Episode 42 Thoughts On Common Practices Getting Students To Write! Helping Elementary And Middle School Teachers Transform Writing Time podcast

21:47

The term "free writing" is used often, and I have to say, I don't love it. To me, it signals that providing students "freedom" to choose their own topics, make mistakes, right without what is considered "proper structure", make mistakes or go at their own pace is something that is different from or outside of the writing that is typically done. Hear more of my thoughts on this term and its meanings, as well as what I feel to be important when thinking of utilizing journals in the classroom. Hint...it's all about PURPOSE! **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 106 Meaningful Grammar Instruction with Patty McGee 43:45

8 giorni fa43:45

43:45

Students struggle with grammar. Teachers struggle with grammar. But...Patty McGee says it doesn't have to be that way! If you are looking for simple yet powerful ways to help your students to apply grammar skills, you will not want to miss this discussion! Patty shares a wealth of information on best practices in grammar instruction including high-impact techniques for doing so. Grab Patty's Noun, Verbs, Both Sort Here Find out more about Patty Here Patty McGee is a nationally recognized literacy consultant, speaker, and educator with a passion for transforming classrooms into spaces where language and learning come alive. With decades of experience as a teacher, coach, and advocate for delightful literacy practices, Patty has worked alongside educators across the country, partnering to unlock the full potential of their students through innovative and practical teaching strategies. Not Your Granny’s Grammar is her third book. About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 105 Holding Space for Writers' Needs: One Teacher's Win! 12:50

15 giorni fa12:50

12:50

When teaching writing, there are so many things on our mind-so many skills to worry about our students mastering. Most of these skills are what we can see on paper, and they can easily steal the majority of our focus. However, there are a multitude of skills, abilities, beliefs and characteristics of writers that need to be developed and addressed that are beneath the surface, yet extremely vital, and when they are ignored, students' success as writers in inhibited. In this episode, I am honored to share one writer's "win" because of one amazing teacher's thoughtful attention to what her writer needed. Although the goal of this lesson or unit may have been much more "academically" based, the skill this writer needed to develop at this time was what needed to be addressed and encouraged. I hope you will be encouraged to not only focus on what each writer needs that may be outside of your current expectations, but also to know that the more you are aware of your writers' needs the more you will be able to help them! **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 104 Empowering the Writer Within with Author Sarah McDavis 37:19

22 giorni fa37:19

37:19

This incredible conversation with author and speaker Sarah McDavis will have you feeling inspired! Sarah gives us a peek into her mind as a writer sharing: How she begins a new book Her process for drafting Her own version of planning Strategies for when you are "stuck" Using charts and graphs to revise her book She reminds us that each and every writer is unique and that fostering our students' own writing identity is such an important component to our writing instruction. I learned so much from our conversation and hope you will too! Check out more from Sarah (including TEACHER RESOURCES) or book her for your school visit at her website **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 103 Master Sentences before Writing? I Don't Think So 24:23

29 giorni fa24:23

24:23

How can we expect perfection from our young writers when we don't expect it of ourselves? Does a young basketball player need to perfect his shot before he can play a game? Do professional authors publish their first draft? For some reason there are literacy professionals who are promoting having students "master sentences" before they are able to write anything more. I'm not sure I understand this idea. In this episode I share my take on this and a similar line of thought that is much more in keeping with the research of not only writing, but learning. **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 102 Help! I Don't Know What to Teach Them! 18:41

5 weeks fa18:41

18:41

When I first began using the workshop model, I felt very unequipped to help my writers. I wasn't a writer myself and certainly had not had any training in writing or how to teach writing. So, when I sat next to my little ones and read over their pieces, I felt like I didn't know how to help them. The truth was, I knew so many things about writing that would have been exactly what my students needed to hear! Not only that, but I was able to learn FROM them as they showed me what THEY did as writers. In the years that followed, I also learned from many resources along the way. Listen in to hear more of what you already know and a few of the tools that have helped me become an even better teacher of writing. **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 100 Elevating Writing Instruction with Carl Anderson and Matt Glover Pt 1 31:38

6 weeks fa31:38

31:38

This 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 and drives learning. Listen in to hear Matt and Carl speak on: Teachers' comfort with writers' approximations Knowing writers to know what's next for them Engagement as a central goal for teaching writing Importance of talking with young writers This is a must listen, don't miss episode that will inspire you to want to become a better writing teacher! Books mentioned in this episode: How to Become a Better Writing Teacher by Carl Anderson and Matt Glover Engaging Children: Igniting a Drive for Deeper Learning by Ellen Oliver Keene Guest Bios: Carl Anderson is an internationally recognized expert in the teaching of writing for grades K-8. He works as a consultant in schools and districts around the world. Carl is the author of numerous books on teaching writing, including the new A Teacher’s Guide to Mentor Texts K-5, A Teacher’s Guide to Writing Conferences , the best-selling How’s It Going? A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers, Assessing Writers, and Strategic Writing Conferences: Smart Conversations that Move Young Writers Forward . The fall of 2023 will see the publication of his next book, co-authored with Matt Glover, How to Become a Better Writing Teacher. Matt Glover has been a teacher, principal, and consultant for over 35 years. He is the author of the Heinemann titles Craft and Process Studies: Units That Provide Writers with Choice of Genre and Engaging Young Writers , as well as the co-author of Already Ready, Projecting Possibilities for Writers, I Am Reading, and Watch Katie and Matt...Sit Down and Teach Up , a video-enhanced e-book. An international literacy consultant, Matt works in schools with teachers on topics related to nurturing writers of all ages, early reading, oral language composition, and supporting children’s intellectual development. **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 101 Elevating Writing Instruction with Carl Anderson and Matt Glover Pt 2 30:59

6 weeks fa30:59

30:59

Get 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 Teaching a non-genre specific unit Steps for beginning Writer's Workshop Tips for utilizing the book If you haven't listened to the beginning of this conversation, be sure to go back to episode 100! Books mentioned in this episode: Craft and Process Studies by Matt Glover Independent Writing by Colleen M. Cruz Teaching Fantasy Writing by Carl Anderson Guest Bios Carl Anderson is an internationally recognized expert in the teaching of writing for grades K-8. He works as a consultant in schools and districts around the world. Carl is the author of numerous books on teaching writing, including the new A Teacher’s Guide to Mentor Texts K-5, A Teacher’s Guide to Writing Conferences , the best-selling How’s It Going? A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers, Assessing Writers, and Strategic Writing Conferences: Smart Conversations that Move Young Writers Forward . The fall of 2023 will see the publication of his next book, co-authored with Matt Glover, How to Become a Better Writing Teacher. Matt Glover has been a teacher, principal, and consultant for over 35 years. He is the author of the Heinemann titles Craft and Process Studies: Units That Provide Writers with Choice of Genre and Engaging Young Writers , as well as the co-author of Already Ready, Projecting Possibilities for Writers, I Am Reading, and Watch Katie and Matt...Sit Down and Teach Up , a video-enhanced e-book. An international literacy consultant, Matt works in schools with teachers on topics related to nurturing writers of all ages, early reading, oral language composition, and supporting children’s intellectual development. **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Ep 99 But We Don't Have Enough Time! 27:19

7 weeks fa27:19

27:19

Time 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 and needs to be given what it is due! This episode will provide tips and ideas for getting the most out of your day and including writing practices that are effective for your writers. Mentioned in the Episode : Integrating Reading and Writing- Michelle Ruhe Coach from the Coach Mini-lesson Episodes 19, 21 and 22 **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 98 Writers Struggling? Try a New Perspective! 14:33

8 weeks fa14:33

14:33

We all get stuck in a rut with our teaching. Sometimes it just takes a different perspective to figure out what works! This episode shares a few examples of looking at parts of teaching writing in a new way and provides you with steps to try it out yourself! Listen in to this short episode for some helpful tips for improving your writing instruction. **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 97 Little Things Make a HUGE Difference! 14:01

9 weeks fa14:01

14:01

Implementing effective writing instruction is a big task. There are many moving parts and lots of important young writers to take care of! I find it helpful to know and remember that often times the little details are what also make a huge impact on your student writers. This episode shares examples of those small practices and hopefully helps to spark even more ideas for you to implement. Listen in to hear about writing tips such as: including your writers positive energy student collaboration and more! **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 96 Why Can't We Just Use the Oreo Planner? 13:02

10 weeks fa13:02

13:02

Teaching is hard. Teaching writing is hard...and, it's not the only thing you have to teach! I get it. Trying new things can be time-consuming and a bit scary. But also... it can be so worth it! If you want your students to be engaged and successful in writing, it's time to take a risk! If you are frustrated with lack of student progress and even student interest and motivation for writing, then it is time to think differently about writing time in your classroom. The goal for writers is not to get something "good enough" on paper. The goal is to enjoy, experience, understand, learn about and become better at writing . This episode will encourage you to push through the uncertainty of new practices and do what is needed to provide your writers with new opportunities to learn and grow. **Teachers! We want to hear from you! We want to hear your story, experience, aha moment or insights related to Getting Students to Write! The more we share, the more we learn together, the more we can accomplish for our writers! Click the link below and record a voicemail. Your story may be featured on the podcast:) Send a voice message to GettingStudentstoWrite About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 95 Peer Feedback that Works with Michelle Ruhe Pt 2 22:03

11 weeks fa22:03

22:03

Part 2 with Michelle Ruhe of Coach from the Couch continues with more actionable steps for implementing peer feedback with your writers. In this episode we discuss: the importance of slow, strategic implementation using checklists and rubrics providing quality, exemplar writing pieces and how to set goals while staying within a writer's ZPD This conversation will get rid of any fears and frustrations with having students work together as writers! Michelle Ruhe is a 20+ year veteran elementary educator dedicated to helping others find the joy in teaching--because confident, happy educators are the key to inspiring confident and successful students! She wants others to love teaching as much as she does...and wouldn't dream of doing anything else! Michelle has experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach and virtual consultant and holds great knowledge of literacy! Coach from the Couch Website www.coachfromthecouch.com About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 94 Peer Feedback that Works with Michelle Ruhe Pt 1 16:52

12 weeks fa16:52

16:52

It can sound scary and impossible, but it's not! In this first episode with Mrs. Michelle Ruhe of Coach from the Couch, we share the power of peer feedback to: enhance writing quality engage students and distribute the feedback workload You will hear about the transformative potential of peer feedback in fostering student ownership and improving writing through collaborative learning. Listen in to this and next week's episode for practical and effective tips on implementing peer feedback in your writing classroom. Michelle Ruhe is a 20+ year veteran elementary educator dedicated to helping others find the joy in teaching--because confident, happy educators are the key to inspiring confident and successful students! She wants others to love teaching as much as she does...and wouldn't dream of doing anything else! Michelle has experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach and virtual consultant and holds great knowledge of literacy! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 93 Are You Over-Scaffolding your Writers? 19:34

13 weeks fa19:34

19:34

Can't stand the mess? Then get out of the kitchen! I couldn't help but think of that saying when writing show notes for this episode! Just like I over-supported my children when baking cookies to avoid the "mess" of little hands, writing teachers often over-scaffold their writers. If you have ever said, "I taught you how to do that!" or "We've been over this!", it's very likely you have provided too much support for your writers. In this episode, I share what over-scaffolding can look like in writing instruction and why it is so important to allow students to "get into the mess" of writing and truly take hold of the skills they need as writers. Be ready to get messy and provide more opportunities for writing growth in your students.…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 92 Writing Strategies Series: Volume 27:49

14 weeks fa27:49

27:49

I recently had a teacher I am coaching say, "That's going to be hard for me," when we discussed allowing students to try multiple drafts on different topics for their informational books. I completely understand why this fabulous teacher was hesitant...and there are so many reasons! But the truth is, we all need repeated practice to improve our skills, and developing skills as writers is no different! In this episode, I share the importance of increasing the volume of student writing as well as providing opportunities for students to cycle through the writing process over and over again. You will hear about the significance of: Setting expectations for volume Focusing on student goals Making revision a bigger part of the process And more! I will also share helpful advice for those nagging worries that I know are lurking in your mind!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 91 Writing Conferring Series: Research-Decide-Teach 30:22

15 weeks fa30:22

30:22

Melissa saved one of the best, but possibly "scariest" writing conference for last! The Research-Decide-Teach conference originates from Lucy Calkins and is a highly effective method for truly meeting your writers' needs and moving them forward as writers. In this final installment of the Writing Conference Series, Melissa discusses how to gather information from students, make instructional decisions, and effectively teach targeted strategies during a writing conference. Melissa provides an overview of the RTD conference, a comparison of RTD to other conferences previously discussed in the series, an example of a student conference and practical tips for implementation. Listen to hear: Melissa's encouragement for trying this new conference How to use unit goals to help make conference decisions The importance of trusting your teacher intuition The benefit of strong pedagogy and student agency This episode will take away the fear of making "in the moment" decisions and help you to implement this conference with success! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Edited! Episode 90 Writing Strategies Series: Elaboration 20:40

16 weeks fa20:40

20:40

Are you looking for more than "use describing words" and "tell me more" when it comes to helping students elaborate in their writing? In this episode, Melissa dives into strategies for improving writing elaboration for students by first considering a few overall understandings and techniques for opinion, narrative and informational writing and then sharing specific strategies for ways to elaborate. Emphasizing the importance of purposeful writing and understanding the audience, Melissa offers a range of techniques and specific strategies tailored for different genres. She also introduces practical elaboration strategies like twin sentences, using question words, and acting out scenarios, along with more advanced techniques such as developing characters in narratives and organizing information in informational texts. This episode is jam-packed with helpful elaboration strategies for writing in the elementary and middle school classroom! AND! Listen in for a chance to receive a FREEBIE -Melissa's writing strategies one pager! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 89 Lessen Your Mental Load by Establishing Student Agency 19:38

19 weeks fa19:38

19:38

Raise your hand if you have felt unsure, ill-equipped, or stressed out when making decisions about writing instruction. Teachers tend to place too much responsibility on themselves when it comes to instruction in general, and definitely with writing instruction! This creates unnecessary stress that can be alleviated by establishing student autonomy and agency. Involving students in their learning and putting more of the responsibility on them will: Increase engagement and motivation Make learning stick Lesson your mental load Increase student growth In this episode, Melissa shares examples of ways to include writers in their learning that you can implement tomorrow. About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 88 Writing Conferring Series: Re-teach Conference 15:56

20 weeks fa15:56

15:56

What does a conference sound like you ask? Listen in to hear Melissa provide a detailed example of a "Re-teach Conference." Quite often, the strategies you have taught are not being implemented in each student's independent writing pieces. The purpose of a "Re-teach" conference is to provide follow-up, explicit instruction on a previously taught writing strategy from a whole-class mini-lesson. Because the strategy being used has already been taught, the preparation is quite minimal...WINNING! In this episode, Melissa will discuss how and why to choose this conference for your writers as well as the benefits of implementation. Not only is the Re-teach conference easy to put into practice, it is also highly effective for your writers! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 87 Writing Strategies Series: Generating Ideas 16:40

21 weeks fa16:40

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 generate ideas on their own. When students are involved in creating their own topics, their engagement is increased. Highlighting the significance of understanding the purpose behind different types of writing, Melissa provides techniques such as: using emotions studying the world around them making lists of their most important things in life asking big questions and taking inspiration from reading This is such an important episode for all writing teachers from Kindergarten to High School! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 86 Writing Conferring Series: Compliment Conference 11:13

22 weeks fa11:13

11:13

Are you wondering where to begin when conferring with your writers? This episode will teach you all about the Compliment Conference and how to use it as not only a way to encourage your writers but also as a formative assessment for your writing instruction. This conference has four simple steps: Open the conversation Identify evidence of a successful writing behavior or action Share the compliment with the writer Thank the writer for their time. Melissa also shares how to plan for the Compliment Conference as we as utilize the conference as data for further instruction. Next up the in the Writing Conferring Series: Anchor Chart Conference Research, Decide, Teach Conference Don't miss out on this series! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 85 Writing Strategies Series-Independence 13:23

23 weeks fa13:23

13:23

Raise your hand if you have students coming up to you or sitting and staring or raising their hands during independent writing time! There are so many reasons why students are not fully independent writers, and this episode provides a variety of ideas and strategies for creating a classroom full of writers who are! Melissa shares four ideas for supporting independence during writing time: Implement procedures Expect It! Give it time and have patience! Prevent obstacles Find out the true reason for lack of independence Whether you are teaching Kindergarten or 8th grade, if you are looking for ways for your student writing time to be more self-sufficient and effective, this is the episode for you! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 84 Writing Conferring Series: Writer's Inquiry Conference 23:52

24 weeks fa23:52

23:52

Welcome to the first episode in the Conferring Series! This series will discuss a variety of conference types for writing to help you feel more confident in meeting one-on-one with your writers in order to meet their needs. This first conference, the Writer's Inquiry Conference is all about getting to know your writers. It is extremely helpful for students to feel at ease and accepted in their writing community, and building a relationship with you is the way to start. Melissa will share the components of the conference as well as specific questions to include in your discussion. Bonus: Ideas for how to administer a Writer's Survey for an additional and efficient way to get to know your writers. This episode will help you set the foundation not only for implementing writing conferences with your students, but for successful writing instruction overall. Additional Professional Development on Writing Conferences: A Teacher's Guide to Writing Conferences by Carl Anderson, Katie Wood How's It Going; A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers by Carl Anderson Teaching Writing by Lucy Calkins About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Ep 83 Writing Strategies Series- Engagement 21:08

25 weeks fa21:08

21:08

This episode is the beginning of the Writing Strategies Series and is all about supporting students with the most foundational aspect of writing- Engagement! Just as with any learning-academic to athletic-learners must be engaged in order to progress. Drawing from educational research and expert Jennifer Serravallo, I discuss the multi-dimensional construct of writing engagement, including affective, behavioral, cognitive, and social components. After sharing key practices for your writing classroom that set the tone for engaged writing, I offer various practical strategies to improve student engagement such as: choosing meaningful topics setting goals utilizing tools positive talk collaborating with peers and more! If you are wondering how to help students who do not want to write or students who are not engaged in writing, this episode is for you! Sources: Research Article Students' Writing Engagement S. Ives, S. Parsons, J. Marine, P. Rogers, A. Horton, C. Young 2022 The Writing Strategies Book -J. Serravallo About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Ep 82 A Few Things to Know for the Upcoming Series 18:29

26 weeks fa18:29

18:29

This episode shares the understandings needed in order to get the most out of the two upcoming series: Strategies for Writing and All About Conferring There are a variety of common struggles for our writers and I hope to help you by sharing specific strategies for each of them in the upcoming podcast series. Conferring is a topic I have not yet thoroughly addressed so I will be alternating the strategies series with a conferring one as well. Before sharing both series, I wanted to be sure to provide some helpful understandings that come along with meeting writers' needs with both writing strategies and writing conferences. This episode discusses: Identifying the true needs of your writers Avoiding 'jumping to conclusions" Focusing on the writer Conferences as conversations If you are looking to up your writing instruction in your classroom even further, listen in to this episode and be ready to get started! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 81 Four Tips for Finding Explicit Writing Lessons 23:14

27 weeks fa23:14

23:14

You've gotten to know your students as writers, and you've chosen goals for your class. Now what? It's time to find strategies for writing that your writers can use to meet their goals! In this episode, Melissa shares four techniques for finding and choosing teaching points. Leveraging Your Own Writing Experience Mining Mentor Texts Thinking Outside the Box Utilizing Professional Texts Listen in and feel more confident in your ability to teach your writers! Professional Books Mentioned in the Episode" Units of Study in Narrative, Opinion and Informational Writing Pathways The Writing Strategies Book Projecting Possibilities Lesson that Change Writers The Unstoppable Writing Teacher About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 80 Writing in Special Education with Dana Teague Part 2 21:49

28 weeks fa21:49

21:49

Part 2 with Dana Teague is here! Dana's energy is contagious, and she shares so many ideas for supporting your student writers. Listen in to hear: Why you don't need to be a perfect writer to teach your writers Ways to get to know your writers Free Writing Assessment Helping writers use AI effectively I hope you enjoy the episode! About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 79 Writing in Special Education with Dana Teague Pt 1 31:43

29 weeks fa31:43

31:43

I know this episode (and its sequel) will have you nodding your head in agreement again and again! Ms. Dana Teaque is an experienced and passionate educator who will make you feel seen and inspire you to do what is best for your students. Listen in to hear: Dana's educational journey Writing strategies for diverse learners Fostering student growth Embracing flexibility About Melissa: Melissa is an enthusiastic educator and continuous learner with over 19 years' experience in education. Her passion and expertise is transforming writing programs so that teachers are confident in writing instruction and student writers thrive! She strongly believes teachers are the key to effective instruction and their writers are their best resources. Melissa knows that too often, explicit writing instruction is pushed aside in elementary education, and she feels it is her calling to help schools make it front and center, providing teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to implement effective and engaging writing instruction. Teaching to Transform, LLC was founded by Melissa in 2018 and partners with school districts to provide professional development in writing instruction. If you would like to learn more or refer Melissa to your district, check out her website below! Website and Blog Read the latest blog posts and find out more about services provided by Melissa Instagram Follow Melissa for tips and support with writing instruction! YouTube Find out more about teaching writing as you watch webinars and model lessons taught by Melissa LinkedIn Connect with Melissa!…

Getting Students to Write! Helping Elementary and Middle School teachers transform writing time

1
Episode 78 But What if They Write it Wrong? 10:05

30 weeks fa10:05