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

By Melissa Morrison, Elementary, Middle School Writing Consultant, Literacy CoachEducation How To

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

May 13, 2025 Episode 109 An Inside View: 3 Classrooms' Journey of Independent Writing Time
I am currently in the process of supporting three teachers with implementing an authentic independent writing time and wanted to give you an insider's look!
In this episode you will hear about teachers and students from three different grade levels and how they are progressing with implementing student choice, multiple drafts and more. Our coaching work consists of one day of training and 4 days of coaching within 5 weeks, and this episode covers the first half of our time together.
I will share:
-What writing time looked like in each classroom before our work together
-topics we discussed during our training
-steps to include in implementation
-wins and progress of students and teachers
I hope you enjoy hearing all about the fabulous work of these amazing teachers and students!
**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
TikTok 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!
38 min
May 06, 2025 Episode 108 Practical and Effective Tips for Supporting Multi-lingual Writers with Katherine Hamilton
I know that teachers are always looking for more ways to be able to provide effective support for their students who are multilingual learners.
In this episode, Katherine Hamilton from Ensemble Learning discusses mindsets and strategies that are able to be implemented without lengthy preparation and will generalize across other areas of instruction.
Katherine shares insights into:
-fostering a supportive and culturally rich classroom environment
-using scaffolds and visual aids
-and leveraging students' native languages to build their confidence and academic English skills
The conversation also covers techniques for structured student talk and the importance of assessing students' prior knowledge.
This episode will be extremely helpful for all grade levels!
For more information from Ensemble learning, visit http://www.ensemblelearning.org
About Katherine Hamilton:
Katherine Hamilton (she/her) is the Vice President of Programs at Ensemble Learning, overseeing the development, implementation, and evaluation of all programmatic activities. With nearly 15 years of experience in K-12 education, Katherine specializes in supporting leaders and teachers to create inclusive and equitable learning environments through instructional leadership. Katherine holds a Master’s degree in education with an emphasis in math education from Stanford University and a BA in economics from Yale University. She has also been a secondary mathematics teacher, an instructional coach, and a Director of Curriculum and Instruction at a public school network in Los Angeles. At Ensemble, she has led the implementation of two successful Department of Education grants focusing on leadership for multilingual learner equity and the implementation of high-quality dual language programming.
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!
39 min
April 29, 2025 Episode 107 Thoughts on "Free Writing" and Journals
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
TikTok 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!
22 min
April 22, 2025 Episode 106 Meaningful Grammar Instruction with Patty McGee
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
TikTok 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!
44 min
April 15, 2025 Episode 105 Holding Space for Writers' Needs: One Teacher's Win!
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
TikTok 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!
13 min
April 08, 2025Episode 104 Empowering the Writer Within with Author Sarah McDavis
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
TikTok 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!
38 min
April 01, 2025 Episode 103 Master Sentences before Writing? I Don't Think So
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
TikTok 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!
25 min
March 18, 2025Episode 101 Elevating Writing Instruction with Carl Anderson and Matt Glover Pt 2
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
TikTok 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!
31 min
March 18, 2025Episode 100 Elevating Writing Instruction with Carl Anderson and Matt Glover Pt 1
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
TikTok 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!
32 min
March 11, 2025 Ep 99 But We Don't Have Enough Time!
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
TikTok 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!
28 min

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

From the publisher's feed

Are you a K-8 Elementary or Middle School ELA teacher wondering how to get your students to write? This podcast is for teachers looking for a way to revamp and transform their writing time! You don't need daily lesson plans or prompts-you just need to understand what writers need!