You are letting your writers write and that's fantastic! As you look toward moving them forward as writers by conferring with them, the first step is to ensure that you know where your students are in their writing journey.

This episode talks about the importance of letting your students teach you and show you what they need and provides ways to gather information from the students and their writing work. 

Books mentioned: Teaching the Writer by Lucy Calkins and About the Authors by Katie Wood Ray

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!

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachingtotransform/message

Do you have a few writers in your classroom who have trouble getting started or can't seem to write the whole time? This episode is all about engagement in writing, and how building up this independence in your writers will help them to be successful longer than one class period! 

Writing strategies aren't just about what's on paper! They are also about students' behaviors and how they can help them to stay engaged during writing time. 

This episode is short but important! It refers back to one of the foundations of writer's workshop, building a community, and reviews Jennifer Serravallo's Hierarchy of Writing Goals from The Writing Strategies Book. 

Happy Listening!

I just felt there was so much more to say about the last episode's topic, so I am making two more! This episode is all about the language you use when teaching writing so that you are teaching the writer!

It is so important and effective to use certain words and phrases, because it will change your mindset, questioning and teaching practices! 

If your students struggle with using writing skills consistently, or don't seem to improve from one writing to the next, this episode is for you!

"Use the writing as a tool to teach the writer!" Just one helpful tip for writing instruction and conferring with students.

This idea of the language you use is helpful for narrative writing, informational writing, opinion writing and all writing strategies.

This episode asks an important question of you, writing teacher! It is one that helps you to reflect on your practice and understand the "why" behind many aspects of writer's workshop and "teaching the writer". 

You will hear how to teach your writer for their future, not just for this writing, right now. 

These strategies for writing instruction are crucial to growing your students as writers! 

I reference two books that I have referenced in previous episodes: The Writing Pathways Book by Lucy Calkins and The Writing Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo. 

Happy 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!

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachingtotransform/message

It can be difficult to know and choose what skills and strategies to teach your writers. Today's episode provides two ways to gather data on student writing that will inform your instruction.

We will talk about looking at writing as a class with a process called "thin slicing" as well as looking at writing of individual students one at a time during quick conferences. 

Some resources mentioned in this episode are The Writing Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo and Writing Pathways by Lucy Calkins with Kelly Hohne and Audra Robb and colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. 

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!

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachingtotransform/message

Teachers! Let me tell you why you do not need a specific writing program or manual to teach writing!

I promise that you only need a few methods and bits of information to get your students writing and growing as writers.

Making a few changes will start your transformation!

Are your students struggling with writing independently? Do you feel unqualified to teach writing?

If you know that the writing happening in your classroom is just not quite enough, listen in!

Resources:

Writing Pathways

The Writing Strategies 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!

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachingtotransform/message

In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking with two of my favorite teachers whom I have been lucky enough to work alongside as they journey into writer's workshop.

They share many juicy tidbits:

-How workshop compares to their previous experience with writing instruction

-The difficulties they encountered

-What they love about workshop

This is definitely my favorite episode so far, and I am so thankful for their willingness to speak to all of you!

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!

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachingtotransform/message

In this episode, you will hear my thoughts on collaboration during writing time.

I share why being a part of a writing community is so important as well as several ways to make collaboration happen for your writers.

If you want to implement writing instruction best practices, this episode is for you!

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!

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachingtotransform/message

If you want your writers to grow, you have to let them write!

The supports being provided with the intention of helping your writers may actually be hindering their chance of learning and growing as writers.

Many of the frustrations you feel come from not truly knowing your writers as well as from having so much teacher control over their work.

If you want students to be interested in writing and write independently, you need this episode! It will give you the push you need to just let your students write! 

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!

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachingtotransform/message

  It isn't easy to try something new, and sometimes, it's even more difficult to keep going! Here are 4 possible troubles you will face when implementing writer's workshop and why and how you will get past them! Remember this episode when you are in the thick of your transformation!