Stellar Teacher Podcast: A Podcast for Upper Elementary Teachers

Have you ever listened to a student give a thoughtful, detailed answer at your small group table... only to get one sentence back on paper? You know the thinking is there. So where did it go?In this episode, Emily is breaking down what’s happening when a student can tell you the answer but can’t write it. Drawing on the Simple View of Writing from researcher Virginia Berninger and her colleagues, she explains why writing asks so much more of students than talking does. Then she walks through the three places an answer can get lost between a student’s head and the page: handwriting and spelling, composition, and executive functions.You’ll also hear a simple way to figure out where the breakdown is happening, plus strategies that fit right inside the curriculum you already have. These include verbal rehearsal with a writing partner, the Say It, Step It strategy from Melanie Meehan and Maggie Beattie Roberts, and a keyword sticky note that holds onto a student’s ideas while they write.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why writing is so much harder than talking, and what the Simple View of Writing tells us about itHow to use the “say it, then write it” check to find where a student’s answer is getting lostWhat erasing, run-on sentences and answers that trail off can tell you about the breakdownHow brief handwriting fluency practice can free up mental energy for ideasHow a word list or speech to text can support students when spelling is the roadblockHow verbal rehearsal and Say It, Step It help students build sentences that stand on their ownWhy working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control all play a role in writingHow a keyword sticky note helps students hold onto their answer from start to finishIf you have a student whose great ideas never seem to make it onto the page, the good news is that the thinking is already there. Try Emily’s challenge this week: pick a few students, compare what they say with what they write, and you’ll have a clear place to start supporting them.Resources Mentioned: ⭐ Free Sentence Writing Routine Sample: Stellarteacher.com/sentence ⭐ The Stellar Literacy Collective: Stellarteacher.com/join ⭐ Foundational Skills for Writing by Melanie Meehan and Maggie Beattie Roberts

Picture this. It’s October, and you give your third, fourth, or fifth graders a simple writing prompt. You pick up the first paper and it’s one sentence long. Or it’s one very, very long sentence held together by “and then, and then, and then,” with a capital letter at the start and a period at the very end. And you’re thinking, wait... didn’t you already learn this?In this episode, Emily is breaking down four foundational writing skills we often assume students mastered in kindergarten through second grade. Our K to 2 colleagues work hard to lay that foundation, but upper elementary writing asks a lot more of those early skills: longer pieces, bigger ideas, and more to juggle all at once. When that load goes up, a skill that once looked solid can start to wobble.Emily shares how to spot each skill quickly in your own classroom, plus simple, repeatable routines to strengthen it without throwing out your writing curriculum. She also connects back to the spinning plates analogy from episode 330 with Melanie Meehan and Maggie Beattie Roberts.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why students who write complete sentences on a worksheet still turn in fragments and run-ons on a blank pageHow verbal rehearsal, find and fix a fragment, and growing a kernel sentence build stronger sentence writersWhy handwriting and spelling still matter in upper elementary, and how transcription can use up a student’s working memoryHow because, but, so and sentence combining help students connect their ideasHow a simple plan and one question, “Does this prove my point?”, help students stay on topicThe 10-minute activity to try this week that shows you more about your writers than a full essayIf your students’ writing falls apart and you’re not sure why, this episode is a reminder that taught and mastered aren’t the same thing. The good news is that short, consistent routines can strengthen these foundations right inside what you’re already doing.Resources Mentioned:⭐ Free Sentence Writing Routine Sample: https://www.stellarteacher.com/sentence⭐ The Stellar Literacy Collective: https://www.stellarteacher.com/join

Episode 331 - Writing Is Complex: The Hidden Skills Students Need to Become Strong Writers with Melanie Meehan and Maggie Beattie RobertsWriting is complex. When students struggle to get their ideas onto paper, the challenge may go deeper than simply needing more writing practice.In this episode, Emily is joined by literacy experts and authors Melanie Meehan and Maggie Beattie Roberts to explore the hidden skills that help students become strong writers. They unpack how oral language, transcription, executive functioning, and working memory all impact students’ ability to write.In this episode, we talk about:The connection between reading and writing.How oral language and verbal rehearsal support student writers.Why handwriting, spelling, and other transcription skills still matter in upper elementary.How cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory show up during writing.How to identify where a student is getting stuck.Why short, intentional practice helps writing skills become more automatic.Writing asks students to juggle a lot at once. This conversation will help you better understand what might be happening beneath the surface and identify the support your students need to become stronger, more confident writers.The Stellar Literacy Collective - stellarteacher.com/joinFree Sentence Writing Routine Sample - stellarteacher.com/sentencesMelanie Meehan - melaniemeehan.comMaggie Beattie Roberts - kateandmaggie.comFoundational Skills for Writing - https://foundationalskillsforwriting.my.canva.site/

Writing instruction can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to fit everything in and help students meet grade-level expectations. But what if some of the things we think we need to do to build strong writers are actually making writing instruction harder than it needs to be?In this episode, Emily and Sara are breaking down five common writing instruction myths they believed as classroom teachers and sharing what they would do differently now. From focusing too much on essays and isolated grammar practice to feeling like you need a dedicated writing block, they’re sharing practical shifts that can help you simplify your writing instruction while building stronger, more confident writers.In this episode, we talk about:Why strong writing instruction starts at the sentence level before moving into paragraphs and essays.How to teach grammar in the context of actual student writing.Why you don’t need a dedicated writing block to help students become better writers.How focusing your feedback on one or two skills can make writing more manageable.Why building strong writers is ultimately better test prep than teaching specifically to the test.You don’t need a perfect writing block or a complicated approach to help your students grow. By slowing down, focusing on foundational skills, and being intentional about the writing opportunities already happening throughout your day, you can help students build the confidence and skills they need to become stronger writers.Grab your FREE sentence writing routine guide - stellarteacher.com/sentenceLearn more about the Stellar Literacy Collective - stellarteacher.com/join

Have you ever sat down to teach a small group only to realize you’re spending half your attention wondering what the rest of your class is doing?Maybe students are interrupting you with questions. Someone is suddenly wandering around the room. Another student has been “working” on the same question for 20 minutes. And you’re starting to wonder: How am I supposed to actually teach my small group AND manage everyone else?If small groups feel harder than you expected, it doesn’t mean you’re doing them wrong.In this episode, Sara and Emily are wrapping up our Small Group Success series by tackling one of the biggest challenges of small group instruction: managing the rest of your class while you’re teaching.And we’re starting with a reminder we think more teachers need to hear: You have flexibility.If your students can’t successfully work independently for 45 minutes, don’t ask them to. If they can handle 15 minutes, teach a 15-minute small group and then bring everyone back together. You don’t have to force your students into a small group schedule just because you think that’s what small groups are “supposed” to look like.We also talk about why you don’t need to meet with every student in a small group. Instead, ask yourself: Which students actually need additional practice with my support? Your goal isn’t to fit every student into a rotation—it’s to use your instructional time where it will have the greatest impact.From there, we’re sharing simple, practical ways to make small group time run more smoothly. We talk about explicitly teaching expectations, giving students plenty of opportunities to practice being independent, creating a plan for what students should do when they need help, and using visual cues to reduce interruptions.And before you create an elaborate new reward system or classroom management plan, Sara has an important reminder: keep it simple. The behavior systems you already use may be all you need. Small groups don’t have to become one more complicated thing for you to manage.Finally, we share a quick reflection routine that can help students take more ownership over small group time and recognize that what they’re doing while you’re teaching matters, too.In this episode, you’ll learn:How to structure small groups around what your students can realistically handleWhy you don’t have to meet with every student in a small groupHow to set clear expectations for independent work timeSimple ways to reduce interruptions while you’re teachingWhy you probably don’t need another behavior management systemHow a two-minute reflection can help students take more ownershipIf small groups haven’t been working the way you hoped, you don’t need to throw out the whole idea or assume you’re doing something wrong.You know your students best.Give yourself permission to adjust the schedule, shorten the independent work time, rethink who actually needs a small group, and create routines that work for the students sitting in your classroom.Small groups don’t have to look perfect. They need to work for you and your students.The Stellar Literacy Collective - stellarteacher.com/join