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! Would your company like to sponsor an ...
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Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time
Melissa C Morrison, Elementary, Middle School Writing Consultant, Literacy Coach
Are you a K-8 Elementary or Middle School ELA teacher wondering how to get your students to write? This podcast is for teachers looking for a way to revamp and transform their writing time! You don't need daily lesson plans or prompts-you just need to understand what writers need! In this inspiring podcast, you will hear about the struggles, pitfalls, practices, and joy of teaching writing in a student-centered (workshop) model. Melissa guides you through the journey away from a more traditi ...
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Chalk and Ink is a biweekly school year podcast that interviews teachers who write and writers who teach. Are you looking for inspiration to develop and deepen your writing and/or teaching practice? If so, then listen to the experts who make it their practice to become better writers and teachers every day. If you'd like to connect after listening, please find me on Twitter @KateNarita or visit my website www.katenarita.com Happy listening!
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The Literacy Dive Podcast: Reading and Writing Strategies for Upper Elementary Teachers and Parents
Megan Polk, Literacy Specialist, Elementary Teacher
Do you find yourself seeking new implementations when it comes to literacy instruction? Do you crave fresh ideas and engaging lessons to transform your students into skilled readers and writers? The Literacy Dive Podcast was created to provide educators, like you, with actionable steps and strategies to improve teaching reading and writing. Your host, Megan Polk, is the creator and owner of The Literacy Dive, a company that creates educational, literacy curriculum that aims to close the gap ...
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Episode 101 Elevating Writing Instruction with Carl Anderson and Matt Glover Pt 2
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30:59Get ready for the rest of this fantastic discussion with Carl Anderson and Matt Glover! You will hear more about the importance of student engagement in writing as well as helpful tips for navigating the various aspects of a writer-focused workshop model. Check out what the authors have to say about: Illustrations as an integral part of composition…
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Igniting a Passion for Poetry: The Writing Roundtable
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48:36Welcome 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 strateg…
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Episode 100 Elevating Writing Instruction with Carl Anderson and Matt Glover Pt 1
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31:38This is it!!! The 100th Episode! For my 100th am joined by two incredible writers themselves who have given so much to the field of education through their work on writing instruction: Matt Glover and Carl Anderson. In this first episode of the two-part series, we discuss ways to provide more student ownership in writing, which increases engagement…
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Ep 99 But We Don't Have Enough Time!
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27:19Time just does not seem to be on a teacher's side! There are so many things requiring or affecting your time-some you can control, some you cannot. Some you are invested in, some you are not. More often than not, writing is the part of literacy that gets pushed aside for other areas. But writing is an ESSENTIAL part of our students' day and life an…
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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 e…
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Episode 98 Writers Struggling? Try a New Perspective!
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14:33We all get stuck in a rut with our teaching. Sometimes it just takes a different perspective to figure out what works! This episode shares a few examples of looking at parts of teaching writing in a new way and provides you with steps to try it out yourself! Listen in to this short episode for some helpful tips for improving your writing instructio…
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Make the World a Better Place with Amanda Jones
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1:01:35Send us a text Amanda Jones definitely gives writing tips in this episode such as listen to music that reflects the mood that you're trying to convey in your manuscript, start with a bang to hook the reader, and seek feedback from a trusted critique partner. I could have featured one of those quotes. But I feel it’s time to get real because during …
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The Importance of Oracy in Language Development: A Conversation With a Colleague
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33:18Shawnda 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 experienc…
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Episode 97 Little Things Make a HUGE Difference!
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14:01Implementing effective writing instruction is a big task. There are many moving parts and lots of important young writers to take care of! I find it helpful to know and remember that often times the little details are what also make a huge impact on your student writers. This episode shares examples of those small practices and hopefully helps to s…
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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. Send us a text 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 schoo…
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Episode 96 Why Can't We Just Use the Oreo Planner?
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13:02Teaching is hard. Teaching writing is hard...and, it's not the only thing you have to teach! I get it. Trying new things can be time-consuming and a bit scary. But also...it can be so worth it! If you want your students to be engaged and successful in writing, it's time to take a risk! If you are frustrated with lack of student progress and even st…
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Research Around Writing Instruction: A Conversation with Colleagues
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34:12In 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. Thanks to our affiliate, Z…
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Episode 95 Peer Feedback that Works with Michelle Ruhe Pt 2
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22:03Part 2 with Michelle Ruhe of Coach from the Couch continues with more actionable steps for implementing peer feedback with your writers. In this episode we discuss: the importance of slow, strategic implementation using checklists and rubrics providing quality, exemplar writing pieces and how to set goals while staying within a writer's ZPD This co…
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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 …
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Take PRIDE in Your Passion with Sarah Prager
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1:05:03Send us a text Sarah Prager talks about her passion for queer history, learning how to write for a YA audience, and how to research. Our next episode will feature school librarian Amanda Jones. She fights against censorship and advocates for protecting intellectual freedom so that every child sees themselves reflected on library shelves. Support th…
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Episode 94 Peer Feedback that Works with Michelle Ruhe Pt 1
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16:52It can sound scary and impossible, but it's not! In this first episode with Mrs. Michelle Ruhe of Coach from the Couch, we share the power of peer feedback to: enhance writing quality engage students and distribute the feedback workload You will hear about the transformative potential of peer feedback in fostering student ownership and improving wr…
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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. Thanks to our affiliate, Zencastr! Use our special link (http…
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Episode 93 Are You Over-Scaffolding your Writers?
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19:34Can't stand the mess? Then get out of the kitchen! I couldn't help but think of that saying when writing show notes for this episode! Just like I over-supported my children when baking cookies to avoid the "mess" of little hands, writing teachers often over-scaffold their writers. If you have ever said, "I taught you how to do that!" or "We've been…
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Unpacking and Implementing Insights from the 2024 NCTE Convention: A Conversation With Colleagues
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33:00Jess 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 a…
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Episode 92 Writing Strategies Series: Volume
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27:49I recently had a teacher I am coaching say, "That's going to be hard for me," when we discussed allowing students to try multiple drafts on different topics for their informational books. I completely understand why this fabulous teacher was hesitant...and there are so many reasons! But the truth is, we all need repeated practice to improve our ski…
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Author's Craft Chat with April Jones Prince, Jody Little, Josh Galarza, Katrina Moore and Zetta Elliott
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1:01:27Send us a text April Jones Prince, Jody Little, Josh Galarza, Katrina Moore and Zetta Elliott talk about the courage to be emotionally vulnerable on the page, writing about subjects for kids that people have told you kids shouldn’t read about, and the fact that even though publishing has a long way to go before it’s truly equitable that in 2014 onl…
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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 provi…
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Episode 91 Writing Conferring Series: Research-Decide-Teach
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30:22Melissa saved one of the best, but possibly "scariest" writing conference for last! The Research-Decide-Teach conference originates from Lucy Calkins and is a highly effective method for truly meeting your writers' needs and moving them forward as writers. In this final installment of the Writing Conference Series, Melissa discusses how to gather i…
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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 …
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Edited! Episode 90 Writing Strategies Series: Elaboration
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20:40Are you looking for more than "use describing words" and "tell me more" when it comes to helping students elaborate in their writing? In this episode, Melissa dives into strategies for improving writing elaboration for students by first considering a few overall understandings and techniques for opinion, narrative and informational writing and then…
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Compression, Repetition, and Representation with Jeannine Atkins
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1:01:21Send us a text Jeannine Atkins is one of the kindest people I know, and her compassion radiates through her verse. So, my wish for all of you is that your year is filled with kindness, just like Jeannine’s novels. In this episode we talk about the power of compression, repetition, and representation. Let’s get started. Thanks so much for listening …
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Alternatives to Marking Up Student Work: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
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39:19We 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 orthographi…
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Episode 89 Lessen Your Mental Load by Establishing Student Agency
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19:38Raise your hand if you have felt unsure, ill-equipped, or stressed out when making decisions about writing instruction. Teachers tend to place too much responsibility on themselves when it comes to instruction in general, and definitely with writing instruction! This creates unnecessary stress that can be alleviated by establishing student autonomy…
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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…
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Episode 88 Writing Conferring Series: Re-teach Conference
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15:56What does a conference sound like you ask? Listen in to hear Melissa provide a detailed example of a "Re-teach Conference." Quite often, the strategies you have taught are not being implemented in each student's independent writing pieces. The purpose of a "Re-teach" conference is to provide follow-up, explicit instruction on a previously taught wr…
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A Mini MFA with Jen Ferguson
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1:02:48Send us a text Jen Ferguson talks about opportunities to sharpen our work, why characters mirror one another in dialogue, and why we need different books for different readers. Let’s get started. Our next episode will feature Jeannine Atkins. Support the showPar Jen Ferguson, Kate Narita
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Your Small Group Instruction, Your Records: A Tip for Tomorrow From Stacey
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12:26This 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 physic…
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Episode 87 Writing Strategies Series: Generating Ideas
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16:40"I don't know what to write about!" is what is heard in classrooms all over. In this episode, Melissa emphasizes the importance of supporting students in having the independence to generate their own ideas for writing. She discusses the negative impacts of consistently providing students with topics and offers practical strategies to help students …
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Celebrating Student Writers: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
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34:13This 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 involv…
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Episode 86 Writing Conferring Series: Compliment Conference
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11:13Are you wondering where to begin when conferring with your writers? This episode will teach you all about the Compliment Conference and how to use it as not only a way to encourage your writers but also as a formative assessment for your writing instruction. This conference has four simple steps: Open the conversation Identify evidence of a success…
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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…
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Episode 85 Writing Strategies Series-Independence
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13:23Raise your hand if you have students coming up to you or sitting and staring or raising their hands during independent writing time! There are so many reasons why students are not fully independent writers, and this episode provides a variety of ideas and strategies for creating a classroom full of writers who are! Melissa shares four ideas for sup…
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Reaching for the Sweet Spot with Sarah Aronson
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1:04:40Send us a text In today’s episode Sarah Aronson talks about the importance of embracing conversations, challenges, and community. Sarah's latest biography, Abzuglutely!, celebrates congresswoman, lawyer, and activist, Bella Abzug, Our next episode will feature Jen Ferguson. Jen’s latest novel, A Constellation of Minor Bears is a USA Today bestselle…
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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, an…
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Episode 84 Writing Conferring Series: Writer's Inquiry Conference
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23:52Welcome to the first episode in the Conferring Series! This series will discuss a variety of conference types for writing to help you feel more confident in meeting one-on-one with your writers in order to meet their needs. This first conference, the Writer's Inquiry Conference is all about getting to know your writers. It is extremely helpful for …
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Tackling Tricky Topics: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
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37:20We 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. T…
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Ep 83 Writing Strategies Series- Engagement
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21:08This episode is the beginning of the Writing Strategies Series and is all about supporting students with the most foundational aspect of writing- Engagement! Just as with any learning-academic to athletic-learners must be engaged in order to progress. Drawing from educational research and expert Jennifer Serravallo, I discuss the multi-dimensional …
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Celebrating Neurodiversity with Jen Malia
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1:03:42Send us a text Jen Malia and I talk about celebrating neurodiversity, identifying your audience, and writing on location. Our next episode will feature Sarah Aronson. Sarah’s latest picture book biography, Abzuglutely! Battling, Bellowing, Bella Abzug released last month. Support the showPar Jen Malia, Kate Narita
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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 …
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Ep 82 A Few Things to Know for the Upcoming Series
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18:29This episode shares the understandings needed in order to get the most out of the two upcoming series: Strategies for Writing and All About Conferring There are a variety of common struggles for our writers and I hope to help you by sharing specific strategies for each of them in the upcoming podcast series. Conferring is a topic I have not yet tho…
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Prepping for Fall Conferences: A Conversation with a Colleague
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36:14Leah 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 al…
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Episode 81 Four Tips for Finding Explicit Writing Lessons
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23:14You've gotten to know your students as writers, and you've chosen goals for your class. Now what? It's time to find strategies for writing that your writers can use to meet their goals! In this episode, Melissa shares four techniques for finding and choosing teaching points. Leveraging Your Own Writing Experience Mining Mentor Texts Thinking Outsid…
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Expression Is Everything with A.S. King
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1:05:01Send us a text A.S. King talks about her newest novel, Pick the Lock, ACES or adverse childhood experiences, and the importance of honesty and expression. Our next episode will feature Jen Malia. Check out her chapter book series The Infinity Rainbow Club to prep for our next episode. Support the show…
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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 streng…
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Episode 80 Writing in Special Education with Dana Teague Part 2
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21:49Part 2 with Dana Teague is here! Dana's energy is contagious, and she shares so many ideas for supporting your student writers. Listen in to hear: Why you don't need to be a perfect writer to teach your writers Ways to get to know your writers Free Writing Assessment Helping writers use AI effectively I hope you enjoy the episode! About Melissa: Me…
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