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

October 01, 2024 Episode 78 But What if They Write it Wrong?
You may not have had said this out loud, but I know it has been in the back of your mind.
It is there each time you make a decision to:
-provide a structure graphic organizer for planning
Or
-have students "check in" before moving ahead in the work
In this episode, I encourage teachers to consider the purpose of their fear and provide less structured guidance, allowing students to make errors as part of their natural learning process.
I highlight the importance of observing each student's individual writing abilities and using those observations to guide our instruction. By focusing on each student's unique path of development, we can better facilitate a love for writing and help them grow authentically.
This episode will encourage you to let your students BE WRITERS!
00:49 Common Teaching Practices in Writing
02:08 Understanding the Fear of Mistakes
03:34 Embracing Individual Writing Paths
04:53 Learning from Mistakes
05:30 Sports Analogy for Writing Development
08:09 Encouragement for elementary and middle school Teachers
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!
11 min
September 24, 2024Episode 77 Let Your Students be the Prompts
Writing Prompts- they can be cute but looks can be deceiving!
Yes, they have their place and may be a needed activity for our elementary and middle school students in order to prepare for testing or other situations, BUT
They should not be the only writing students are doing on a daily basis!
In this episode, I explain the limitations of prompts, such as their failure to foster independent writing skills and their inability to engage students meaningfully.
You will also hear practical strategies for transitioning away from using prompts, emphasizing the importance of teaching students to generate their own ideas and connect personally with their writing.
I suggest ways to scaffold learning while nurturing a classroom culture where students see themselves as writers.
Specific tips include:
engaging students with different writing genres
allowing them to abandon pieces that don't work
and providing support where needed to build their confidence and skills

00:00 Introduction and Purpose
00:38 The Role of Writing Prompts
04:36 Limitations of Writing Prompts
07:54 Encouraging Independent Writing
12:32 Practical Steps to Move Away from Prompts
19:58 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
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!
29 min
September 17, 2024Episode 76 4 Easy to Implement Techniques for Writing Across the Curriculum
I have had many questions recently regarding content area writing instruction. Although writing across the curriculum is not a new term in education, most content area teachers still have little training in how to incorporate effective writing practice and instruction into their subject area.
This episode shared 4 techniques to not only help get more writing into your class as a content area teacher, but also how to more effectively meet the needs of your writers.
You will learn about:
The impact of writing with your students
Small ways to include more writing practice that also impacts reading success
Implementation of Baseline Writing Pieces and a simply way to assess them
Implementation of 2 ways to model writing strategies for students

After this episode, you will feel much more capable of incorporating writing into your content-area curriculum!
About 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!
19 min
September 05, 2024 Episode 75 Volume Volume Volume! Let them Keep Writing!
We all know practice is necessary for all of us to grow in any capacity. Whether you are a writer, athlete, construction worker or musician, the more you practice your skills the more skilled you become at your craft.
I often find that in the classroom, this practice is limited for students as writers.
This may be due to teachers' lack of time, or the concern teachers hold over managing multiple writing pieces for each student.
But limiting writers to one piece in a unit limits their opportunities for practicing all aspects of being a writer.
This episode will help you see why students need to write as much as possible and how to make that happen in your elementary or middle school classroom.
Like the episode? Be sure to share it with a friend!
About 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!
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!
15 min
August 20, 2024 Episode 74 Let's Energize Writing with Cassandra Williams
If you are looking for inspiration for teaching writing, this is the episode for you! My guest, Cassandra Williams, owner of Educational Innovation 360 brings her energy and passion for literacy and supporting teachers.
Listen in to hear us discuss:
-Cassandra's observations of writing programs in various districts
-Bringing real-world writing into the classroom
-Cassandra's hopes for writing instruction
-Small ways to enhance writing in your classroom
I hope you enjoy this episode!
About Cassandra:
Cassandra Williams is a true innovator in the education field, having dedicated over 25 years of her life to revolutionizing existing systems and setting new standards of excellence. With a degree in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University and a Master’s from California State University, she is also the founder of two successful elementary schools in Indianapolis. Her research has focused on coaching teachers to accelerate student achievement, often utilizing video and other technologies as learning tools. Her most recent passion is the Educational Innovation 360° an e-Instructional Coaching System, which she designed and developed in 2018.
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!
23 min
August 06, 2024 Episode 73 Beginning of Year Writing: Setting the Stage
In this episode, I invite you to consider how you are setting the stage for writing in your elementary or middle school classroom in the first few days of school.
Do you want your writers to be excited, confident and ready to engage in writing? How you begin writing time-the words you say and the activities you ask your students to do-needs to support those goals.
This means your "go-to" writing prompt may not be the right choice for the first day of school.
Listen in to hear how to start off your writing time on the right foot!
About 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!
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!
16 min
July 23, 2024 Episode 72 Easy and Effective ways to Engage Writers with Hannah Roudebush
You will enjoy this episode with my guest, Ms. Hannah Roudebush! Hannah was a teacher who truly cared for her students and did everything she could to make learning "relevant, engaging, and perhaps the most important aspect of that, enjoyable."
Hannah is passionate about getting learners participating in the learning process and in this episode, she shares ideas for doing just that!
Listen in to hear about:
-thinking outside the box
-finding teacher autonomy alongside teaching standards
-getting students out of their seats
-building writing fluency
-mixing up the routing
-the "foot" writing piece
-the "sweater" project
-capitalizing on curiosity
This is not an episode to miss!
About Hannah Roudebush: Hannah is a Training Consultant at Gale, part of Cengage Group, where she develops and delivers training to K-12 teachers and school media specialists, as well as special, government, and public library staff on a wide variety of digital resources supporting lifelong learning.
She earned her BA in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Social Studies from Marshall University in 2012. She later went on to gain certification in English 5-Adult, as well as MAs in both Instructional Processes and Strategies and School Principalship. After teaching 8th grade for 10 years, Hannah joined the EdTech world as a training consultant.
She has a passion for making learning fun and teaching in unconventional ways, while still making instruction both rigorous and relevant. Targeting different learning styles, fostering critical thinking skills, and getting participants engaged in the learning process are her educational passions!
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!
49 min
July 09, 2024 Episode 71 Choosing and Implementing Writing Mentor Texts
Sometimes using a mentor text to teach writing seems scary, but I promise you, it is not!
In this episode, Melissa covers:
~The what and Why of Mentor texts for writing
~How to choose a mentor text for writing
~Using your own library or Read Alouds as mentor texts
~Ideas for strategies to teach using a mentor text
Your young writers need to see writing strategies in action in order to grow as writers.
Listen in and "up your game" when it comes to teaching writing!
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!
12 min
June 25, 2024 Episode 70 How and Why to Implement Shared Writing Effectively
Shared Writing is a highly-effective writing instructional practice for elementary and even middle school students in which the teacher holds the pen while collaboratively composing a piece of text with their students. Students are involved in all stages of the writing process with support from the teacher.
Students need a high number of opportunities to see and practice many types of writing.
Shared Writing allows the time for students to be free of the transcription part of writing so they may concentrate more on the composition and the thinking that goes along with it.
In this episode, Melissa shares her views on the use of Shared Writing as well as:
-How long each session should take
-Key practices to utilize (such as ways to engage students)
-Choosing topics for all students
-and what NOT to do!
Shared Writing can be implemented in all grade levels and is extremely helpful for student progress as it provides a real-time model for the steps of the writing process.
This practice is meant to be tailored to the needs of your students and has flexibility in implementation while following a few set techniques and routines.
Listen in and get ready to implement Shared Writing in your classroom!
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!
35 min
June 11, 2024 Episode 69 New Writing Practices Not Working? I've Got You!
Do you give enough time to new practices in writing instruction?
Or perhaps you throw in the towel as soon as things don't go as planned?
I have definitely been guilty of "poo pooing" a new strategy or technique when it doesn't magically fix everything right away. But the truth is, everything takes time!
Plus, sometimes a small adjustment is all it needs to work smoothly.
Oftentimes we feel like something is wrong when the thing that's meant to help us falls short.
This episode will share examples of common challenges with new workshop practices and how to overcome them with time, understanding and action!
Don't miss this helpful episode for your elementary or middle school writing time!
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!
17 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!