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🎙️ Episode #30 — Teaching Writing in a Co-op: A Conversation with Brandy Higgins

If you’ve ever considered joining a co-op—or even starting one of your own—you’re going to love this episode.

This week, I sit down with homeschool mom and co-op veteran Brandy Higgins, who has taught everything from British literature to biology (yes, biology!) in a co-op setting. We talk about what it’s like to teach writing in a homeschool co-op, how to keep things organized, and what Brandy has learned along the way.

In this episode, we cover:

✅ What co-ops can offer homeschool families at different stages
 ✅ How to plan writing and literature classes that work for a mixed-level classroom
 ✅ What to consider when launching a new co-op at your church or with friends
 ✅ Tips for managing a nursery and rotating parent responsibilities
 ✅ Using Google Classroom to streamline communication
 ✅ Why co-ops can be a game-changer for high school students (and their parents!)

Brandy brings warmth, experience, and insight to everything she shares. Whether you’re brand-new to the idea of co-ops or have been part of one for years, you’ll find something helpful here.

🔗 Mentioned in the Episode:

• Mystery of History, Volume 4 (used for literature tie-ins)
• Google Classroom (for co-op organization)
• IEW (as a stepping stone to more flexible writing instruction)
• Chronicles of Narnia (for family-friendly literature study)

Want more writing resources?
 📝 Be sure to grab my free thesis statement guide at bitandrudder.com. It's one of my most popular downloads because it helps make a tricky concept suddenly click.

Have a beautiful week, and happy homeschooling! 🪻

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Have you ever wondered what it might look like for a homeschooled student to use writing as a form of ministry and public communication? In today’s episode, I talk with Melody Polar, a recent homeschool graduate and former student of mine, who shares her journey from English class to Christian blogging.✨

Melody started her blog, Roses in a Thorny World, at just sixteen years old. In this conversation, she walks us through how she launched her blog, how she built an audience, and how she keeps going even when life gets busy. But what stood out most? Her deep understanding of writing as both personal expression and spiritual encouragement.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear:

• how a homeschool teen discovered writing as a creative outlet
• what sparked Melody’s desire to publish her words
• a step-by-step look at how she started her blog—from surveys to platforms to email lists
• the pros and cons of Wix vs. Substack for beginner bloggers
• tips for inspiring reluctant writers (don't miss the last 10 minutes!)
• how publishing—even in small ways—can change how students view writing

Whether your student dreams of writing fiction, keeping a journal, or encouraging others through devotionals, Melody’s story offers practical ideas and heartfelt encouragement. Her voice is fresh, faithful, and full of wisdom beyond her years.

Links Mentioned

Wix

EmailOctopus

Crazy Writing Week

Substack

Melody Polar YouTube

Melody Polar Blog ("Roses in a Thorny World"): 

Melody Polar Group Publication

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Ep #28 Best Practices for Requesting a Letter of Recommendation

 How important is a letter of recommendation? Well, it depends. If you’re trying to get a job at McDonald’s, it probably doesn’t matter that much. 

 But if you want to get into a competitive program such as med school or law school, or if you’re applying for a scholarship, it matters a lot. 

 A strong letter of recommendation can tip the scale when applicants have similar GPAs and test scores, or when a selection committee needs to assess character and leadership abilities.

 This week’s episode is about the real-world skill of requesting a letter of recommendation. I discuss:

 ☑️6 key strategies to guide your request

 ☑️how far in advance of the deadline you should submit your request

 ☑️the importance of humility, helpfulness, and gratitude in crafting your request

 ☑️the specific details you must include if you want a strong recommendation

 I also provide a step-by-step process for drafting a request as well as an example request that you can use as a model.

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Episode #27 Writing Dread and How to Handle It

Things on my dread list:

--making phone appointments (I know, I know, a little bit silly, but it’s something I have to force myself to do)

--dusting (people in my house have been known to write fun messages like “dust me” on some long-neglected surfaces)

--and, at the top of the list, grading papers (I love to teach, but dread the paperwork)

 We all have things we dread. For some students, writing is at the top of the dread list. So what do you do when you have a student who dreads to write? That’s what I’m talking about in this week’s episode. 

 In this episode, I discuss 4 reasons that students dread to write:

 ☑️lack of clarity

 ☑️not enough practice to get into a groove and develop confidence

 ☑️viewing writing as a product rather than as a process

 ☑️believing that writing is a waste of time

 Plus, I provide a list of strategies you can use to help students overcome their dread of writing.

 Resources mentioned:

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield

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In this episode, I discuss how to write a comparison/contrast essay, including how to choose a topic, how to organize information, and pitfalls to avoid.

Free Download: Comparison/Contrast Sample Topics List

Links Mentioned

Creately.com—for graphic organizers

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Today I am talking about spooky short stories that students love. These are short stories that I love too, and all of them are classics, worthy of being studied as literature. I will tell you what I find valuable about them, and then I will give you some specific ways that you can use them in your literature and writing classroom. 

In this episode, I discuss

✅how spooky stories have their roots in eighteenth-century gothicism

✅why short stories are great tools for teaching literary analysis

✅7 spooky stories that students can’t wait to discuss

✅3 specific writing activities to accompany each story

✅a literary element to focus on for each story

Links Mentioned:

Spooky Short Story Lesson Plan Free PDF

Twilight Zone Season 5, Episode 23 “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Ridge”

The Monkey’s Paw Short Story Film 1982

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Episode #24 How to Write a Personal Narrative Essay

Have you noticed that stories are everywhere? Everyone loves a good story. Stories aren’t just for entertainment though. They also help us connect with people and make sense out of the world. Today’s topic is about the personal narrative—narrative is just another word for story—why it’s important for your student to learn to write this kind of essay and the practical steps for teaching it. 

In this episode, I discuss

✅how a personal narrative is different from fictional storytelling

✅the tried-and-true formula that you can use for most narrative essays

✅the importance of descriptive language in narrative writing and a simple strategy for helping students prioritize it

✅where to go to find 500 narrative prompts and sample narrative essays

✅Plus, details on how to join me and my AP students for National Novel Writing Month

Links Mentioned:
Nanowrimo Young Writers Program

Western Technical College: List of Narrative Essay Samples

Oregan State University: 500 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing

Illustration of Descriptive Writing (Essay A, Essay B)

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Have you tried out ChatGPT or other Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)? If you have, you know that the things it can do are pretty amazing. 

I remember my son Ty (PT major, fitness fanatic) raving about its capabilities shortly after it became freely available in November 2022, because it was able to “miraculously” create a custom-made meal plan and exercise program in about 2 seconds, saving him many hours of time and effort. 

When I finally I got around to trying it out for myself more than a year later, I was equally impressed. But also concerned, as many educators are, about the potential for students to use AI unethically in their school work. 

So I set out to learn all I could about GenAI, because I realized that I needed to have a policy statement in place concerning GenAI before my students began to work on their first essay of the year. 

In this episode, I share my findings as well as the policy statement I developed. Some of the topics I cover are 

✅Why some educators think the college essay is dead and that it’s time to blow up the current system of traditional writing and try something new

✅Why other educators think the college essay is NOT dead and that it’s more important than ever to teach traditional writing skills

✅How some educators are striving to find middle ground by combining GenAI with traditional writing instruction

✅Why students need to be careful when using Grammarly

✅The reasons that all GenAI is banned in my English classes

Links Mentioned:

“The College Essay Is Dead.” By Stephen Marche

 “The End of High School English.” By Daniel Herman

“The Case for Writing: Competency Is Essential.” By Annie Checkitelli.

 “The College Essay is Not Dead: Using Scaffolding and Presentations to Create ChatGPT-Resistant Research Projects.”

“AI Can Mimic Students' Writing Styles. How Are Teachers Supposed to Catch Cheaters Now?” By Alyson Klein.

“In a Brave New (Writing) World, Let's Hold on to Some Basics: Tech tools can ease many aspects of the writing process--but we still need to teach students the bedrock skills of writing." By Betsy L. Woods.

“Why I’m Not Scared of ChapGPT.”

“1 in 3 College Applicants Used AI For Essay Help. Did They Cheat?”

"AI and the Death of Student Writing."

"Oxford encourages students to use AI when writing essay"

"I'm a Student. You Have No Idea How Much We're Using ChatGPT."

“How AI could save (not destroy) education” T

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Have you ever been so busy getting things done that you lose sight of why those things matter in the first place? It’s easy to get caught on the hamster wheel of life and forget our purpose for running. So in this week’s episode, I’m taking a few minutes to reflect and catch my breath and remember the reasons that writing is so important.😎

In this episode, I discuss 

✅How good writing skills are essential for academic success even if you’re not a liberal arts major

✅How being a strong writer can help you land your dream job

✅The value of writing in day-to-day life

✅How writing can help you improve your vocabulary and become a better speaker

Plus much more, including suggestions for helping your student to focus on writing.

This episode will inspire you to make writing a top priority in your homeschool classroom.

If you are looking for some tools to help you with writing, then head over to my website, where you’ll find lots of free resources, including the thesis statement workshop which will walk you through the process of creating that crucial thesis statement, a skill that is fundamental to good writing. 

The thesis statement workshop has plenty of examples and places for students to practice writing their own thesis statements. Plus an answer key for you. It’s a really great resource, so please take advantage of that.

Links for sources referenced in this episode:

How to Write Anything, by Laura Brown

2016 Study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers

Help Your Homeschooler Become a Confident Writer

Thesis Statement Workshop

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Ep #21 Top 10 Mistakes Students Make in Their Writing

When you’ve read thousands of student essays as I have during my 20+ years of teaching, you don’t have to be a great detective to notice that the same mistakes keep cropping up.🕵️‍♀️🌱 🌱

Usually, I wait until after I’ve graded the first essay to begin addressing these mistakes, but this year, I’m getting in front of it and discussing these common errors before students hand in that first paper.

Now I know that me talking to students in advance is not going to magically prevent all the mistakes—they will surely need reminders—but I do think it will reduce the number of mistakes—and provide reinforcement of information that they’ve been taught previously. 

In this week’s episode, I am sharing with you my Top 10 List of the mistakes I see students make in their writing. Being aware of these potential pitfalls can give you an edge in knowing what to look for in essays, and it a can also help you know what to focus on even before students write their first essay of the year.🔍

In this episode, I discuss 

✅How having a strong thesis statement is the single best thing you can do for your paper. If you get that right, everything else falls into place. It is the cornerstone, the linchpin, the anchor, the backbone. Without it, the paper falls apart. (If you’re wondering how you teach students to write this crucial element, I’ve got you covered. Click here to get the Thesis Statement Workshop—it’s free!)

✅The parts of their grammar book students need to review before they write their first essay

✅When (if ever) you are allowed to use first person (I, We) or second person (you) in academic writing

✅How one pesky pronoun problem has been solved by a new pronoun rule

Plus so much more, including information about the new Thesis Statement Workshop which you can get your hands on right now for free! Just click on the button below, and I’ll send you the PDF. In it, you will find

• a step-by-step guide for teaching students to write a thesis statement
• plenty of examples
• a workbook area for students to practice writing thesis statements
• a sample answer sheet so you know they are on the right track

 Links
Thesis Statement Workshop Free PDF Download