
This or That: Inspiring Writers to Learn About Themselves
Extracurricular Writing Clubs
Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge
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GIven that many teachers are getting ready for parent/caregiver conferences, Melanie suggests five ideas for making good writing conferences even better!
GO DEEPER:
Genre-based Progressions
Summer Writing Motivation
Ways for Caregivers to Support Writers
Making the Most of Conferences
Finding Wider Audiences for Student Work
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My Kids Can't Write: How to Advance Achievement Through Cross-Curricular Writing, by Paul Emerich France, provides K-5 teachers with practical guidance on helping students write effectively across all subjects. It explains how to incorporate simple routines and journal-based activities to make writing a regular and manageable part of classroom life. In today's episode, we talk with Paul about how to prioritize writing throughout the school day.
Paul Emerich France is a National Board Certified Teacher, Reading Specialist, and the author of six books on teaching. Recently, he has published My Kids Can’t Write with Corwin Press. He currently works as a consultant and coach, supporting teachers with implementing cognitive writing across all subject areas.
- Website: Make Teaching Sustainable
- Book: My Kids Can't Write, K-5: How to Advance Achievement Through Cross-Curricular Writing (Corwin Press, 2025)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sustainteaching/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sustainteaching
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There are many different questions to consider when assessing students' writing. This episode suggests various lenses for deciding on next instructional steps.
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In this Writing Roundtable episode, Stacey and Melanie talk with Patty McGee and Tim Donohue, co-authors of Not Your Granny’s Grammar.Patty and Tim explain their research-based approaches to making grammar and writing instruction engaging and meaningful for both teachers and students. They explore the history of grammar, the power of grammar notebooks and partnerships, and how to effectively integrate grammar instruction into the school day. Patty and Tim also break down the scope and sequence of their book, emphasizing teacher choice and instructional principles that nurture lifelong learners. Additionally, they highlight the invaluable grammar guide included in their book. Whether you’re a teacher looking to refresh your grammar toolkit or you’re eager to find a new approach to grammar instruction, this episode offers valuable takeaways to inspire your teaching practice.
You can check out more about this book on Melanie's post on the TWT blog.
Tim Donohue is a former high school English teacher who currently serves as an Assistant Superintendent in New Jersey. He can be reached at tdonohue2022@gmail.com
Patty McGee is a literacy consultant, author, educator, and advocate for delightful literacy practices. Learn more about Patty and her work at www.pattymcgee.org.
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In this first episode of our fourth season, we talk about the importance of choice in the lives of writers. Why does choice matter, and what are some ways to bring choice into the classroom?
GO DEEPER:
- Pens vs Pencils
- Paper Choice
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In the final episode of our third season, we dive into the foundational beliefs that shape effective writing instruction. From emphasizing explicit teaching to fostering a community led by a teacher who writes to foundational skills like handwriting and spelling, we explore key elements that support student success. This episode will inspire educators to reflect on their teaching philosophies and empower students within any curriculum framework.
GO DEEPER:
- How Great Leaders Inspire Action: Simon Sinek
- Perplexity
- Research Roundup (from the Build Your Expertise Blog Series on #TWTBlog)
- The Evolving Landscape of Writing Instruction: The Writing Roundtable with Lester L. Laminack
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The Salad Bowl Game is one of our family's favorite games to play when we're all together, and it's also a great game for building students' vocabulary in writing, as well as any other content area. Give it a try with friends when you have some time, and have some great laughs and learning in classrooms with students.
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Introducing the 10th Annual Author Spotlight Series on the Two Writing Teachers blog, featuring daily interviews with children’s authors and illustrators who share their creative journeys and writing processes. Listeners get a preview of the week’s lineup, including stories of resilience, identity, and collaboration from Tim Donohue, Tyler Gordon, Maham Khwaja, Rebecca Gardyn Levington, Patty McGee, and Padma Venkatraman. The episode also highlights exciting book giveaways and virtual author visit opportunities for those who leave a comment on the guest authors’ posts.
Get ready to be inspired by the featured authors’ experiences!
Click here to read posts from the Author Spotlight Series on Two Writing Teachers!
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In this special episode, Melanie turns the tables as she interviews Stacey about her forthcoming book, which helps parents understand how to make the school system work for their child with disabilities. Hear about the personal passion that fueled this project, get an overview of the book’s three-part structure, and demystify the language of special education. The episode concludes with a discussion on the vital role of self-care, agency, and advocacy for parents, underscoring the book’s unique focus on caregiver well-being and empowerment.
Go Deeper:
- Follow Stacey on Instagram, where she shares tips for parents and caregivers.
- Sign up for emails from Guilford Press, which will publish Stacey's book, to stay in the know about new releases.
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In this Tip for Tomorrow, Melanie provides three ideas for differentiating that can work across grade levels and across genres.
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Let’s revisit the Spring 2017 blog series "Keep Learning Going Throughout the Summer," which explored various strategies to maintain children's writing skills during the summer break. Stacey highlights key ideas from the 2017 co-author team, including creating personalized writing spaces, gamifying the writing process, and using books to inspire writing projects. The episode emphasizes the importance of making summer writing fun, engaging, and tailored to each child's interests and needs. Listeners are encouraged to share these strategies with colleagues and students’ families to prevent summer writing loss.
GO DEEPER:
- Recap of the Keep Learning Going Throughout the Summer Blog Series
- Twitter Chat Archive (Many participants’ tweets are no longer present due to deactivating their accounts.)
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In our second Writing Roundtable episode, renowned literacy expert Lester L. Laminack joins us to discuss his Ferris wheel of education concept, providing a fresh perspective on educational trends. Lester examines the current state of writing instruction, investigating how recent developments influence students' writing experiences and skills. Listeners will gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of writing pedagogy as Lester addresses the promising advancements and potential challenges facing educators.
GO DEEPER:
- Read Lester's original "Ferris Wheel" piece on The Robb Review
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Lester Laminack, Professor Emeritus, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina is a full-time writer and consultant working with schools throughout the United States and abroad. He is the author of over 25 books for teachers and children. His academic publications include Climb Inside a Poem (Heinemann) Cracking Open the Author’s Craft (Scholastic), Bullying Hurts: Teaching Kindness Through Read Aloud and Guided Conversations (Heinemann), The Writing Teacher’s Troubleshooting Guide(Heinemann), Writers ARE Readers: Flipping Reading Strategies into Writing Instruction (Heinemann), Reading to Make a Difference(Heinemann), The Ultimate Read Aloud Guide 2nd Edition (Scholastic) and The Ultimate Read Aloud Collection Fiction and Nonfiction (Scholastic), Critical Comprehension: Lessons for Guiding Students to Deeper Meaning (Corwin).
Lester is also the author of several children’s books including: The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins, Trevor’s Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth, Saturdays and Teacakes, Jake’s 100th Day of School, Snow Day!, Three Hens and a Peacock (2012 Children’s Choice K-2 Book of the Year Award), and The King of Bees all published by Peachtree Publishers. His most recent book for children is Three Hens, a Peacock, and the Enormous Egg. His most recent book, A Cat Like That was released in January 2025.
Lester is available for professional development and school author visits. You can contact him via his website, and follow him on Facebook.
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Fun test prep may seem like an oxymoron, but in this tip for tomorrow, Melanie shares a few ways you can bring movement, collaboration, and agency into getting students ready to take assessments.
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In this episode, Stacey interviews Melanie about her upcoming book (co-authored with Maggie Beattie Roberts), tentatively titled THE WRITING BRAIN: FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS OF WRITTEN EXPRESSION. The book emphasizes developing foundational writing skills through research- and evidence-based instructional methods. We discuss the five guiding principles featured in the book: Cognitive Load Theory, Neurological Response to Learning, The Zone of Proximal Development, Universal Design for Learning, and the Gradual Release Model. Melanie explains how their book helps teachers identify and address individual students' writing challenges. She also shares insights about the collaborative writing process with Maggie.
GO DEEPER:
- Cognitive Load Theory: Sweller, J. Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning. Cogn. Sci. 1988, 12, 257–285. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zone of Proximal Development - Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
- Gradual Release Theory- Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3), 317-344.
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There is a lot of research about spelling and how students learn to spell words, and there are important connections between how students spell and how they learn to read. In this episode, Melanie shares a few changes she's made as she works with students who ask how to spell words.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- How Words Cast Their Spell
- Rebecca Treiman
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Welcome to The Writing Roundtable, where we explore writing topics with guest authors. In this inaugural episode, Stacey discusses poetry’s significance in elementary education with poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, who describes poetry as "offerings of beautiful words by beautiful people that I don't know." Amy shares the benefits of poetry and strategies for educators, including daily readings, group writing activities, and showcasing student work. She also reflects on her journey as a children's poet, offering tips for those interested in publication. This discussion provides insights for teachers looking to enhance learning through poetry.
ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUEST:
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is a children's author, poet, and writing teacher celebrated for her contributions to children's literature and poetry education. She has contributed to many anthologies and authored several children's books, including Forest Has a Song, The Sound of Kindness, With My Hands: Poems About Making Things, and Read! Read! Read! Additionally, she teaches teachers about writing and is the author of Poems Are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres.
Find Amy online at The Poem Farm and Sharing Our Notebooks.
GO DEEPER:
- Highlights Foundation
- One Simple Ritual, All Year Long (CCIRA)
- SCBWI
- "Something Told the Wild Geese" (Recording) by Rachel Field, sung by the Von Trapp children
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Explore the transformative power of process logs in writing instruction. Stacey reveals how process logs provide accountability, track progress, and offer authentic glimpses into the writing process. Discover how sharing these logs can make writing instruction more transparent and supportive for students. Whether you're a writer or educator, this episode offers practical strategies for using process logs to deepen your understanding of the writing craft.
GO DEEPER: Explore Two Writing Teachers' blog posts about process logs.
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Shawnda Fukano, a literacy coach and contributing writer to TWTBlog, chats with Stacey to expand on her blog post about oracy and its importance for multilingual learners. The discussion covers various aspects of oracy development, including success stories, challenges, and practical classroom implementation strategies. Shawnda shares her experiences balancing vocabulary and language structure instruction, using mentor texts, and incorporating active listening skills. The episode also delves into hands-on strategies for integrating oracy into daily classroom activities and effective methods for assessing students' oracy skills.
Shawnda Fukano is a primary literacy coach at a dual-language school in the Highline School District in Seattle, Washington. She supports teachers and students in developing biliteracy in both English and Spanish. With a passion for educating multilingual learners since 2004, Shawnda has taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade newcomers and served as the Dual Language Coordinator. She has also taught English to adult refugees from Burma. Shawnda is a National Board Certified Teacher in English as a New Language and OCDE Project GLAD® Trainer. She lives in Seattle with her husband, son, and twin daughters. She writes slices of her life as a mom and teacher at ShawndaStories.
Go Deeper:
- Building Bigger Vocabularies Through Books
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Chants for Writing: Support Routines, Conventions, and Craft
- More about Isabel L. Beck
- Oracy: What & How
- Read more posts about working with multilingual learners and on translanguaging on Two Writing Teachers.
- Strategies for Working with Multilingual Learners episode
- Vocabulary Games
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Motor skills are fundamental for written expression. In this Tip for Tomorrow, Melanie shares some strategies for building and leveraging large and small motor skills.
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In this episode, Melanie talks with Two Writing Teachers co-authors, Leah Thomas and Lainie Levin, about their presentation from NCTE 2025. The presentation and discussion focus on important research supporting fundamental writing instruction practices.
Go Deeper:Check out the Build Your Expertise Blog Series on TWTBlog.
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Stacey explores how sticky notes enhance writing workshops through three key uses: spelling assistance, sentence revisions, and personalized mini-charts. These practical ways promote student independence and offer non-intrusive feedback for customized learning, positively impacting writing skills. With these easy-to-implement ideas, you can make a positive difference in your students' writing!
GO DEEPER:
- Something Do-Able to Try: The Editing Minute
- Step Up Interactive Writing (…And Sneak In More Spelling, Vocabulary, and Grammar)
- Sticky Notes, Arrows, and Margins, Oh My!
- Toolkit Resources for Writing Instruction
- Writing on Students’ Work in Progress: Resetting Our Workshop Practices
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The Two Writing Teachers co-authors shared ideas for modernizing mentor texts in the most recent blog series. Melanie summarizes some of the ideas she has already implemented with children and teachers within her work.
Go Deeper:
Click here to read through all of the posts in the series.
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Jess Carey and Sarah Valter, Two Writing Teachers Co-Authors, join Stacey to unpack the transformative insights from the 2024 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention, diving deep into the conference's "Heart, Hope and Humanity" theme. The conversation explores reimagining scripted curriculum into student-centered teaching approaches. Jess and Sarah share compelling perspectives on integrating AI as a collaborative writing partner, highlighting innovative strategies that empower students rather than replace their creativity. The episode provides a candid look at some of the convention’s most inspiring sessions about the evolving landscape of literacy education. Listeners will gain insider tips for navigating future conferences, selecting sessions, and revitalizing their conference learnings in the classroom. Whether you're a seasoned conference-goer or a curious newcomer to NCTE, this episode provides a vibrant and reflective journey through the latest thinking in literacy education.
Go Deeper:
- Don’t Let It Fade: Holding Onto the Magic of NCTE 2024
- Research Roundup #ICYMI: Build Your Expertise
- Rytr
- Writing Partners
- The Role of SEL in Improving Literacy Development
- A Writer(s)-within-Community Model of Writing
You can find Jess Carey at wherethereisjoy.blog and @jlcarey.bsky.social.
You can find Sarah Valter at Read. Reflect. Teach. and @litcoachvalter.bsky.social.
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Writing tools are deeply personal, with each individual having a preferred instrument that feels comfortable and enables smooth writing. For children, selecting the right pen or pencil can significantly impact their writing experience and learning, with options like flair or gel pens offering easier grip and more enjoyable writing. While pens provide clear, lasting marks, pencils offer unique graphomotor benefits that help children learn letter formation with greater automaticity. The critical goal is supporting kids in discovering writing utensils that make them feel powerful and confident as emerging writers. Ultimately, what matters most is finding a writing tool that feels good and supports each child's writing journey.
GO DEEPER:
-
TWTBlog Post from Beth Moore: Pens versus Pencils
- Writing Utensils: Flair pens, mechanical pencils, and School Smart pens
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This week, Stacey explores the concept of planning and implementing a series of small group lessons to enhance students' writing skills across different genres. Drawing from her books Craft Moves and Welcome to Writing Workshop, the episode provides practical examples of teaching points that can be applied to various writing types to emphasize the importance of cross-genre application, demonstrating how skills such as establishing focus in leads and elaboration techniques can be taught and reinforced across different writing styles. Key implementation strategies, including scheduling independent practice time and maintaining flexibility in group composition, are also shared to help educators effectively implement a series of small group lessons.
GO DEEPER
- TWTBlog Posts
- A Few Tips for Small Group Instruction: Expanding the Reach With Small Group Work
- Ideas for planning Small Group Instruction
- The Language to Develop Agency: Amping Up Agency Blog Series
- The Power of Progression: Expanding the Reach with Small Group Work
- This is the year I’m going to keep better records.
- TWTPod Episode
- Inviting Students to Sign Up for Small Groups
- Your Small Group Instruction, Your Records
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
We explore the reasons against writing directly on children's work in progress, including potential negative impacts on learning and agency. The episode discusses why educators might feel compelled to write on student work and offer alternative approaches. We delve into considerations for digital writing and introduce new thinking about orthographic mapping and the neurological connectivity of reading and writing. Finally, we provide practical strategies for supporting young writers without directly writing on their work, emphasizing the importance of fostering independence and focusing on the writing process rather than just the final product.
Go Deeper:
- Writing on Students’ Work in Progress: Resetting Our Workshop Practices
- Don't Write on That Paper!
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In our final episode of 2024, Melanie shares three ways to streamline your record-keeping using Google Forms. She explains how to use Google Forms to have students share something specific, reflect on conferences, and sign up for small group instruction. You'll learn to collect helpful information about, from, and alongside students. Plus, links to forms you can customize for use in your classroom follow below.
Go Deeper:
- Google forms for sharing
- Writing reflection form
- Small group sign-up
- Ways to use google forms in classrooms from Rebecca Warchut
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This week, Stacey chats about the critical role of record-keeping in small-group instruction within the writing workshop. The episode highlights five key reasons why educators should prioritize record keeping. We’ll explore effective record-keeping methods, emphasizing the importance of real-time note-taking during conferences and discussing physical and digital tools for maintaining records. A particular focus is placed on using Google Forms as an efficient and organized method for record-keeping, briefly mentioning Google Apps Script for automating data organization.
Go Deeper:
- Google Apps Script
- TWTBlog Posts
- A Few Tips for Small Group Instruction: Expanding the Reach With Small Group Work
- Ideas for planning Small Group Instruction
- Increase the Number of Teachers in the Room with Student-Led Small Groups
- Small Groups, Big Engagement: Expanding the Possibilities and Potential
- Student Agency, Self-Assessment, and Small Group Instruction
- The Language to Develop Agency: Amping Up Agency Blog Series
- The Power of Progression: Expanding the Reach with Small Group Work
- This is the year I’m going to keep better records.
- TWTPod Episode
- Inviting Students to Sign Up for Small Groups
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This week, we explore the transformative power of writing celebrations in elementary classrooms. Discover how these joyful events showcase student work, nurture young writers' identities, strengthen classroom communities, and foster a sense of pride and accomplishment. From minor celebrations that acknowledge daily progress to grander events involving families and special guests, we share practical tips and creative ideas to make these moments memorable. Whether you're an educator looking to celebrate your students or a caregiver eager to support your child's writing development, this episode offers valuable insights into creating a culture of celebration that will ignite a greater passion for writing.
Go Deeper:
- A Parade of Writers
- Celebrate What’s Working
- It’s That Time of the Year
- Joyful Writing Memories
- Overcoming Anxiety About Displaying Student Writing
- Quick & Fun Lesson Closures? Yes, Please!
- Thinking about Process versus Product: Looking Back and Moving Forward
- Writing Celebrations: But Why?
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Melanie shares three practical strategies for maximizing classroom time. She emphasizes managing transition times to maintain student engagement and minimize downtime. In addition, she suggests creating a collection of valuable and doable activities that students can choose from, fostering independence and motivation. Finally, she suggests training students to deliver minilessons or lead small groups, which empowers them to take ownership of their learning. These practical approaches enhance instructional efficiency and create a more dynamic writing workshop.
GO DEEPER:
- Read Beth Moore's post about teaching students the architecture of a minilesson.
- See this post from Melanie with a picture of an interactive bulletin board
- Look at these student-driven conference cards.
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Stacey explores the vital executive functioning skill of time management as it applies to the writing workshop. She identifies common challenges students face, from grasping time concepts to meeting deadlines, and offers practical strategies to enhance their skills. Listeners will learn about tools such as visual aids, organizational checklists, and digital planners that can help young writers stay on track. Stacey also discusses establishing routines and breaking down larger projects into manageable tasks. This episode is packed with actionable tips to foster confidence and efficiency in students as they navigate the writing process. Join Stacey to discover how to equip young writers with the time management skills they need for success both in and out of the classroom!
GO DEEPER:
- TWT Podcast Episodes That Deal with Executive Functioning
- Accommodations for Access to Writing Instruction
- Build Writing Confidence with the "Ready, Do, Done" Model
- Co-Create Writing Goals
- Help K-8 Students with Executive Functioning Needs: A Conversation with a Colleague
- Unlock Strategies for Task Initiation
- TWTBlog Posts That Explore Executive Functioning
- Contingency Maps for Writing Workshops
- Writing and Working Memory: Reflective Practice
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
We delve into the challenging subjects that often arise in elementary school writing workshops, ranging from bodily functions and violence to mental health issues. We explore the non-negotiable aspects of topic choice and discuss establishing clear boundaries in the classroom, emphasizing the importance of creating a safe space for young writers. This conversation unpacks the various reasons why people write, highlighting the benefits of self-expression and examining audience awareness's crucial role in navigating sensitive topics. Drawing inspiration from Ralph Fletcher’s book Boys Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices, we offer insights on encouraging passionate writing while addressing concerns about violence, humor, and other potentially controversial themes in student work.
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GO DEEPER:
- Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices by Ralph Fletcher
- "I saw them at Sinai"
- Press Start Series by Thomas Flintham
- TWT Help Desk: What If a Child’s Topic Makes Me Uncomfortable?
- Uncomfortable Topic Choices in Writing Workshop
- Visit TWTBlog on 11/20 for a mentor text post that will list books that deal with burps, farts, and poop. (Stacey is working on it now.)
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Writing complete sentences is tricky for most elementary school students. This week's Tip for Tomorrow provides concrete ways to make sentence construction sticky for students. From a visible, tactile teaching method to progressions of examples, Melanie shares various strategies to help kids gain a more concrete understanding of sentence structure playfully and effectively.
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Leah Thomas, a co-author of the Two Writing Teachers Blog, chats with Melanie to reflect on her recent experiences with parent-teacher conferences, discussing the challenges and rewards of connecting with families. She shares effective note-taking strategies, what assessments to present, and the impact of showcasing student writing samples. Leah also explains her writing workshop philosophy and offers guidance for teachers who are apprehensive about these meetings. By addressing common parental concerns and emphasizing the importance of building rapport, she provides practical advice for fostering strong partnerships with families. Tune in to discover how to celebrate student growth and support young writers!
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Go Deeper:
- What I Bring to Caretaker Conferences
- Making the Most of Caregiver Conferences
More About Leah:Leah Thomas is a 2nd-grade teacher in St. Louis, MO. Leah has taught for seven years in the primary grades and loves sharing thoughts about writing workshop on the Two Writing Teachers blog. Outside of teaching, Leah loves to read, run, and write.
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this podcast episode, Melanie will share creative strategies to make the editing process engaging for students. Discover how to infuse fun into editing by using gamification techniques and various tools. You will also learn how to integrate editing into the drafting process and support students with scaffolds, checklists, and reminders to strengthen their editing skills.
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Go Deeper:
- Pickerwheel
- TWTBlog posts about editing:
- Editing Along the Way Often in 5 Minutes or Less
- Something Do-able to Try: The Editing Minute
- UDL Guidelines
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Discover the art of building meaningful writer-to-writer relationships and managing time effectively in brief, impactful sessions. The discussion delves into the importance of individualized focus, highlighting how concentrating on a single aspect of writing per conference can lead to more manageable and absorbing lessons for students. Additionally, the episode explores the critical skills of deep listening and intentional questioning, offering insights into how these practices can transform writing conferences and enhance student engagement.
Go Deeper:
- Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing by Melanie Meehan
- Peruse the #TWTBlog Archives on conferring.
- Welcome to Writing Workshop: Engaging Today’s Students with a Model That Works by Stacey Shubitz and Lynne R. Dorfman
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In our 100th episode, Stacey explores the power of tangible artifacts in writing conferences. She discusses five essential tools to enhance the writer-to-writer relationship: mentor texts, demonstration texts, mini-charts, personalized word walls, and individualized checklists. Learn how to introduce and utilize these artifacts to support student writing effectively. Stacey also shares strategies for helping students leverage these tools independently. This episode will help you discover practical insights to make your writing instruction more impactful and foster deeper connections with your students.
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Go Deeper:
- Conferring Toolkits Blog Series
- Conferring with Writers: Beyond the Fundamentals of Writing Workshop
- Different Ways to Use Checklists in Writing Workshop
- Easily Create a Digital Conferring Toolkit
- Editing Along the Way… Often in 5 Minutes or Less
- Finding Purpose: The Key to Making High-Frequency Words Stick
- Four Types of Demonstration Texts & Demonstration Texts, Part Deux
- Let’s Talk About Methods for Conferring
- Making the Most Out of Charts
- Mentor Texts (Category on TWTBlog)
- Three Ways to Introduce Personal Editing Checklists in Writing Workshop
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
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Melanie shares four ways to reenergize student writers whose enthusiasm and stamina dwindle during more extended writing units. Her ideas are sure to reinvigorate students in engaging and meaningful ways.
Go Deeper:
- Keeping the Energy In a Unit of Study
- Writing as a Gift
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
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This episode features Betsy Hubbard, an experienced educator and co-author at Two Writing Teachers. The discussion explores the critical role of executive functioning skills in writing and how deficits in these areas can impact students' performance. Betsy shares practical strategies for teachers to support executive functioning in writing workshops, including techniques for breaking tasks into manageable chunks and providing organizational templates. The episode also covers the importance of incorporating executive functioning activities into the classroom environment. It offers examples of self-regulation techniques to help students overcome challenges in the writing process.
Previous TWT Podcast Episodes Mentioned
- Accommodations for Access to Writing Instruction
- Build Writing Confidence with the "Ready, Do, Done" Model
- Co-Create Writing Goals
- Unlock Strategies for Task Initiation
Go Deeper
- Contingency Maps for Writing Workshops
- FLIPP the Switch
- Quick Facts on Executive Functions from Child Mind Institute
More About Betsy Hubbard:
- Personal Blogs
- I’m Living My Words
- The Power of Poetry
- TWTBlog Posts
- X (formerly Twitter)
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
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In this week's episode, Melanie shares six innovative strategies for using verbal rehearsal to empower young writers. She discusses techniques such as purposeful storytelling, visual cue cards, and fostering student collaborative partnerships. Enhancing oral language skills aims to strengthen writing abilities, demonstrating the powerful connection between speaking and writing. Discover how these approaches can help students recognize and harness their writing potential.
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
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In this episode, Stacey explores the "Ready, Do, Done" model by Sarah Ward and Kristen Jacobsen to help students with executive functioning challenges become confident writers. She discusses the importance of setting clear intentions and gathering necessary materials ("Ready"), breaking down tasks and using visual aids ("Do"), and celebrating accomplishments to boost confidence ("Done"). Practical tips for teachers are provided to support students in the writing workshop. The model's flexibility and potential to empower learners in all areas are highlighted.
This episode builds on a previous discussion about task initiation and is part of a series on executive functioning in writing instruction.
Thanks to our sponsor!Speakable is being incredibly generous to listeners of the Two Writing Teachers Podcast. Go to speakable.io/twt to sign up for a free account or check out special offers, including 3 months of full access.
Go Deeper:
- A Clinical Model for Developing Executive Function Skills by Sarah Ward and Kristen Jacobsen
- Cognitive Connections website
- Unlock Strategies for Task Initiation: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
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This episode delves into the importance of understanding students as writers and its benefits to educators and learners. We explore how this knowledge fosters a stronger classroom community and informs more tailored instruction. Tried-and-true methods such as kid-watching, utilizing writer's notebooks, and conducting effective one-on-one conferences during the initial weeks of school are discussed. We also highlight the value of listening to students, reviewing previous portfolios, and using digital tools like audio or video recordings for self-introductions. Finally, we examine various ways to assess writing styles and preferences, including surveys and analyzing students' writing processes, to identify their strengths and areas for growth.
Thanks to our sponsor, Book Creator!Listeners can get 3 months free premium using the code TWTPOD at the checkout when upgrading their Book Creator account. Follow this link: bookcreator.com/TWTpod
Online Resources:
- Classroom management posts on #TWTBlog
- Passionate Writers (mentioned as single-topic writers in the episode)
- Non-verbal Cues for Writers: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
- Making Space in Writing Workshop for Kids to Be Funny by Beth Moore
- Steve Graham: importance of community
- Surveys and questionnaires through google forms
- Self-reflection form 1 and Self-reflection form 2
- What’s a Conferring Scarf?
Books Mentioned:
- The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard by Michael Callahan
- The Responsive Writing Teacherby Melanie Meehan and Kelsey Sorum
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Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Send us a Text Message.
It's the final episode of season two, so we're discussing some of the best practices for writing instruction. We cover the importance of a thriving writing community and the writing process, and we explore the role of oral language in boosting writing stamina. We also discuss the importance of dedicated and intentional writing time, the reciprocity between reading and writing, and the thrill of writing for an authentic audience. This episode will tee you up for the next school year!
Many thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Texthelp!
Visit text.help/cowriter to learn more about Co:Writer prediction in Read&Write because everyone deserves the power to read, write, and understand.
Go Deeper:
- Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing by Melanie Meehan
- Collaboration and Community in the Writing Workshop
- Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts by Stacey Shubitz
- Exploring the Power of Oral Language: A Conversation with a Colleague (with Lainie Levin)
- Exploring Voice Typing During Writing Workshop
- Family Resources for At-Home Learning
- Research Round-up (Build Your Expertise Blog Series)
- The Editing Minute
-
TWTBlog Posts about Audience
- Writing Instruction Considerations by Carl Anderson & Matt Glover
Thank you to our affiliate, Zencastr.
Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Send us a Text Message.
Melanie explores critical strategies to help you plan for your summer learning. Discover practical tips for organizing your classroom, finding or forming a study group, curating mentor texts, and engaging in personal writing. You'll leave this episode invigorated to try one or more ways to enhance your teaching skills for the upcoming academic year.
Go Deeper:
- Join a hybrid book study and writing group led by #TWTBlog co-author Lainie Levin this summer. Learn more at this Summer Writing Refresh: A Grown-up Writing Circle.
- Simple and Functional Classroom Design
- The 9th Annual TWTBlog Author Spotlight Series
Thanks to our affiliate, Zencastr!
Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Stacey explores the importance of co-creating goals with students to help them grow as writers. She discusses how collaboration during goal-setting enhances students' ownership, motivation, and personalized learning. It also allows for individualized growth and fosters collaboration and communication with the teacher. If you haven't tried co-creating goals with your students before, this Tip for Tomorrow will inspire you to do so with future groups of students.
Go Deeper with These #TWTBlog Posts:
- Aim Higher: Conferring and Student Goals
- Creating Clarity for Writers
- How Many Stars? Tools for Self-Assessment and Goal-Setting
- ICYMI Aim Higher: Outgrow Old Goals and Set New Ones (Blog Series)
- Setting Goals with Students
- Student Agency, Self-Assessment, and Small Group Instruction
- Students and Goal Setting: My Choice, My Growth, My Responsibility
- The Power of Goal-Setting
- When Your Reality Doesn’t Match Your Expectations
- Writing Checklists: Tools for Independence and Goal-Setting
Thanks to our affiliate, Marley Spoon!
Get $235 off through 5 boxes. This makes the first box portion price start at $4.99. Click here or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=6988&id=1261005.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, Melanie guides you through the art of crafting concise and well-structured paragraphs that are easy to follow and understand. With her expert tips on oral rehearsal and the use of sentence frames, she empowers young writers to hone their writing skills and develop a unique voice. Tune in to learn how to help students move from writing formulaic paragraphs to composing authentic pieces that truly showcase their writing talents.
Thanks to our affiliate!
- Libro.fm: Use the TWTPod Code
- Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership.
- Check out Stacey’s audiobook playlist.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Task initiation is one key to student success, particularly in the context of writing instruction. The episode highlights some students' challenges with executive functioning skills and how they struggle to begin tasks efficiently. The host provides nine effective strategies to help students overcome task initiation challenges, such as normalizing task-avoidant behavior, emphasizing work quality, preparing materials, using visual aids and organizers, breaking tasks into smaller steps, employing backwards planning, facilitating getting started, limiting distractions, and incorporating planned breaks. The episode also references Admiral William H. McRaven's "Make Your Bed" speech, emphasizing the significance of small tasks and their impact on productivity and motivation.
GO DEEPER:
- Plan Boxes Will Inspire You: A Tip for Tomorrow
- Conversation with a Colleague Episodes (with Lainie Levin)
- Addressing Perfectionism in Writing Instruction
- Exploring the Power of Oral Language
- University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address and Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the Worldboth by Admiral William H. McRaven
- What Is Executive Function? And How Does It Relate to Child Development? from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child
- Work Quality Continuum
THANKS TO OUR AFFILIATE!
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In today’s Conversation with a Colleague, Stacey chats with Lainie Levin, a gifted interventionist and coach, about helping learners conquer perfectionism. Lainie unveils the manifestations of perfectionism in students, particularly during writing instruction, highlighting key signs to watch for. She shares an innovative work quality continuum she co-created with her students, as a powerful tool to address perfectionist tendencies. Practical strategies are discussed for reframing perfectionist behaviors, fostering a growth mindset, and embracing mistakes as opportunities for growth. Stacey and Lainie also explore the impact of perfectionism on partnerships and group work. Finally, they discuss where perfectionism is most prevalent during the writing process while discussing effective methods for addressing it.
ABOUT LAINIE LEVIN:
Lainie is a dedicated educator with 28 years of teaching experience and a strong advocate for children and public education. She is a gifted interventionist and coach in language arts and math, specializing in meeting the needs of gifted/talented elementary school students. Since 2021, she has been a valued colleague at Two Writing Teachers.
Check out Lainie’s personal blog, Soapbox: The Way I See Things, follow her on X @mrslevin11, or read her Two Writing Teachers blog posts.
GO DEEPER:
- Advice for the Perfectionists in Writing Workshop
- Reframing Avoidance: Writers and Perfectionism
- Work-Quality Continuum
THANKS TO OUR AFFILIATES!
- Libro.fm: Use the TWTPod Code
- Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership.
- Zencastr: Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Make sentence structure more straightforward for students with Melanie's intentional activities in this episode. Melanie shares ways she helps students understand the definition of sentences, create sentences with phrases and pictures, and combine sentences. You'll help students recognize and create simple and increasingly complex sentences with Melanie's playful and purposeful ideas.
Go Deeper:
- Sentence Patterning Charts
- Bring on the Fun in Sentence Construction
- Word, Sentence, Paragraph
Thanks to our affiliate, Marley Spoon! $235 off through 5 boxes -- The first box portion price starts at $4.99. Click here or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=6988&id=1261005.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Explore the origin and significance of end-of-year reflection letters in this week’s episode. Stacey highlights the unique nature of these letters, which go beyond self-evaluations of academics and instead focus on students reflecting on their growth as learners and individuals. Practical guidelines for structuring the letters are shared, emphasizing flexibility in paragraph structure to suit individual needs. The episode also features touching excerpts from actual student letters, showcasing their accomplishments, thoughts on cooperative group work, and advice for the teacher. The power of these reflection letters as tools for student self-awareness and goal-setting is celebrated, emphasizing the importance of taking a step back to recognize personal growth.
Looking for what you can do after you receive these letters from your students? Check out “My Hope and Dream for You,” which explains how you can respond to your students as they exit your classroom door for the final time.
Thanks to our affiliate, Marley Spoon!
$235 off through 5 boxes -- The first box portion price starts at $4.99. Click here or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=6988&id=1261005.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
We explore the vast potential of student-facing AI tools. Join us as we delve into the benefits of tools like Co:Writer Universal, EverWrite, Grammarly, Read&Write, and Speechify. Discover how these cutting-edge tools revolutionize students' learning, writing, and communication and empower students to reach new heights of academic excellence.
Check out the Los Angeles Unified School District’s AI policies.
Listen to our previous episode: Boost Writing Instruction with AI.
Related TWTBlog Posts:
- AI Tools for Writing Teachers
- Can AI Write a Good Speech?
- Co:Writer
- Exploring Voice Typing During Writing Workshop
- Three Ways to Use ChatGPT…Tomorrow
- We Need to Talk About AI Essays
AI Tools We Mentioned:
- Co:Writer Universal
- EverWrite
- Grammarly
- Read&Write
- Speechify
Thanks to our affiliates!
- BestSelf: Use code TWTPOD for 15% off your purchase. Valid from 1/28-4/30/24.
- Zencastr: Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
It is helpful to create checklists that are accessible to students so they are manageable, digestible, and possible for students to utilize. In this tip, Melanie shares ways to help students chunk checklists, think with intention, and digitize checklists. In addition, she plants the seeds to help you think about ways to help students self-create checklists that will allow them to grow as writers.
Thanks to our affiliate!
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, we talk about content creation, personalized learning, accessibility, efficiency & productivity with artificial intelligence. We share various teacher-facing AI tools and discuss how you can incorporate them into your writing instruction.
Go Deeper:
- Leveraging AI for Writing Miniseries on Two Writing Teachers
- Los Angeles Unified School District's AI Page
Previous TWTPod Episodes:
- Navigate a Digital World by Seeing, Hearing, and Reading: A Tip for Tomorrow
- Three Possibilities for Using Chat GPT: A Tip for Tomorrow
AI Tools We Mentioned:
- Bing
- Brisk Teaching
- ChatGPT
- Diffit
- Gemini (previously known as Bard)
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- Babbel: Get up to 55% OFF your subscription by clicking here.
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- Libro.fm Offer: Use the TWTPod Code
- Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership.
- Check out Stacey's Libro.fm Playlist if you're looking for your next great audiobook.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Learn about two engaging ideas for National Poetry Month, which begins on April 1. Stacey shares a bit about creating a collaborative "Living Poetry Anthology" where students curate poems to display throughout the school. Next, she discusses developing personal poetry collections featuring their work, inspirational poems, and reflections on poems they admired. Make poetry come alive for your students – listen now!
TWTBlog Posts
- A Breakthrough In Poetry: How To Bring Playfulness to Every Genre
- Building a Living Poetry Anthology
- It’s Alive!
- Starting the Year: Poetry
- The Doors of Poetry: Guest Blog Post by Sarah Mulhern Gross
Resource List
- Academy of American Poets
- Awakening the Heart, second edition by Georgia Heard
- National Poetry Month
- Poetry Mentor Texts: Making Reading and Writing Connections, K-8, by Lynne R Dorfman and Rose Cappelli
- Poems Are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Thanks to our affiliate, Libro.fm!
Use the TWTPod Code to receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 with your first month of membership.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
There's a lot of brain work involved in written expression. This week, Melanie shares a tip to help students reduce their cognitive load, which will help them express their ideas more easily. In this tip, Melanie shares how providing students with sentence frames and a bank of vocabulary words can aid students with difficulty with word retrieval. Plus, she shares ways to shift the agency to students so they are not dependent on their teacher to do this work.
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You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, we explore accommodations for student writers. The episode has five categories: organization, materials/tools, time, response, and seating. This episode will equip you with ways to create an inclusive, accessible learning environment.
PAST TWT BLOG POSTS
- Exploring Voice Typing
- Finding Accessible Fonts for Classroom Use
- Flexible Seating Options
- It’s Time for a Chart Check-in
- Paper Choices
- Pens vs. Pencils
PODCASTS MENTIONED:
- Embrace an Asset-Based Approach
- Mentor Text Charts
- Navigate a Digital World by Seeing, Hearing, and Reading
- Paper Power
- The Benefits of Pens
- The Importance of Paper
RESOURCES FOR WRITING ACCOMMODATIONS:
- Dysgraphia Accommodations and Modifications
- The UDL Guidelines
- Understanding Accommodations
BOOKS MENTIONED:
- Every Child Can Write
- Welcome to Writing Workshop
Thanks to our sponsor!EssayGraderAI: Use promo code TWT20 at https://essay-grader.ai. You'll receive 20% off on a pro, premium, or advanced subscription. No expiration date!
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OFFER CODE: TWTPod
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Stacey explores the power of pairing written explanations with oral directions to enhance understanding in the context of writing workshop. She provides an overview of Driveway, a Chrome Extension that allows educators to create step-by-step process guides with written descriptions, highlighted screenshots, and optional voiceovers. Learn how to create interactive walkthroughs to help students become more independent with the technology they use in writing workshop.
Here are some videos of Stacey’s sample guides created with Driveway (and then exported to YouTube):
- How to Create a Cover Page in Google Docs
- How to Find and Download Stock Photos from Pexels
- How to Generate Citations Using Cite This For Me
- How to Resize and Wrap Images in Google Docs
- How to Use the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus for Finding Relevant Synonyms
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this Tip for Tomorrow, Melanie provides three ways to use digital mentor texts. She provides insight on using videos as part of your whole-class instruction, inquiry lessons, and as a goal-setting tool. Take advantage of this episode if you need more ways to integrate digital mentor texts into your writing instruction.
Read Leah Koch's Two Writing Teachers post, Energize Opinion Writing with Surprising Mentor Texts: Ready-to-Go Tip, which inspired this episode.
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Marley Spoon: $235 off through 5 boxes -- Makes the first box portion price start at $4.99. Click here or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=6988&id=1261005.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Discover the untapped potential of oral language in the writing process and gain valuable insights from Lainie Levin, one of our TWTBlog co-authors. Lainie and Stacey discuss the importance of oral language beyond the primary years of elementary school and how storytelling and oral language support kids in developing a sense of story and composing writing in a low-risk way. Lainie shares strategies for making oral rehearsal engaging for children.
ABOUT LAINIE LEVIN:
Lainie is a dedicated educator with 28 years of teaching experience and a strong advocate for children and public education. She is a gifted interventionist and coach in language arts and math, specializing in meeting the needs of gifted/talented elementary school students. Since 2021, she has been a valued colleague at Two Writing Teachers.
Check out Lainie’s personal blog, Soapbox: The Way I See Things, follow her on X @mrslevin11, or read her Two Writing Teachers blog posts.
GO DEEPER:
- Advice for the Perfectionists in Writing Workshop
- Reclaiming Joy: Effecting System-Wide Change in Writing Instruction
- Reframing Avoidance: Writers and Perfectionism
- Sharing the Wealth
- Talking it Out: Oral Language as a Tool for Revision
- The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life From Work
- Work-Quality Continuum
Thanks to our affiliates!Babbel: Get up to 55% OFF your subscription by clicking here. You may also copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://babbel.sjv.io/c/4684049/1057532/13589.
Zencastr: Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Research can be instrumental in supporting instructional decision-making for teachers.In this Tip for Tomorrow, Melanie gives an overview of some of the most critical research surrounding writing instruction. She will cover what the research says about:
- Teaching kids about different aspects of the writing process.
- Studying strong examples of writing to lift the level of student writing.
- Teaching students to become fluent with handwriting, spelling, and typing so the cognitive focus is on content, not construction and transcription.
- Providing daily time for students to write in and outside the writing workshop (e.g., content area writing, writing about reading).
- Creating an engaged community of writers where writers confer, collaborate, and think about their audience.
Links to the research mentioned in the episode:
Steve Graham:
- Elementary School Students to Be Efficient Writers
- Writing and Reading Connections/ content
Constance Weaver:
- Grammar intertwined throughout the writing process: An “inch wide and a mile deep”
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BestSelf: Use code TWTPOD for 15% off your purchase. Valid from 1/28-4/30/24.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Join Stacey as she delves into the power of reflection shares to promote growth and development in student writing. She discusses how whole-group reflection allows students to share insights, experiences, and strategies, and fosters a sense of community and accountability. She emphasizes the importance of students feeling valued and included in the larger writing community, which increases confidence and engagement in the writing process. Near the end of the episode, Stacey shares a few prompts to help you get started with reflection shares in your classroom as soon as tomorrow.
The reflection prompts mentioned towards the end of the episode:
- I still need help with…
- Something I will try again…
- A question I still have…
- I could teach others to…
You can find these and some additional reflection prompts in chapter nine of Welcome to Writing Workshop: Engaging Today’s Students with a Model That Works by Stacey Shubitz and Lynne R. Dorfman.
Two Writing Teachers contains excellent information about reflection and sharing. You may click on these category links to explore blog posts on these topics:
-
TWTBlog posts about reflection
-
TWTBlog posts about sharing
Thanks to our affiliate!
Marley Spoon: $235 off through 5 boxes -- Makes the first box portion price start at $4.99. Click here or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=6988&id=1261005.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
We explore the profound benefits of participating in the month-long writing challenge. Listeners will discover the power of making connections and gaining a true understanding of being a writer while cultivating a writing practice. The episode briefly overviews the Slice of Life Story Challenge's origins and purpose, pointing listeners to last year's Digging Deeper Dialogue for a more in-depth understanding. Whether new or returning, challenge participants will find a supportive global writing community filled with educators at all stages of their careers who want to connect and grow themselves as writers.
Click here for an overview of the 17th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted by the co-authors of Two Writing Teachers.
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Bring the power of play into your writing instruction. Melanie explains how to teach kids to play PROVE IT in an effort for them to show evidence of the skills you're teaching in their writing.
Check out these posts on TWTBlog for more ideas:
- Ways to Teach Conventions: Our Favorite Things
- When Conventions Aren't Sticking–Some Tips and Tricks
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Let's explore ways to energize your writing workshop! In this episode, we discuss strategies for revving up individual minilessons and units of study by opening up options, changing perspectives, bringing in magic, promoting collaboration, and creating authentic purposes for students to think about their audience.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge -- Scroll down to Challenge #3 for more information.
- Collaborative Writing -- Discussed in this Conversation with a Colleague episode.
- A Pathway for Opinion Writing
- Mentor Texts for Navigating Second-Person Point of View
- Past Tip for Tomorrow Episodes:
- Independent Writing Projects
- Mid-Workshop Interruption
- Quote from Haim Ginott
- Some Narrative Writing Fun
- Some Summer Writing Motivation (Writing Contests)
- Thinking About Audience
- Three Ideas for Energizing Writing
- Writing as a Gift Center
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- Check out Stacey's Libro.fm Playlist if you're looking for your next great audiobook.
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In the final episode of 2023, Stacey discusses the importance of shedding anything that isn't serving us and applies this idea to the classroom, specifically focusing on providing students with a diversity of writing supplies. She offers three suggestions for obtaining different types of notebooks at a lower cost or for free. Stacey also emphasizes the significance of paper choice as an accommodation for students, highlighting the developmental needs of young writers and providing resources for different paper formats. This episode will leave you ready to embrace changes and create an environment that empowers students to express themselves more fully in the year to come.
SHOW NOTES
- Find a Buy Nothing group in your area.
- DonorsChoose Posts from the #TWTBlog Archives
- Little Letters for Lunch
- Examples of Recycling Centers: Art of Recycle and Lancaster Creative Reuse
- Paper Choices & Materials on Beth Moore’s Literacy Together
- Paper Choices for Opinion and Argument Writing: Reaching Your Writers
- Paper Choices: What’s up with that?
- Paper Power: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
- The Importance of Paper: A Tip for Tomorrow Episode
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Let's explore the importance of information writing and address common problems writers face in this genre. The episode delves into the need for explicit instruction in note-taking, emphasizing the purpose of notes as a tool for critical thinking rather than mere proof or text transfer. It also offers various approaches to enhance information writing by incorporating lists, exploring different text features, and integrating tricks like twin sentences and transitional phrases.
Links to resources mentioned in this episode:
- A Peek Into My Evolving Chartbook
- Big Blue Whale
- Big Red Kangaroo
- Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts
- Have Charts, Will Travel. Mentor texts? Even better!
- Mentor Text Charts (in Google Docs)
- My Dog Spot
- The Journey Is Everything: Teaching Essays That Students Want to Write for People Who Want to Read Them
- Sketch Note Sampler Album by Paula Bourque
- The Power of Story
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This Tip for Tomorrow explores the art of essay writing beyond the traditional structure and formula. Stacey delves into "writing to think" and how students can infuse microstories into their essays to enhance their ideas. From choosing relevant stories to crafting concise microstories, she provides practical guidance on engaging the reader and connecting these stories to the central message of the essay. By balancing storytelling with other writing techniques, students can create impactful essays that take their readers on a journey of thought.
Go Deeper:
- Essay: What I Think, What I Am by Edward Hoagland
- Moving Beyond the Five-Paragraph Essay: Expand the Possibilities of the Genres You Teach
- The Journey Is Everything: Teaching Essays That Students Want to Write for People Who Want to Read Them by Katherine Bomer
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, we address the challenge of finding enough time to teach writing workshop daily in elementary school. We discuss the importance of writing instruction for students' literacy development and provide practical strategies for teachers to maximize their writing instruction time. This episode covers topics such as establishing efficient writing routines, ways to prioritize writing instruction, integrating writing across the curriculum, utilizing technology for writing instruction, and offering practical examples and activities to promote writing in various subject areas.
Research mentioned in this episode:
- Changing How Writing Is Taught
- Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers
Go Deeper:
- Jump Into Writing
- Leaning into Spontaneous Writing Moments
- Maximizing Writing Time Blog Series
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This Tip for Tomorrow episode explores ten practical tips for keeping minilessons brief and effective. Stacey discusses the importance of preparedness, including having all teaching materials ready and communicating clearly with students about what they should bring to the meeting area. She highlights the benefits of assigning "talking partners" and minimizing interruptions during the lesson. In addition, she delves into using checklists, teaching management skills, recording lessons for self-reflection, and time management. Listen now for essential tips to optimize your minilessons and enhance student engagement.
More on Minilessons:
- Structuring a Minilesson: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
- TWTBlog Archive of Minilesson Posts
- Welcome to Writing Workshop: Engaging Today's Students with a Model That Works by Stacey Shubitz and Lynne R. Dorfman
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Sarah Valter, one of our TWTBlog co-authors, joins Melanie this week to discuss ways to inspire word explorers, the children in our classrooms who, for various reasons, need additional support or scaffolding to commit words to the page.
For more inspiration, check out these books, podcast episodes, and blog posts:
- Discover What Writers REALLY Need By Kidwatching
- Embrace an Asset-Based Approach: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
- Every Child Can Write: Entry Points, Bridges, and Pathways for Striving Writers by Melanie Meehan
- Example of using video in the classroom for narrative storytelling
- Word Explorers
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Give the kids the freedom to tell many kinds of stories during a narrative writing unit. Melanie shares three ideas you can use to help students have a surge of writing during a narrative writing unit.
Go deeper with these posts from the TWTBlog archives:
- Continuing Along the Narrative Pathway
- Let's Pretend!
- Narrative Writing: Expand the Possibilities of Genres You Teach
- Some Narrative Writing Fun
- Tapping Into the Power of Some New Mentor Texts
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Join us to explore the potential of minilessons as a forum for whole-class instruction. Peeling back the layers, we delve into the art of teaching writing behaviors, behaviors, strategies, and more in ten minutes or less. We thoroughly examine the four essential parts of a minilesson: connection, teach, active engagement, and link, shedding light on how each part impacts young writers.
Past #TWTBlog Posts and #TWTPod Episodes:
- Mastering the Art of a Successful Writing Workshop: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
- Minilessons: Writing Workshop Fundamentals
- Plan Boxes Will Inspire You: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
- Showing, Not Telling: Demonstrations Matter
- Six Tips to Keep Minilessons Short: Maximizing Writing Time
- Top Ten Ways to Keep Minilessons from Turning into Maxilessons
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, Stacey shares five valuable steps for cooperating teachers who are hosting with student teachers in leading a writing workshop for elementary school students. Stacey begins by sharing her personal experience and the challenges she faced when initially handing over the reins to student teachers. The five steps for empowering student teachers are: establishing clear expectations, modeling effective teaching practices, gradually increasing responsibility, providing constructive feedback, and engaging in reflective discussions. Stacey emphasizes the importance of communication, collaboration, and support in helping student teachers succeed in leading a writing workshop.
Click here to read past #TWTBlog posts about working with student teachers
Some Book Suggestions:
- A Teacher’s Guide to Writing Conferences, Grades K-8 by Carl Anderson
- A Teacher’s Guide to Writing Workshop Minilessonsby Lisa Eickholdt & Patricia Vitale-Reilly
- Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Textsby Stacey Shubitz
- Every Child Can Write: Entry Points, Bridges, and Pathways for Striving Writers by Melanie Meehan
- Kids First From Day One: A Teacher’s Guide to Today’s Classroom by Christine Hertz & Kristi Mraz
- Mentor Author, Mentor Texts: Short Texts, Craft Notes, and Practical Classroom Uses by Ralph Fletcher
- Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6, 2nd Edition by Lynne R. Dorfman &Rose Cappelli
- Patterns of Power by Jeff Anderson et. al. (Select the grade-level resource corresponding to your student teacher’s certification level.)
- Practical Punctuation: Lessons on Rule Making and Rule Breaking in Elementary Writing by Dan Feigelson
- Talking, Drawing, Writing: Lessons for Our Youngest Writers by Martha Horn and Mary Ellen Giacobbe
- Teaching Writing in Small Groups by Jennifer Serravallo
- The Revision Toolbox: Teaching Techniques That Work, 2nd Edition by Georgia Heard
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Unlock the secrets of a successful writing workshop! Dive into the dynamic framework that increases student growth. Every workshop begins with an engaging minilesson and ends with intentional sharing time. Discover the power of independent writing time with conferring, small group work, and the short, but mighty mid-workshop interruption. Listen until the end for several tips for maximizing your writing block and fitting it all in.
Read more about the fundamentals of the writing workshop:
- A Special Idea About Your Mid-Workshop Interruption: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
- Building Independent Writing Time Stamina: A Tip For Tomorrow from Stacey
- Don't Forget to Share: The Crucial Last Step in the Writing Workshop by Leah Mermelstein
- Plan Boxes Will Inspire You: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
- Six Tips to Keep Minilessons Short: Maximizing Writing Time
- Welcome to Writing Workshop: Engaging Today’s Students with a Model That Works by Stacey Shubitz and Lynne R. Dorfman
- The Importance of Establishing Routines: Nurturing Independence from the Start
- Writing Workshop Fundamentals Blog Series
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Delve into the essential elements of building your conferring toolkit! Melanie explores the valuable tools, demonstration writing, and paper choices you'll want to stock in your toolkit. She'll even share a suggestion about the surprising impact of mints! Unlock the key to effective conferring by equipping yourself with everything you need to confidently engage and support your students.
Go Deeper
- Archive of TWTBlog Posts About Toolkits
- Building Toolkits for Writing Instruction: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Discover what a conferring toolkit is, why it's essential, and how to create one that suits your needs. This episode will share must-have items, tips for organizing, and the benefits of incorporating digital setups. Get valuable advice on updating your toolkit, embracing change, and capturing photographs of your resources. Remember, tools don't teach—people do. So let us help you get started building your conferring toolkit today!
Items We Mentioned in the Podcast:
- Chart Podcast Episode
- Chartbooks
- Conference cards
- Conferring cheat sheets
- Digital Record-Keeping with Evernote
- DIY Literacy
- Padlet Toolkits
THANKS TO OUR AFFILIATES!**
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Join us as we explore how filling out conference cards alongside students makes them more responsible for their learning journey. Also, conference cards are an excellent way to check what's been taught, and what's been accomplished between writing conferences and plan the next steps for student success!
Some useful links:
- Conference cards
- A Few Ideas for Conferring
- Record Keeping: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this episode, we explore the concept of greenbelt writing and its profound impact on young writers. We discuss why children must be free to play with words without grading pressure. We discuss how allowing kids to choose their preferred genres empowers creativity and fosters a genuine love for writing. Through discussion, we share the true essence of greenbelt writing—an unmanicured and imperfect form of expression that prioritizes the growth and well-being of the writer. We explore how this approach can unlock hidden talents, build confidence, and ignite a lifelong passion for writing.
Whether you're a classroom teacher, literacy coach, or curriculum director, this episode will inspire you to rethink traditional approaches to writing instruction. Tune in to this enlightening episode and celebrate the beauty of ungraded writing, encourage creative exploration, and unlock the full potential of every young writer.
Some resources we mentioned in this episode:
- Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge on Two Writing Teachers
- End the School Year with Independent Writing Projects: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
- Independent Writing Projects Archive on Two Writing Teachers
- Joy Write: Cultivating High-Impact, Low-Stakes Writing by Ralph Fletcher
- The Poem Farm (Amy Ludwig Vanderwater)
- Writing Clubs: Fostering Choice, Collaboration, and Community in the Writing Classroom by Lisa Eickholdt and Patricia Vitale-Reilly
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This week, we're diving into a game-changing strategy to help students struggling with spelling. Not only will it provide immediate assistance to kids when they need it, but it will also become a strategy for monitoring student progress. You won't want to miss this episode that will empower you and your students on the spelling journey!
Link to the keyrings mentioned in the episode.
Check out more Two Writing Teachers blog posts about spelling.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Learn how to kick off the school year with successful writing partnerships. Discover the benefits of pairing young writers together. Get tips on how to pair students effectively, teach effective communication, and make writing partnerships joyful. Take advantage of this valuable information to help your students grow as writers.
Elevate your writing partnerships with our top #TWTBlog posts. Whether you’re just starting or looking to strengthen your skills, we’ve got you covered with our expert advice.
- Building Stronger Writing Partners
- Intentional Talk with Writing Partners
- Making Space for Partnerships
- Partners in the Process
- Play Up Partner Time! 3 Quick Games That Yield Joy, Ownership, & Success
- Seven Ways to Help Students Catch Up After a School Absence
- Strengthening Writing Partnerships
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Three Keys to Writing Partnership Success
- Top Five Lessons to Teach to Writing Partners of All Ages Right Now
- Writing Partnerships to Establish Community
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Are you a teacher who sometimes forgets to compliment your students during writing conferences? Don't worry. You're not alone! But compliments are an essential part of building confident and competent young writers. In this episode, Stacey explores ways to make space for compliments during those limited conference times. Learn how to start your conference with research and build on a student's strengths. Discover sentence stems to help you give sincere and impactful compliments that will leave your students feeling inspired and confident. Plus, Stacey shares tips on making your compliments long enough to feel good. Let's make a student's day with a thoughtful compliment at every writing conference we hold!
Click here to read past TWTBlog posts about complimenting students in writing conferences.
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Teachers' expectations of their students can significantly impact their outcomes, so it's vital to have an asset-based approach. Using an asset-based lens, we look for the positive things students can do rather than focusing on their deficits. This shift can occur in teacher-teacher and teacher-student interactions, such as examining student work with a positive lens and emphasizing the importance of compliments and positive feedback.
In this podcast, we'll explore how these shifts in practice can lead to greater efficacy, with teachers believing in their power to make a difference. Join us on this journey towards an asset-based approach in writing workshop, which recognizes the worth and capability of all students.
Some of the resources we mentioned in the episode:
- Books by Ashley Spires
- Choice Words by Peter H. Johnston
- Compliment Cards - A Few Ideas for Conferring
- Google Forms
- Ideas for Getting Started with Google Forms
- Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Successby Carol Dweck
- Rosenthal and Jacobsen
- Start With Joy by Katie Egan Cunningham
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Ready to create a thriving writing workshop in your classroom? Our latest podcast episode has got you covered! We discuss the components of a successful writing workshop approach, including ample writing time, building a strong community, mentor texts, & more. Plus, we explore how to infuse joy into the workshop so it's fun for students. Tune in to learn how to nurture your students' love of writing and help them find their own writing process. Grab a coffee, hit play, and remember to subscribe & leave us a review!
Articles Mentioned:
- “Exploring Inquiry as a Teaching Stance in the Writing Workshop"
- “The Writing Process Isn’t Linear. So Why Do Schools Keep Pretending That It Is?”
- Six Tips to Keep Minilessons Short
- Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less
- “Three Ways to Introduce Personal Editing Checklists in Writing Workshop”
- Writing Workshop Fundamentals Blog Series
- “Why Teachers Need to Write with Students”
Podcasts Mentioned:
- A Special Idea About Your Mid-Workshop Interruption
- Extending the Power of Mentor Texts
- Joy, Play, and Humor in the Writing Workshop
- Make Mentor Texts Endure
- Mentor Text Charts
- Why Teachers Should Write
- Teaching Students About Partnerships and the Writing Process
THANKS TO OUR AFFILIATES!
- BrainPOP: Use TWTPOD15 for 15% off your first BrainPOP Family or BrainPOP Homeschool payment.
- Libro.fm Offer: Use the TWTPod Code
- Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities**.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Are you a literacy coach looking to take your professional development to the next level, or are you a classroom teacher who wants more out of the PD you receive? Our latest episode has got you covered! Tune in for various ideas, from incorporating dedicated writing time into PD sessions to searching for mentor texts as a faculty member. More nuanced options, like video studies and lab sites, are discussed. This episode has inspiring ideas to help you take your PD to the next level.
What's Next:
We are experienced in leading professional development for school districts and are happy to discuss potential opportunities with you.
- Click here to find out about Melanie Meehan's PD offerings.
- Click hereto learn more about Stacey Shubitz's professional development services.
Go Deeper:
- Labsites Showcase Examples of Good Teaching
- Make Labsites Meaningful
- Mentor Texts with Craft Moves
- On-Demand Performance Assessments and the Norming Meeting
- One Writer at a Time: Fostering an Adult Writing Community
- P.D. Possibilities: Thoughts About Professional Development Blog Series
- Scoring On-Demand Assessments
- Using Protocols to Look at Student Writing
- Video Case Studies
- Videos to start professional development
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Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Summer vacation can be when children's writing lives take a backseat to other activities. What if we could help our students pursue writing that interests them during the summer break? Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski, a former #TWTBlog co-author, joins us to discuss how to keep students writing during the summer months.
Join Kathleen and Stacey as they explore practical strategies for encouraging and supporting our students' writing lives during the summer months. From journaling to blogging to creating digital stories, there are many ideas to help keep your students engaged and motivated to write all summer long.
You can find Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski online at Courage Doesn’t Always Roar or on Twitter, @MrsSokolowski
TWTBlog posts related to this episode:
- A To Be Written List
- Closing the Summer Writing Gap
- QR Coding Our Way to Summer Writing
- Ready for a Challenge? Keep Learning Going Throughout the Summer
- Reimagine Tools for Summertime Writing
- Six REAL Purposes For Kids to Write This Summer and Beyond
- Soft Starts
- Summer Notebook: A Worthy Mission
- Summer Writing Projects in the Upper Grades
- Writing Victories: Keep Learning Going Throughout the Summer
Other helpful resources:
- Best Apps for Creating Books and Storybooks (Common Sense Education)
- Everything You Need to Teach Digital Citizenship (Common Sense Education)
- Independent Writing: One Teacher – Thirty-Two Needs, Topics, and Plans by M. Colleen Cruz
- Keeping a Notebook Videos on YouTube (Betsy the Writing Camper)
- Publishing Opportunities for Students (Common Sense Education)
- Sharing Our Notebooks (Amy Ludwig VanDerwater)
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
There are many ways teachers of writing can use A.I.! From exemplar and demonstration texts to feedback on your in-process writing, to providing starting points for curriculum documents, this episode will provide you with some ideas for using A.I. to maximize your preparation time.
Where to access Chat GPT: https://chat.openai.com/chat
This requires you to set up an account, but you can also access many of the features at poe.com.
Books, blog posts, and other resources mentioned in this episode:Three Ways to Use Chat GPT
Can A.I. Write a Good Speech?
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
It's essential to keep mentor texts meaningful for students so they can learn how to use them effectively and independently. In this episode, Stacey shares four practical strategies to encourage children to return to mentor texts repeatedly. These include whole-class text studies, the "return and reflect" process, using craft move charts in picture books, and encouraging students to "read like a writer" when they're reading for pleasure. By implementing these techniques, teachers can help their students become more independent writers in and out of the classroom.
Books, blog posts, and other resources mentioned in this episode:
- A Small Group in Action: Elaboration Strategies, Here We Come!
- Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts
- Mentor text craft move charts are found in A Small Group in Action: Elaboration Strategies, Here We Come.
- Rebekah O’Dell’s Twitter thread explains the concept of “Return and Reflect”
- Tap Into the Power of Whole-Class Text Studies
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Are you ready to help your students take their spelling skills to the next level? We discuss spelling development and the benefits of invented spelling, word sorts, and personalized word walls. We also explore practical strategies that empower kids to become confident spellers and make the most of an "Editing Minute." Whether you're a teacher or a parent, our episode contains valuable tips to help your students succeed. Tune in now!Go Deeper: Be the First Reader of Your Writing * Beyond the Weekly Word List * Does Spelling Still Matter – and If So, How Should It Be Taught? Perspectives from Contemporary and Historical Research * Editing Along the Way… Often in 5 Minutes or Less * “Just Keep Swimming”: Spelling Strategies * Resources Teachers Can Share with Families: Spelling and Handwriting * Something Do-Able to Try: The Editing Minute * Spelling K-8: Planning and Teaching by Diane Snowball and Faye Bolton * Spelling Words for Kids: Resetting Our Workshop Practices * Why Invented Spelling Matters Thanks to Our Affiliate!Libro.fm Offer: Use the TWTPod CodeReceive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership.Please subscribe to our podcast* and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Libro.fm Offer: Use the TWTPod Code
Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership. Credits can be used on your choice of more than 275,000 audiobooks on Libro.fm.After your first month, you’ll pay $14.99 USD for one audiobook credit per month, and each payment supports local bookstores. Members also receive 30% off when buying audiobooks à la carte. Pause or cancel at anytime and keep your audiobooks.
Engaging with good writing helps students develop a vision when they’re asked to create their own texts. In this episode, we discuss why teachers will want to spend a few days immersing students in the genre they will write at the beginning of a unit. We share strategies and protocols to help your students engage in the work of reading like a writer at the beginning of a unit of study.
Check out these past Two Writing Teachers blog posts for more about immersion.
- Pre-Unit Immersion: Involving Students in Noticing, Noting, and Naming
- Immersion in Writing Workshop is Always Worth the Time
- The Immersion Phase of a Unit: Reading and Writing Collide
- A Peek Into the Start of an Information Writing Unit
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Independent writing projects are among the best ways to infuse joy into your writing workshop. These projects are a blessing for students who love to write, but they’re also a way to hook striving writers. A Few #TWTBlog Posts About Independent Writing Projects:
- Closing the Summer Writing Gap
- From the Classroom to the World: How a Young Writer is Making Her Voice Heard
- How to Reinvigorate Writing Workshop With Joy Through Independent Writing Projects
- Independent Writing: 10 Ways to Get Students Published in the Real World
- Independent Writing: Back-Up Work
- Independent Writing Projects
- Nightly Writing
- Six REAL Purposes For Kids to Write This Summer and Beyond
- Summer Writing Projects in the Upper Grades
- The Freedom to Create
Books Mentioned in This Episode:
- Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
- How Writers Work: Finding a Process That Works for You by Ralph Fletcher
- Independent Writing: One Teacher---Thirty-Two Needs, Topics, and Plansby Colleen Cruz
- Writing Radar: Using Your Journal to Snoop Out and Craft Great Stories by Jack Gantos
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Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership. Credits can be used for more than 275,000 audiobooks on Libro.fm. After your first month, you’ll pay $14.99 USD for one audiobook credit per month, and each payment supports local bookstores. Members also receive 30% off when buying audiobooks à la carte. Pause or cancel at any time and keep your audiobooks.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Joyful classrooms, where play and humor are valued, help make schools feel safer and more welcoming. In today’s episode, we’ll provide ways to increase joy, play, and humor in your writing workshop
Related TWTBlog posts about joy, play, & humor:
- A Few Games to Inspire Writing Lives
- A Mini Unit on Joke Telling
- Incorporating Play-Based Learning in Writing Workshop at Any Age
- It’s Time for Play and Fun: Storytelling in Writing Workshop
- Making Space in Writing Workshop for Kids to Be Funny
- Poetry Begins with Play
- Puppets and Playdates
- Quick & Fun Lesson Closures? Yes, Please!
- (Re-)Launching Our Writing Workshops with Joy in January
- Three Keys to Writing Partnership Success
- Warming Up with Grammar Games
- Writing and Playing: A Natural Pairing in the Kindergarten Classroom
Books We Mentioned:
- Goodnight Already!
- Independent Writing
- Joy Write
- Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness
- Purposeful Play: A Teacher’s Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day
- Something’s Wrong!: A Bear, a Hare, and Some Underwear
- Start with Joy: Designing Literacy Learning for Student Happiness
- The HICCUPotamus
Libro.fm Offer: Use the TWTPod Code
Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
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- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Sentence construction can be tricky for many students. In this episode, Melanie shares a few strategies that might help students begin to internalize ways to construct sentences, moving from simple sentences to compound and complex sentences.
THANKS TO OUR AFFILIATE!
Libro.fm Offer: Use the TWTPod Code
Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership. Credits can be used for more than 275,000 audiobooks on Libro.fm. After your first month, you’ll pay $14.99 USD for one audiobook credit per month, and each payment supports local bookstores. Members also receive 30% off when buying audiobooks à la carte. Pause or cancel at any time and keep your audiobooks.
A few posts from the Two Writing Teachers Blog that relate to this episode:
- Sentence Patterning Charts
- Tackling Sentence Struggles With Older Writers
- Bring on the Fun with Sentence Construction
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
THANKS TO OUR AFFILIATES!
- Head to https://one-sec.app?qu=twt to download the One Sec app to reclaim a large chunk of your waking hours by making distracting apps less appealing.
- Libro.fm Offer: Use the TWTPod Code
Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership. Credits can be used on your choice of more than 275,000 audiobooks on Libro.fm.After your first month, you’ll pay $14.99 USD for one audiobook credit per month, and each payment supports local bookstores. Members also receive 30% off when buying audiobooks à la carte. Pause or cancel at anytime and keep your audiobooks.
In today's Conversation with a Colleague episode, Betsy Hubbard joins Melanie to talk about poetry and its power to grow writers.
Here are several Two Writing Teachers blog posts and past podcast episodes that deal with the topics discussed in this episode:
- Starting the Year with Poetry
- Stepping Into Poetry
- Poetry Every Day in 5 Minutes or Less
Additional resources mentioned in the podcast include:
- George Ella Lyon and the Where I'm From website
- The Poem Farm from Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
- Poetry Friday from Sylvia Vardell
- All the Small Things and Fourteen More by Valerie Worth
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Equitably distributing your time among your students matters since every child should receive 1:1 writing instruction. However, it’s challenging to keep writing conferences to five to seven minutes in length. In today’s Tip for Tomorrow, you’ll hear two ideas that require minimum preparation. Both will help you trim down the time you spend with each student so that you can meet with more students during independent writing time.
Thanks to Padlet for sponsoring this episode. Please use this link to explore the features, products, and possibilities of this amazing resource!
Listen to a recent #TWTPod Tip for Tomorrow about setting a time to check back after a writing conference. Then, click here for more ideas about how to confer with all students regularly.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
This podcast is the second of two Tips for Tomorrow about test prep. You can listen to the first one here.
Libro.fm Offer: Use the TWTPod Code
Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership. Credits can be used on your choice of more than 275,000 audiobooks on Libro.fm. After your first month, you’ll pay $14.99 USD for one audiobook credit per month, and each payment supports local bookstores. Members also receive 30% off when buying audiobooks à la carte. Pause or cancel at anytime and keep your audiobooks.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Teaching grammar doesn’t have to be tedious or painful. In today’s episode, we dive deep into ways to make grammar instruction more meaningful, sticky, and joyful for you and your students.
Browse Two Writing Teachers for in-depth blog posts about grammar, editing, and conventions.
Thank you to our affiliates!
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These are the books and online resources mentioned in this episode:
- Everyday Editingby Jeff Anderson
- Getting Grammarby Donna Hooker Topping and Sandra Josephs Hoffman
- Grammar Girl
- Grammar Mattersby Lynne Dorfman and Diane Dougherty
- Grammarly Blog
- Patterns of Power by Jeff Anderson et. al.
- Practical Punctuation by Dan Feigelson
- The Power of Grammar by Mary Ehrenworth and Vicki Vinton
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Paper can be used as an accommodation, a scaffold, and as a tool for innovation in writing workshops.
Check out these Two Writing Teachers blog posts for more information about the topics we discussed in today’s episode:
- All About the Paper.
- Creating Classroom Environments: Paper Choices
- Gifts from the Heart
- Paper Choices for Opinion and Argument Writing: Reaching Your Writers
- Paper Choices: What’s up with that?
- Supporting Multimodal Composition in the Writing Workshop: Simple Ways to Begin
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Test prep can be fun! Here are a couple of ways to use media and bring some joy into writing as you prepare students for summative assessments.
The Two Writing Teachers blog post mentioned in this episode is:
Some Narrative Writing Fun
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this Conversations with a Colleague episode, Pam Koutrakos joins Melanie to talk about interactive writing and its power to grow writers.
Here are several Two Writing Teachers blog posts and past podcast episodes that deal with the topics discussed in this episode:
- Step Up Interactive Writing (…And Sneak In More Spelling, Vocabulary, and Grammar)
- Conferring Toolkits: Class Stories, Shared Writing and Interactive Writing
- Interactive Writing: Don’t Close the Door
- Shared Writing: Expanding the Reach with Small Groups
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
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- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Just as your classroom library has books that kids can grow into, we can give students paper choices with the knowledge that they’re working to outgrow the paper they’re using. In today's Tip for Tomorrow, find out how paper can be used as an accommodation for students in writing workshop.
Check out these Two Writing Teachers blog posts for more information about the topics we discussed in today’s episode:
- All About the Paper.
- Creating Classroom Environments: Paper Choices
- Gifts from the Heart
- Paper Choices for Opinion and Argument Writing: Reaching Your Writers
- Paper Choices: What’s up with that?
- Supporting Multimodal Composition in the Writing Workshop: Simple Ways to Begin
- The Promise of a Writer Maker Space
- Writing as a Gift Center
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you're interested in having us consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for advertising inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you're interested in having us consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for advertising inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
We have a new feature, Conversations with a Colleague, to share today! In this episode, Leah Koch, who is one of our newest Two Writing Teachers co-authors, joins Stacey to talk about student-led small groups, as well as goal setting with primary writers.
Here are several Two Writing Teachers blog posts and past podcast episodes that deal with the topics discussed in this episode:
- A Few Tips for Small Group Instruction: Expanding the Reach With Small Group Work
- Ideas for planning Small Group Instruction
- Increase the Number of Teachers in the Room with Student-Led Small Groups
- Increasing Student Agency as Writers: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
- Small Groups, Big Engagement: Expanding the Possibilities and Potential
- Student Agency, Self-Assessment, and Small Group Instruction
- The Power of Goal-Setting
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you're interested in having us consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
The 16th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge, or SOLSC, will begin on Wednesday, March 1st, 2023 at Two Writing Teachers. Participants, who we call Slicers, chronicle moments by living a wide-awake life for 31 days in March. They publish their writing on their own blog, share a link to their story daily over at Two Writing Teachers, and then provide at least three other Slicers with comments on their blogs.
In today's pod, you'll learn more about the challenge and how you can join us so that you part of a global community of educators who write and share stories.
LINKS:
- Overview of the 16th Annual SOLSC
- Things to Think About When Creating a Blog for the SOLSC
- Tips to Help New Participants Hit the Ground Running in March
- FAQs about the SOLSC (Scroll down to the part of the page that says "Challenge #2.)
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you're interested in having us consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for advertising inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
In this Tip for Tomorrow, you'll learn how to help students create and use a personal editing checklist that will help them fix up their writing in ways that meet them where they are as writers.
For more on personal editing checklists and the editing minute, check out these posts on Two Writing Teachers:
- Something Do-Able to Try: The Editing Minute
- Three Ways to Introduce Personal Editing Checklists in Writing Workshop
- Using Personal Editing Checklists At Home
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you're interested in having us consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Happy New Year!
Students may have forgotten some of the routines and procedures used in the classroom. Taking the first few days to reteach routines after a school vacation benefits everyone so that writing workshop runs smoothly again.
Book: Welcome to Writing Workshop: Engaging Today's Students with a Model That Works
Pod Episode: Plan Boxes will Inspire You: Tip for Tomorrow
Check out these Two Writing Teachers blog posts for more information on routines.
- A Game Plan for Writing Workshop Transitions
- Classroom Routines Made Simpler with QR Codes
- How to Get Kids to Write More Each Day
- Interactive Modeling
- Sharpen Your Workshop Routines Blog Series (contains links to six posts)
- The Importance of Establishing Routines
- The Silent Hero: Routines and Procedures
- Writing Workshop Expectations
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you're interested in having us consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for advertising inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Are you tired of thumbs-up/thumbs-down as a self-assessment strategy? Here's a suggestion for a self-assessment system you can teach students so you can get a more nuanced view of their understanding.
For more on self-assessment, check out the following posts on Two Writing Teachers:
- How Many Stars? Tools for Self-Assessment and Goal-Setting
- Self-Assessment: Assessment Strengthens Writers
- More on Student Self-Assessment
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you're interested in having us consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for advertising inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Conventions are one of the hardest things to teach kids to do well in an exciting and authentic way. We have some ideas for teaching kids how to write with conventions without resorting to worksheets.
Resources Mentioned:
- Co:Writer Universal
- Common Core Language Standards K-5 (See pg. 26.)
- Patterns of Power Family of Resources by Jeff Anderson et. al.
- Practical Punctuation: Lessons in Rule Making and Rule Breaking in Elementary Writing by Dan Feigelson
- Writing and the Writer, 2nd Ed. by Frank Smith
Visit the Two Writing Teachers' archive to read past blog posts about conventions.
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you're interested in having us consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for advertising inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
For more about google forms, check out the following posts on Two Writing Teachers:
- Continuing to Think About Google Forms
- Ideas for Getting Started With Google Forms
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
You may contact us directly if you're interested in having us consult with your school district.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for advertising inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Do your students write with pens or pencils in your writing workshop? While some people wouldn't consider handing a pen to an elementary student, using them in the writing workshop has many benefits. You can find out more by listening to this Tip for Tomorrow and by reading what some of the TWT co-authors have written about the benefits of having students write with pens.
- A Writing Tool that Honors the Writing Process Itself
- An Eraser-Free Workshop and the Language We Use for Talking About It
- More Barriers Along a Writer's Pathway... And More Ways Around
- Pens Versus Pencils: Which One Is Better for Writing Workshop?
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If you're interested in having us consult with your school district, you may contact us directly.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for advertising inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about the teaching of writing, head over to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
You can grow your students’ agency in writing workshop by thinking deeply about the curriculum, growing your instruction, and nudging students toward self-assessment.
Here are several Two Writing Teachers blog posts that deal with some of the topics discussed in this episode:
- Creating Clarity for Writers
- Different Ways to Use Checklists in Writing Workshop
- Increase the Number of Teachers in the Room with Student-Led Small Groups
- Intentional Practice in Our Writing Classrooms
- Six Ways to Make Charts More Student-Centered
- The Importance of Charts in Our Classrooms: Resetting Our Workshop Practices
- Making the Most Out of Charts: Maximizing Independent Writing Time
- The Power of Goal Setting
- The Power of Progression: Expanding the Reach with Small Group Work
- The Power of Silent Teachers: Helping Writers Increase Productivity and Build Independence Through Interdependence with Tools in the Classroom
- Three Ways to Introduce Personal Editing Checklists in Writing Workshop
- Writing Checklists: Tools for Independence and Goal-Setting
Additional Resources Mentioned:
- Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Writing by Melanie Meehan
- How to Personalize Instruction with Seminars (Cult of Pedagogy Podcast)
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
If you're interested in having us consult with your school district, you may contact us directly.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for advertising inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about the teaching of writing, head over to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
If you're interested in reading more about writing as a gift, please read Heather's post about it, Narrative Writing Makes a Beautiful Gift.
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
Please subscribe to our podcast **and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
If you're interested in having us consult with your school district, you may contact us directly.**
- Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
- Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com
**Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for advertising inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
For more about the teaching of writing, head over to the Two Writing Teachers blog.**
Check out the TWTBlog Archive if you'd like to learn more about conferring.
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
Subscribe to our podcast.
Please leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
Twitter:
- Melanie Meehan: @MelanieMeehan1
- Stacey Shubitz: @sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
Mentor texts are important co-teachers in writing workshop! This episode provides an in-depth look at mentor texts and is ideal for anyone who wants to extend the power of mentor texts in their classroom.
Picture Books We Mentioned in the Podcast
- A Person Can Be… by Kerri Kokias and Carey Sookocheff
- Bake, Make & Learn to Cook Vegetarian: Healthy and Green Recipes for Young Cooks by David Atherton and Alice Bowsher
- Copycat: Nature-Inspired Design Around the World by Christy Hale
- Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco and Priscilla Tey
- Hana’s Hundreds of Hijabs by Rezeena Omar Gutta and Manal Mirza
- Kiyoshi’s Walk by Mark Karlins and Nicole Wong
- Little Guides to Great Lives: Frida Kahlo by Isabel Thomas and Marianna Madriz
- Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner, Margaret E. Dowell, and Erin K. Robinson
- Puffin by Martin Jenkins and Jenni Desmond
- What Are You? by Christian Trimmer and Mike Curato
- What’s Your Name? By Bethanie Deeny Murguia
- Windows by Julia Denos and E.B. Goodale
Professional Books We Mentioned in the Podcast
- Above and Beyond the Writing Workshop by Shelley Harwayne
- Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts by Stacey Shubitz
- Mentor Texts, Second Edition: Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature, K-6by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli
- Nonfiction Mentor Texts: Teaching Informational Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-8 by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli
- Poetry Mentor Texts: Making Reading and Writing Connections, K-8 by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli
Book Censorship Organizations
- Banned & Challenged Books: A Website of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
- Florida Freedom to Read Project
- Freedom to Read Foundation
- Moms for Social Justice: PEN America
Individuals you can follow on Twitter to better understand how and where they’re working to fight book banning:
- Jonathan Friedman - Director of Free Expression and Education Programs at PEN America
- Kelly Jensen - Book Riot editor
- Tasslyn Magnusson - Writer and a partner of EveryLibrary
Online Spots to Find Mentor Texts
- The Nerdy Book Club
- Two Writing Teachers (mentor texts category)
- Watch. Connect. Read.
Subscribe to our podcast.
Please leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
Twitter:
- Melanie Meehan: @MelanieMeehan1
- Stacey Shubitz: @sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
If you're interested in reading more about small group instruction, we have many blog posts about them on our website. Here are a few to check out:
- A Few Tips for Small Group Instruction: Expanding the Reach With Small Group Work
- Ideas for planning Small Group Instruction
- Small Groups, Big Engagement: Expanding the Possibilities and Potential
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Subscribe to our podcast.
Please leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
Twitter:
- Melanie Meehan: @MelanieMeehan1
- Stacey Shubitz: @sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
For more on plan boxes, check out the following posts on Two Writing Teachers:
- The Plan Box
- Are Plan Boxes Worth It?
Subscribe to our podcast.
Please leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
Twitter:
- Melanie Meehan: @MelanieMeehan1
- Stacey Shubitz: @sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
In this episode, we tackle several predictable problems we've seen students deal with in a writing workshop. We discuss how to work with students who claim they have nothing to write about, how to deal with stories that go on and on (and on), the "I'm done" syndrome, guiding students with perfectionist tendencies, managing a variety of behavior issues, and helping students who don't use conventions.
Here are a dozen past #TWTBlog posts for more ideas, strategies, and tips for solving predictable problems in your classroom:
- 10 Topic Choice Mentor Texts
- Approximation vs. Mastery
- Grammar and Conventions: Meet Writers Where They Are
- Micro-Workshop: Making Time for Conventions and Grammar
- Six Tips to Keep Minilessons Short
- Something Do-Able to Try: The Editing Minute
- The Importance of Establishing Routines
- The Important of Repertoire
- Updating Your Map
- Ways to Teach Conventions
- Writing Because You Want To
- Writing the Hot Spot First
ICYMI: Our co-author team wrote a "Solving Predictable Problems Blog Series" in 2017. You may also check out the series' Twitter Chat Archive on Wakelet for further help solving predictable problems.
Subscribe to our podcast.
Please leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
Twitter:
- Melanie Meehan: @MelanieMeehan1
- Stacey Shubitz: @sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
In this episode, we announce the winners of our Corwin book giveaway. Thank you to everyone who has left reviews or ratings on their listening platforms, and an especially big thank you to Corwin Press for sponsoring this giveaway by donating five professional books. The winners are:
- Jenn Burke
- Patty Saentz
- Rikki Kwas
- Meredith Schaefer
- Linda Szakmary
____________________________________
To read more about partnerships and processes, check out some of the blog posts about them, including:
- Partnerships to Establish Community
- Strengthening Writing Partnerships Part 1 and Part 2
- Setting Up Writing Partnerships
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Subscribe to our podcast. Please leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.
Twitter:
- Amy Ellerman: @sanderling12
- Melanie Meehan: @MelanieMeehan1
- Stacey Shubitz: @sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingtea...
Amy, Melanie, and Stacey talk about ways to solve five predictable problems teachers face as teachers of writing.
- There isn't enough time in my writing block.
- My writing units go on forever.
- I don't know what to confer about.
- I need help explaining writing workshop to parents and caregivers.
- I'm always interrupted when I teach writing.
Check out the Solving Predictable Problems Blog Series our co-authors wrote in 2017. You may also check out the series' Twitter Chat Archive on Wakelet for further help solving predictable problems.
Plus, here are additional TWT blog posts that will help you with the problems we talked about in today's podcast.
- For problem #1: Five Ways to Maximize Time if Writing Workshop Gets Cut, Minimizing Transition Time, and Six Tips to Keep Minilessons Short
- For problem #2: Units of Study That Go on Forever and Unit Planning
- For problem #3: Conferring Carl on Conferences, Conferring Toolkits: Cheat Sheets, and Get REALLY Good at Conferring
- For problem #4: Family Resources for At-Home Learning, Five Tips for Parents and Caregivers for Offering Feedback to Writers, Helping Parents Understand Writing Workshop, and Talking to Caregivers About Conventions and Spelling
- For problem #5: Working Together to Support All Kids: Getting All Adults in the Classroom on the Same Page
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
Follow us on Twitter!
- Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12
- Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
- Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
To read more about supporting young writers in raising the level of their talk in a workshop, check out some of our blog posts including:
- The Power of Language Revisited
- Conferring With Writers is Like Coaching Skiers: Strength ID and Enhancement
- Top Three Predictable Beginning of Year Conferences: Our Favorite Things
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org.
Follow me on Twitter!
Amy Ellerman: @sanderling12
Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
RATINGS/REVIEWS
- We are excited to share the Two Writing Teachers Podcast with you. If you've provided a rating or review on any of the listening platforms, then please fill out this form to be entered into a giveaway for a free professional book from Corwin.
- All entries must be received by October 14th, 2022.
- You must have a U.S. mailing address to enter the giveaway.
MORE INFORMATION
- Check out Shawnda's blog post that inspired today's bonus episode:
- Chants for Writing: Support Routines, Conventions, and Craft
- Read more posts about working with multilingual learners and on translanguaging on Two Writing Teachers.
- In addition, here are some other #TWTBlog posts that will provide you with more information about things Shawnda mentioned.
- Developing Storytellers
- Students Can Draw at Every Stage of the Writing Process (At All Ages)
- Use Oral Rehearsal to Aid Note-Taking
ABOUT SHAWNDA
Shawnda Fukano is a primary literacy coach at Mount View Elementary, a dual-language school in the Highline School District in Seattle, Washington. She supports teachers and students in both English and Spanish classrooms as they develop biliteracy. Shawnda has had a passion for educating multilingual learners since she began teaching in 2004. She spent many years as a classroom teacher for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade newcomers, and was then the Dual Language Coordinator when her school first transitioned to the dual-language program. She also taught English to adult refugees from Burma for several years.
Shawnda is a National Board Certified Teacher in English as a New Language and is an OCDE Project GLAD® Trainer. She lives in Seattle with her husband, son, and twin daughters and writes slices of her life as a mom and teacher at ShawndaStories or follow her on Twitter @ShawndaFukano.
FINAL NOTES
- Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
- Follow me on Twitter!
- Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
- Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
If you're interested in reading more about conventions, some blog posts include:
- Ways to Teach Conventions
- Grammar and Conventions
- Using Inquiry to Lift Language Conventions
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com. If you subscribe and leave us a review, please fill out this form! You'll be entered in a drawing for professional books from Corwin Press.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
MORE ABOUT CONFERRING
We have written a lot of content about conferring over at Two Writing Teachers so it's hard to pick just a few pieces to share in today's show notes. Here are ten must-read blog posts about conferring:
- Conferring: Writing Workshop Fundamentals
- Don't Skimp on the Compliment
- Get REALLY Good at Conferring
- How to Name a Transferrable Teaching Point in a Writing Conference
- Let's Talk About Methods for Conferring
- Listening Closely
- Table Conferences: An Important Coaching Move at the Start of the School Year
- Three Ways to Make Your Conferring More Effective
- Top Three Predictable, Beginning of Year Conferences
- What To Do When a Writer Doesn't Say Much
RATINGS/REVIEWS
- We are excited to share the Two Writing Teachers Podcast with you. If you've provided a rating or review on any of the listening platforms, then please fill out this form to be entered into a giveaway for a free professional book from Corwin.
- All entries must be received by October 14th, 2022.
- You must have a U.S. mailing address to enter the giveaway.
FINAL NOTES
- Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
- For more on the teaching of writing, check out our blog at https://twowritingteachers.org.
- Follow us on Twitter!
- Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12
- Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
- Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
- This episode was recorded in September 2022.
- Advertising Inquiries:
- You may email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
Maximize the power of your mid-workshop interruptions by having a precise location where students can easily find you.
To read more about mid-workshop interruptions, head over to our blog and read:
- The Mid-Workshop Interruption: An Opportunity for Instruction During the Workshop
- Writing Workshop Fundamentals: Structure
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org.
This Tip for Tomorrow will inspire you to set a time to follow up with your students after a writing conference.
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
To read more about organization of materials in the workshop, check out some of our blog posts, including:
- My Conferring Toolkit: Our Favorite Things Blog Series
- Writers Need Tools
- This is the Year I'm Going to Make Writing Toolkits
- Creating Classroom Environments: Paper Choices
Subscribe to our podcast at http://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
http://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter: @sanderling12
Advertising Inquiries: http://redcircle.com/brands
Some of our past blog posts that correspond to today's conversation are:
- The Importance of Charts in Classrooms
- Making the Most Out of Charts
- Personalizing charts to foster intention and independence
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more on the teaching of writing, out our blog at https://twowritingteachers.org.
Follow us on Twitter!
- Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12
- Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
- Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
This episode was recorded on August 21, 2022.
To read more about building writers' stamina, check out some of our blog posts including:
- Building Stamina in Primary Writers
- Developing Stamina
- Resources Teachers Can Share With Families: Increase Writing Volume and Stamina at Home
- Stamina in Our Youngest Writers
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
For more on record keeping, check out some of these posts from Two Writing Teachers:
- Record Keeping- Why and How: Assessment Strengthens Writers
- Conferring Toolkits: Record Keeping
- Record-Keeping Forms
- The Case for Record-Keeping
- This is the year I’m going to keep better records.
Melanie's posts about Google Forms are available through the following posts:
- Ideas for getting started with google forms
- Continuing to Think About Google Forms
Follow us on Twitter!
Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12
Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
To read more about building writers' agency, check out some of our blog posts including:
- Student Agency: Solving Predictable Problems Blog Series
- Top Three Beginning of Year Conferences: Our Favorite Things Blog Series
- Joy and Agency: An Origin Story
- Fostering Authorship, Identity, and Agency in the Early Childhood Classroom Through Storytelling
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
To read more about transitions, check out some of our blog posts including:
- Rituals and Transitions
- Three Tricks for Smoother Classroom Transitions
- A Game Plan for Writing Workshop Transitions
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Melanie Meehan:https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Some useful links on teaching shares and midworkshop interruptions:
- Midworkshop Interruption Category on TWT
- Teaching Shares: Ending Strong
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
For more on the importance of volume, check out some of these posts on the Two Writing Teachers blog:
- Pump Up the Volume
- Paper Choices: What’s up with that?
- All About the Paper.
Follow us on Twitter!
Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12
Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
Some of our past blog posts that correspond to today's conversation are:
- Co:Writer
- Differentiating and Inspiring Students with Learning Differences in Writing Workshop
- Finding Accessible Fonts for Classroom Use
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more on the teaching of writing, out our blog at https://twowritingteachers.org.
Follow us on Twitter!
- Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12
- Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
- Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
This episode was recorded in July 2022.
For more on being a teacher-writer check out It's Not Magic (but it IS): The Power of Being a Teacher Who Writes, and The Power of Writing Timelines, You may also check our archives at https://twowritingteachers.org/category/teacher-of-writing/.
Follow us on Twitter!
Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12
Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1
Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz
Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.
For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
This episode was recorded in July 2022.
Welcome! We're glad you're here.
We’re excited to talk about ways to create, lead, and sustain joyful and productive writing workshops. Here's an overview of where we are headed with this project.