We explore the reasons against writing directly on children's work in progress, including potential negative impacts on learning and agency. The episode discusses why educators might feel compelled to write on student work and offer alternative approaches. We delve into considerations for digital writing and introduce new thinking about orthographic mapping and the neurological connectivity of reading and writing. Finally, we provide practical strategies for supporting young writers without directly writing on their work, emphasizing the importance of fostering independence and focusing on the writing process rather than just the final product.

Go Deeper:

• Writing on Students’ Work in Progress: Resetting Our Workshop Practices
• Don't Write on That Paper!

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You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: [email protected]
• Stacey Shubitz: [email protected]

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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

In our final episode of 2024, Melanie shares three ways to streamline your record-keeping using Google Forms. She explains how to use Google Forms to have students share something specific, reflect on conferences, and sign up for small group instruction. You'll learn to collect helpful information about, from, and alongside students. Plus, links to forms you can customize for use in your classroom follow below.
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Go Deeper:

• Google forms for sharing
• Writing reflection form
• Small group sign-up
• Ways to use google forms in classrooms from Rebecca Warchut

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*****

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Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.

You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: [email protected]
• Stacey Shubitz: [email protected]

Email us at [email protected] for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

This week, Stacey chats about the critical role of record-keeping in small-group instruction within the writing workshop. The episode highlights five key reasons why educators should prioritize record keeping. We’ll explore effective record-keeping methods, emphasizing the importance of real-time note-taking during conferences and discussing physical and digital tools for maintaining records. A particular focus is placed on using Google Forms as an efficient and organized method for record-keeping, briefly mentioning Google Apps Script for automating data organization. 

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Go Deeper:

• Google Apps Script
• TWTBlog Posts
  • A Few Tips for Small Group Instruction: Expanding the Reach With Small Group Work
  • Ideas for planning Small Group Instruction
  • Increase the Number of Teachers in the Room with Student-Led Small Groups
  • Small Groups, Big Engagement: Expanding the Possibilities and Potential 
  • Student Agency, Self-Assessment, and Small Group Instruction
  • The Language to Develop Agency: Amping Up Agency Blog Series
  • The Power of Progression: Expanding the Reach with Small Group Work
  • This is the year I’m going to keep better records.
• TWTPod Episode
  • Inviting Students to Sign Up for Small Groups

*****

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Send us a text

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.

You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: [email protected]
• Stacey Shubitz: [email protected]

Email us at [email protected] for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

This week, we explore the transformative power of writing celebrations in elementary classrooms. Discover how these joyful events showcase student work, nurture young writers' identities, strengthen classroom communities, and foster a sense of pride and accomplishment. From minor celebrations that acknowledge daily progress to grander events involving families and special guests, we share practical tips and creative ideas to make these moments memorable. Whether you're an educator looking to celebrate your students or a caregiver eager to support your child's writing development, this episode offers valuable insights into creating a culture of celebration that will ignite a greater passion for writing.

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Go Deeper:

• A Parade of Writers
• Celebrate What’s Working
• It’s That Time of the Year
• Joyful Writing Memories
• Overcoming Anxiety About Displaying Student Writing
• Quick & Fun Lesson Closures? Yes, Please!
• Thinking about Process versus Product: Looking Back and Moving Forward
• Writing Celebrations: But Why?

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*****

Send us a text

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.

You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: [email protected]
• Stacey Shubitz: [email protected]

Email us at [email protected] for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Melanie shares three practical strategies for maximizing classroom time. She emphasizes managing transition times to maintain student engagement and minimize downtime. In addition, she suggests creating a collection of valuable and doable activities that students can choose from, fostering independence and motivation. Finally, she suggests training students to deliver minilessons or lead small groups, which empowers them to take ownership of their learning. These practical approaches enhance instructional efficiency and create a more dynamic writing workshop.
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GO DEEPER:

• Read Beth Moore's post about teaching students the architecture of a minilesson.
• See this post from Melanie with a picture of an interactive bulletin board
• Look at these student-driven conference cards.

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****

Send us a text

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.

You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: [email protected]
• Stacey Shubitz: [email protected]

Email us at [email protected] for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Stacey explores the vital executive functioning skill of time management as it applies to the writing workshop. She identifies common challenges students face, from grasping time concepts to meeting deadlines, and offers practical strategies to enhance their skills. Listeners will learn about tools such as visual aids, organizational checklists, and digital planners that can help young writers stay on track. Stacey also discusses establishing routines and breaking down larger projects into manageable tasks. This episode is packed with actionable tips to foster confidence and efficiency in students as they navigate the writing process. Join Stacey to discover how to equip young writers with the time management skills they need for success both in and out of the classroom!

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GO DEEPER:

• TWT Podcast Episodes That Deal with Executive Functioning
  • Accommodations for Access to Writing Instruction
  • Build Writing Confidence with the "Ready, Do, Done" Model
  • Co-Create Writing Goals
  • Help K-8 Students with Executive Functioning Needs: A Conversation with a Colleague
  • Unlock Strategies for Task Initiation
• TWTBlog Posts That Explore Executive Functioning
  • Contingency Maps for Writing Workshops
  • Writing and Working Memory: Reflective Practice

*****
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*****

Send us a text

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.

You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: [email protected]
• Stacey Shubitz: [email protected]

Email us at [email protected] for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

We delve into the challenging subjects that often arise in elementary school writing workshops, ranging from bodily functions and violence to mental health issues. We explore the non-negotiable aspects of topic choice and discuss establishing clear boundaries in the classroom, emphasizing the importance of creating a safe space for young writers. This conversation unpacks the various reasons why people write, highlighting the benefits of self-expression and examining audience awareness's crucial role in navigating sensitive topics. Drawing inspiration from Ralph Fletcher’s book Boys Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices, we offer insights on encouraging passionate writing while addressing concerns about violence, humor, and other potentially controversial themes in student work.

*****

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*****

GO DEEPER:

• Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices by Ralph Fletcher
• "I saw them at Sinai"
• Press Start Series by Thomas Flintham
• TWT Help Desk: What If a Child’s Topic Makes Me Uncomfortable?
• Uncomfortable Topic Choices in Writing Workshop
• Visit TWTBlog on 11/20 for a mentor text post that will list books that deal with burps, farts, and poop. (Stacey is working on it now.)

*****

Send us a text

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.

You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: [email protected]
• Stacey Shubitz: [email protected]

Email us at [email protected] for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Writing complete sentences is tricky for most elementary school students. This week's Tip for Tomorrow provides concrete ways to make sentence construction sticky for students. From a visible, tactile teaching method to progressions of examples, Melanie shares various strategies to help kids gain a more concrete understanding of sentence structure playfully and effectively.
*****

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*****

Send us a text

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.

You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: [email protected]
• Stacey Shubitz: [email protected]

Email us at [email protected] for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Leah Thomas, a co-author of the Two Writing Teachers Blog, chats with Melanie to reflect on her recent experiences with parent-teacher conferences, discussing the challenges and rewards of connecting with families. She shares effective note-taking strategies, what assessments to present, and the impact of showcasing student writing samples. Leah also explains her writing workshop philosophy and offers guidance for teachers who are apprehensive about these meetings. By addressing common parental concerns and emphasizing the importance of building rapport, she provides practical advice for fostering strong partnerships with families. Tune in to discover how to celebrate student growth and support young writers!

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Listeners who want to try out Factile should head over to playfactile.com. When you sign up, you’ll get 500 free tokens to use AutoGen. You can buy 15,000 tokens for just $5.

Go Deeper:

• What I Bring to Caretaker Conferences
• Making the Most of Caregiver Conferences

More About Leah:
Leah Thomas is a 2nd-grade teacher in St. Louis, MO. Leah has taught for seven years in the primary grades and loves sharing thoughts about writing workshop on the Two Writing Teachers blog. Outside of teaching, Leah loves to read, run, and write.

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Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. 

Send us a text

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.

You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: [email protected]
• Stacey Shubitz: [email protected]

Email us at [email protected] for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

In this podcast episode, Melanie will share creative strategies to make the editing process engaging for students. Discover how to infuse fun into editing by using gamification techniques and various tools. You will also learn how to integrate editing into the drafting process and support students with scaffolds, checklists, and reminders to strengthen their editing skills.

*****

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TWTPod listeners can go to speakable.io/twt to sign up for a free account or check out special offers, including THREE months of full access!

*****

Go Deeper:

• Pickerwheel 
• TWTBlog posts about editing:
  • Editing Along the Way Often in 5 Minutes or Less
  • Something Do-able to Try: The Editing Minute
• UDL Guidelines

*****

Send us a text

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.

You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: [email protected]
• Stacey Shubitz: [email protected]

Email us at [email protected] for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.