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

It often seems that with writing, the first instinct for teachers when seeing a writer have difficulty is to hold them to what they are able to do correctly-to limit them to what they can do well. But isn't that only preventing them from making progress as writers?In this episode, I discuss the importance of placing your focus on the writer, not the product by allowing students to experience productive struggles in their writing journey and have the opportunity and room to grow instead of being boxed in to a small area of perfection. If you are an elementary teacher or middle school teacher wondering why your struggling writer isn't growing, this may be the episode for you! **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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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!

Where are the periods? Why isn't this capitalized? You teach it, but it doesn't show up consistently in their writing. UGH! In this episode, we take a fresh look at teaching grammar and punctuation and the expectations we have for our writers. You will hear:the idea of viewing grammar as a craftincluding grammar instruction in reading and writingconnecting grammar and mechanics instruction to authentic writingways to help students "edit" throughout the drafting processPrevious Episodes on Grammar and Editing:Episode 105 with Patty McGeeEpisode 50 and 51**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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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!

Join Melissa Morrison in an engaging episode of 'Getting Students to Write' as she welcomes art teacher and author Trevor Bryan. They discuss innovative strategies to boost writing confidence and effectiveness for both teachers and students. Trevor shares insights on integrating art and literacy, the role of pictures in developing comprehension, and his books 'The Art of Comprehension' and 'Narrative Know-How.' Learn about mood structures, the importance of helpers and harmers in storytelling, and practical methods to connect reading and writing seamlessly in K-6 classrooms.

Grading alone is a complicated topic, but grading writing, especially when wanting to value the writer, is even more difficult! The subjective nature of evaluating writing makes it difficult to be sure you have done so "correctly" for your students. It is also cumbersome to consider grading entire pieces from so many students.In this episode, I share ideas and strategies for grading that will help you to feel more effective and efficient. Included:How to focus your grading Aligning grading with learning objectivesMaking grading more manageableA favorite writing resourceAbout 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!**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

This is such an important episode for all Pre-K, Kindergarten, First-grade and Second-grade teachers (and has helpful tips for upper grade teachers as well!)Language composition is the way students use language when reading books they have written, reading published books they are not yet decoding, and taking part in activities such as dramatic play. Matt Glover and Kathy Collins have been studying language composition in order to support teachers to:notice and name how young children are composing languageidentify next steps for students in composing languageuse oral rehearsal in upper gradesIn this episode, Matt Glover provides insight into the development of language composition and how the way students use language in one area can help them in others. He also shares about the resources found on his website that support teachers in assessing students' language composition. 'If you have young struggling writers or are looking for support with teaching writing, this is an episode for you! Read more a languagecomp.com Matt Glover BioWith over 30 years of experience as a teacher, principal, author, and consultant, Matt Glover is an internationally recognized literacy consultant who speaks widely on nurturing writers, early reading, and children’s intellectual development.His newest book, How to Become a Better Writing Teacher, is coauthored with Carl Anderson. Other works include Craft and Process Studies, I Am Reading (with Kathy Collins), Engaging Young Writers, Projecting Possibilities for Writers (with Mary Alice Berry), and Already Ready (with Katie Wood Ray). Matt also coedited The Teacher You Want to Be with Ellin Keene.Matt has four adult children and lives outside Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife, Bridget, and their dog. *****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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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...

Writing volume, struggling writers, writing engagement, writing structure and more can all be affected by the paper that students are using to write.So yes, this episode is all about paper! We will explore:how paper makes writing more authenticthe benefits of writers making "picture books"how paper choices communicate importance and expectationsgetting started with more authentic paper choicesThis simple change will make a HUGE impact on writing in your classroom!**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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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 MelissaLinkedIn Connect with Melissa!

In this episode, Christine Devane shares her amazing and inspiring journey from teaching to writing. As a teacher, Christine noticed a need for more representation of all students in the books they read, which is what fueled her motivation to create her book, Elephant Beach. In our conversation, Christine talks about her experience as an author which provides many insights for teachers who are working to support their writers. As a teacher, author and parent, Christine shares ideas that will encourage young writers, allowing for creativity and authenticity in the writing classroom. Christine provides thoughts on teaching writing that will be of help for all!Here are a few of the highlights from our conversation:Creativity fueled by a needThe importance of a writing communityThe writing process for authors and studentsYou can find Christine's book and upcoming items on her website About Christine Devane: Christine Devane was a second grade teacher for thirteen years and enjoyed reading with her students. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband John; three children Joey, Nick, and Adeline; and their dog Sophie. Christine loves going to the beach, spending time with family and friends, traveling, and collecting lucky elephants.**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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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!

This episode will prepare you to begin gathering formative data about your writers that will keep your instruction, and writer's progress, on track!As the data conversation continues, I share more in this episode about:How data adjust goals for writersHow data informs your instructional choicesSimple ways to choose data points and collect dataIf you want to teach writing more effectively, engage students in writing, manage writer's workshop and help struggling writers, formative data is where it's at!Mentioned in this episode:The Writing Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo (The Hierarchy of Writing Goals)Writefully Empowered by Jacob ChastainData Collection Template (This can be copied and then edited as needed-use your chosen writing categories)Previous Correlated Episodes:Ep 84 Writing Conferring Series: Writer's Inquiry ConferenceEp 83 Writing Strategies Series: EngagementEp 44 and 45 All Things Writing with Jacob Chastain**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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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 MelissaLinkedIn Connect with Melissa!

Do you have independent writing time up and running in your classroom but feel unsure of how to keep your writer's moving forward? It is difficult to support struggling writers or even know what to teach for writing if you don't know enough about your writers.The right formative data will help you plan instruction that supports progress! In this episode, I share:The importance of formative dataThree writing categories for data collectionFour ways to gather dataCollecting data on identity and engagementAfter this episode you'll be ready for Part 2 where I go over choosing a data focus and a simple way to record data. The more focused your instruction, the more writing engagement your students will have, the more confident you will feel in your writing classroom!**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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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!

A coach just telling a player to "hit the ball" or "be aggressive" does not improve their performance. The same is true for us as teachers of writers! We need to teach, not tell by addressing their needs and showing them how to do what we want them to do.Struggling writers will just keep struggling if all we do is have them keep trying to write without specific instruction. The trouble is that most teachers are not trained in teaching writing and have difficulty knowing what strategies to teach. (I've been there!)In this episode, I share techniques and several resources to help you:Know where your writers areCompile strategies for lessonsMove writers forwardHere is a list of helpful resources:The Writing Strategies Book-Jennifer SerravalloCraft Lessons (several)- Ralph FletcherMaking Non-fiction from Scratch- Ralph FletcherCraft and Process Studies- Matt GloverProjecting Possibilities for Writers- Matt GloverIf...Then Curriculum: Assessment Based Instruction- Lucy CalkinsWriting Pathways-Lucy CalkingLanguage Composition Framework-www.languagecomp.comAbout 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!**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

Are you wondering....Why you have struggling writers? Why your writers aren't showing growth? Why your writers aren't engaged in writing?Perhaps they need MORE of something. In this episode, I share three main "mores" that writers need in order to be successful, and a few additional "mores" that are just as important.The first more is one I'm sure you have heard before...more time to write! The rest...listen in to hear all about 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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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 MelissaLinkedIn Connect with Melissa!

***I share some exciting news in this episode!***In this episode, I discuss lessons cultivated from a multitude of resources combined with years of experience working with writers and with teachers who are new to writer's workshop.Ideas for lessons will be provided that will help with:How to introduce writing to your studentsWays to support struggling writersThe reality of being a writer (it's not like most classrooms!)Working through writer's problemsYou will also hear how important it is to trust that YOU can identify lessons that will support your writers by observing and knowing more about 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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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 MelissaLinkedIn Connect with Melissa!

Reluctant writers won't stay reluctant with the right supports! As you start a new year with a new group of writers, you will want to make writing meaningful for each of them because engaged writers become successful writers!In this episode I share a few ideas for helping students make connections with writing by offering a variety of entry points as well as helping them to feel ready to write. Resources mentioned:Two Writing Teachers: Friendly Letter Writing and Authentic Purposes for WritingStudent Writing Samples**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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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!

" ... it's really important that we start building their identities as writers and readers from that young age because they will rise to whatever level we set for them."ABSOLUTELY!!! So many good things in this episode with the wonderful Leah Thomas!-Building writing 'empathy' by being a teacher writer-Allowing writers to be self-directed, making decisions and choices-Leah's journey as a teacher of writing-The importance of unpacking standards for writingIf you are looking for best practices for teaching writing or ways to boost student writing engagement, do not miss this episode!!About Leah Thomas:Leah (Koch) Thomas is a Kindergarten teacher who has also taught second grade in St. Louis, MO. She holds a B.A. from Graceland University in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Reading and an MSEd from Missouri State University in Elementary Education with a Literacy Certificate. She credits the TCRWP Summer institutes with helping to form her literacy philosophy and love for the workshop model. Leah is passionate about honoring student voice and identity through writing. She believes that for children to see themselves as writers, they deserve trust and autonomy to learn more about themselves and their writing process. If students can identify as authors, the motivation, skills, and craft will follow!**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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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 MelissaLinkedIn Connect with Melissa!

Ok, it's actually way more than 3...but I have placed them into 3 main categories!Make it Exciting and MeaningfulBuild CommunityLearn from Your WritersYou will hear how to set a strong foundation for writing from the beginning with techniques such as:Sharing "real-world" writing for studentsCreating a safe and positive environmentBeing a part of the writing community"Kid-watching" during writing timeEncouraging risk-taking and trying new thingsand more!There are several episodes that go along with this one:#73, 84, 85, 87, 109, and 114Also mentioned in the episode: Kindness Speech by 10 year old girl D. Smith's Inspiring Message www.k12.thoughtfullearning.com www.youngwritersmagazine.com**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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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!

Today's episode features a very special guest, Mrs. Melanie Meehan!As a reader of the Two Writing Teachers Blog for many years and a fan of Melanie's books, it was wonderful to get to talk with her all about writing!I know you will find inspiration hearing Melanie speak of:her writing belief statementthe importance of teachers as writersthoughts on templates and GOsthe recursive nature of the writing processbalancing foundational skills with the creativeness of writingand so much more!Don't miss out on this fabulous episode! And-be on the lookout for Melanie's new book with co-author Maggie Roberts in Spring 2026About Melanie Meehan:Melanie Meehan is the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator in Simsbury, CT, and is passionate about developing young writers, as well as human beings with curiosity, empathy, and responsibility for the world. Melanie was a member of the writing team for the Connecticut Social Studies Frameworks, and is passionate about equity and social justice. She slices at Just Write, Melanie. Melanie has written three professional books. Every Child Can Write: Entry Points, Bridges and Pathways for Striving Writers, was published in October 2019 by Corwin Press. The Responsive Writing Teacher: A Hands-on Guide to Child-Centered, Equitable Instruction, co-written with Kelsey Sorum, was published in February 2021, and Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing is her most recent book, published in April 2022.Melanie holds a B.A from Cornell University, a Masters in Special Education from the University of Hartford, and her Sixth Year in Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University. Additionally, she has an MFA in Creative Writing from the Solstice Low-Residency Creative Writing Program of Pine Manor College. She has published articles in Highlights Magazine, and won the 2016 Tassy-Walden Award for New Voices in Children’s Literature. You can find her on X @MelanieMeehan1.In this episode:Steve Graham, Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers**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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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

You will be inspired from this episode! The transformation that occurred for all three of these fabulous teachers as well as their students was incredible!Listen in to hear about:Huge wins in a short amount of timeIncreased teacher confidence with teaching writingHow students' engagement and idea generation increasedGrowth in kindergarten writing skills with little instructionI know this episode will persuade you to implement authentic independent writing time!***Important NEWS! This will be the last episode before a short summer break! I will return in mid-late August. 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 MelissaLinkedIn Connect with Melissa!

The second part of my conversation with Carl Anderson provides you with helpful and interesting information about teaching writing and more about the genre of fantasy. You will hear Carl's thoughts on:writing your own mentor text-Do not be afraid! the importance of showing how writers navigate writingwriting in front of students (modeled writing)the "elevator pitch" and how it helps students and teachersA quote from Carl: "When kids are highly engaged, it makes our work with kids really enjoyable and much more interesting and just a lot more fun for everybody and joyful." I could not agree more!! About Carl Anderson: 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.You can follow Carl on Twitter at @conferringcarl and on Instagram, carlandersonconferring. You can contact him at carlanderson1@mac.comAbout 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 MelissaLinkedIn Connect with Melissa!

You will LOVE this discussion with Mr. Carl Anderson about his newest book, Teaching Fantasy Writing: Lessons That Inspire Student Engagement and Creativity, Grades K6. This book is a MUST-HAVE for teachers and hearing Carl's insights on the book as well as his passion for the fantasy genre for students is palpable!In the episode you will hear about:The bias against fantasy writing This genre's profound impact on student engagement and creativity The benefits of fantasy writing for students Developmental benefits and pedagogical strategies for incorporating fantasy writing into the curriculum,This is just the first half of this interesting and exciting conversation so don't miss out and stay tuned for Part 2!About Carl Anderson: 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. Carl began his career in education as a teacher in elementary and middle schools in the Bronx, New York, Bardstown, Kentucky, and Northbrook, Illinois. Today, he is known for his conference keynotes, PD workshops, and in-school residencies. Carl is also known for being an avid fan of the Beatles and Bob Dylan, as well as his lifelong passion for sailing. He lives with his wife Robin in Brooklyn, New York, and is thrilled when their adult children visit them. You can follow Carl on Twitter at @conferringcarl and on Instagram, carlandersonconferring. You can contact him at carlanderson1@mac.com**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 GettingStudentstoWriteAbout 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

We've all heard remarks about the writer's workshop method that are a bit off. In this episode, I bring up some of the misconceptions, and sometimes just untruths, of writer's workshop and try to set the record straight. After telling a bit about the history of the workshop model, I share what I feel are a few of the possible reasons for these misconceptions and advocate (again) for the method I love so much: the one that not only engages writers but improves student writing.The episode will touch on:The educators who were the impetus for the workshop model in elementary, intermediate, and high school classroomsMisconceptions of the workshop model: Lack of instruction, Lack of grammar, Workshop being the only wayProminent educators and authors of the workshop modelI would love to hear your thoughts on this topic and all that I shared:) **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 GettingStudentstoWriteWebsite 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 MelissaLinkedIn Connect with Melissa!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!