This episode is the audio from one of my most popular YouTube videos, so if you hear me say “look at this” or reference something on screen, don’t worry! I've linked the full video below!

In this deep dive, I unpack what I discovered after listening to the Sold a Story podcast and asking myself a big question: Where’s the research on writing instruction? Spoiler alert: it’s complicated. But I share what I found, what’s missing, and what we can do right now to teach writing with more clarity and confidence.

You’ll also hear:

• What the 10 essential components of effective writing instruction are
• Why sentence combining is a powerhouse strategy
• The surprising research around grammar instruction (and what to do instead)
• And the one line from Mel Robbins that changed everything for me

🔗 Watch the full video with visuals on YouTube:
The Science of Writing - My Hunt for RESEARCH-based Writing Instruction in Middle School

Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!

➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD

📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)

🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube

📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas

HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at [email protected]

Traditional comprehension questions are holding your students back. It’s time for a shift. This method flips the script on how we approach novel studies and writing in middle school, moving beyond recall questions and into deep, authentic engagement.

Instead of asking students to remember what happened, this strategy teaches them to track what matters. By gathering purposeful evidence on theme, characterization, world-building, and author’s craft as they read, students naturally build the foundation for high-level literary analysis. And the best part? It all connects seamlessly to evidence-based writing using the CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) framework.

Use this approach to bring more meaning to your novel studies, elevate your writing instruction, and finally answer the question: how do you truly teach writing in middle school? You start here.

Want a closer look at the Literary Evidence Trackers? Go HERE.

Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!

➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD

📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)

🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube

📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas

HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at [email protected]

What if the reason your students hate writing isn’t because they’re unmotivated but because you’re asking them to do too much, too soon?

In this episode, I’m breaking down why I stopped starting the year with narrative writing and how changing the order of essay instruction completely transformed my classroom. I’ll walk you through the exact essay sequence I use, why it works, and how each step builds skills (and confidence) without overwhelming students.

If you’ve ever felt like writing instruction just isn’t clicking... this might be the missing piece.

Need done-for-you essay lessons? Go HERE

Get my Literary Evidence Tracker for ANY novel HERE

Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!

➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD

📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)

🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube

📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas

HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at [email protected]

If teaching writing feels like one long game of catch-up… this episode will flip your perspective.

In today’s episode, I’m revealing the six writing skills I teach first in my student-led writing workshop and why the order of instruction matters more than you think. You’ll learn how to teach skills that build on each other and give students instant momentum.

We’ll talk about:
 ✔️ The confidence-building skill you should always start with
 ✔️ Why “show, don’t tell” can wait
 ✔️ How to build writing fluency one layer at a time
 

If you’ve ever felt like your writing block is just… not clicking, this episode will give you the structure and strategy to change that.

🎧 Plus, I’ll share how to keep these six skills spiraling through everything you teach all year long.

Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!

➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD

📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)

🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube

📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas

HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at [email protected]

When I became a published author, I thought I understood revision...until I met my editor. And then my second editor. And my third.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what really happens in the publishing world, all the way from developmental edits to line edits to the final proofread. This changed everything about the way I teach writing. 

You'll hear how authors revise in stages, why feedback is always focused (and never rushed), and how we can bring that same layered process into the classroom.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by student drafts and unsure when or how to give feedback, this episode will give you a fresh structure. Enjoy!

Robin

Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!

➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD

📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)

🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube

📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas

HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at [email protected]

Meet Tisha, an 8th grade ELA teacher who implemented the structured writing workshop in her classroom. She shares what worked during her first year of implementation. 

You'll learn:
✔️How to use BOTH physical and digital notebooks for writing
✔️organization strategies for student leaders
✔️how to incorporate AI successfully in the writing process
✔️how this workshop changed her 8th graders

An episode not to be missed. Share with other ELA teacher friends! 

Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!

➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD

📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)

🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube

📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas

HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at [email protected]

🏀 What does Steph Curry’s pregame warm-up have to do with writing instruction? Everything.

In this episode, I'm comparing the basketball legend’s unpredictable, skill-building practice routine with the way we should be preparing students to write. You’ll hear two stories...one courtside, and one from a humid gym in 1986... that illustrate exactly why rigid acronyms and overstructured templates can freeze young writers in their tracks.

If your students ask, "What do I do next?" every time they write, this episode breaks down:

• Why too many acronyms can backfire in the classroom
• How to build confident, intuitive writers using quick writes and daily reps
• What “joy points” and “sophistication” look like in middle school essays
• The two acronyms I do use (and why they actually work)

Whether you're a teacher or homeschool parent, this episode is a must-listen if you want to raise writers who can “shoot” from any direction...just like Steph.

Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!

➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD

📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)

🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube

📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas

HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at [email protected]

Many teachers are abandoning writing workshop… but not because it failed. It’s because the structure was missing.

In this episode of Beyond the Paragraph, I’m sharing how you can reclaim the power of workshop with simple, transformative shifts that bring clarity, consistency, and calm to your writing block.

Whether you’re a former fan of Calkins-style instruction or just tired of chaotic, unproductive workshop time, this episode will help you:

• Identify why traditional workshop often falls apart
• Discover how structure with explicit instruction makes all the difference
• Reignite your love for writing time

Let’s bring back the workshop we actually wanted...the one where students truly have ownership, skills are clear, and everyone knows the plan.

Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!

➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD

📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)

🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube

📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas

HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at [email protected]

🎯 In this episode, I’m walking you through the daily structure that keeps students engaged and independent without constant redirection. You’ll hear exactly how I:

✅ Use student-led routines to minimize off-task behavior
✅ Reinforce expectations without micromanaging
✅ Turn workshop into a powerful classroom management tool
✅ Build a classroom culture where students lead, collaborate, and stay on task

Whether you teach in a classroom or homeschool around the kitchen table, you’ll walk away with real strategies you can start using tomorrow.

Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!

➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD

📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)

🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube

📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas

HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at [email protected]

In this episode of Beyond the Paragraph, I’m pulling back the curtain on what real writers do and how we can finally start teaching like that. As a middle school ELA teacher and children’s book author with Disney, HarperCollins, and Houghton Mifflin, I’ve lived both worlds. 

You’ll learn:

• What real authors actually do (and what we don’t)
• 4 things writers do that students should too
• A simple shift you can make this week to transform your writing block

Whether you teach in a classroom or around a kitchen table, this episode will help you ditch the rigid checklists and start teaching writing that actually works.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST:

Elizabeth Gilbert's TED talk

Take the full Structured Writer's Workshop training

Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!

➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD

📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)

🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube

📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas

HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at [email protected]