Two Writing Teachers Podcast

Melanie shares four ways to reenergize student writers whose enthusiasm and stamina dwindle during more extended writing units. Her ideas are sure to reinvigorate students in engaging and meaningful ways.

Go Deeper:

• Keeping the Energy In a Unit of Study
• Writing as a Gift 

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• Book Creator: Listeners can get 3 months free premium using the code TWTPOD at the checkout when upgrading their Book Creator account. Follow this link:  bookcreator.com/TWTpod
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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 episode features Betsy Hubbard, an experienced educator and co-author at Two Writing Teachers. The discussion explores the critical role of executive functioning skills in writing and how deficits in these areas can impact students' performance. Betsy shares practical strategies for teachers to support executive functioning in writing workshops, including techniques for breaking tasks into manageable chunks and providing organizational templates. The episode also covers the importance of incorporating executive functioning activities into the classroom environment. It offers examples of self-regulation techniques to help students overcome challenges in the writing process.

Previous TWT Podcast Episodes Mentioned

• Accommodations for Access to Writing Instruction
• Build Writing Confidence with the "Ready, Do, Done" Model
• Co-Create Writing Goals
• Unlock Strategies for Task Initiation

Go Deeper

• Contingency Maps for Writing Workshops
• FLIPP the Switch
• Quick Facts on Executive Functions from Child Mind Institute

More About Betsy Hubbard: 

• Personal Blogs
  • I’m Living My Words
  • The Power of Poetry
• TWTBlog Posts
• X (formerly Twitter) 

Thanks to our sponsor!
Speakable is being incredibly generous to listeners of the Two Writing Teachers podcast. Go to speakable.io/twt to sign up for a free account or check out special offers, including 3 months of full access.

Thanks to our affiliate!

• Zencastr: Use our special link (https://tinyurl.com/TWTPodZen) 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 week's episode, Melanie shares six innovative strategies for using verbal rehearsal to empower young writers. She discusses techniques such as purposeful storytelling, visual cue cards, and fostering student collaborative partnerships. Enhancing oral language skills aims to strengthen writing abilities, demonstrating the powerful connection between speaking and writing. Discover how these approaches can help students recognize and harness their writing potential.

Thanks to our sponsor!
Speakable is being incredibly generous to listeners of the Two Writing Teachers podcast. Go to speakable.io/twt to sign up for a free account or check out special offers, including 3 months of full access.

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 episode, Stacey explores the "Ready, Do, Done" model by Sarah Ward and Kristen Jacobsen to help students with executive functioning challenges become confident writers. She discusses the importance of setting clear intentions and gathering necessary materials ("Ready"), breaking down tasks and using visual aids ("Do"), and celebrating accomplishments to boost confidence ("Done"). Practical tips for teachers are provided to support students in the writing workshop. The model's flexibility and potential to empower learners in all areas are highlighted. 

This episode builds on a previous discussion about task initiation and is part of a series on executive functioning in writing instruction.

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Thanks to our sponsor!
Speakable is being incredibly generous to listeners of the Two Writing Teachers Podcast. Go to speakable.io/twt to sign up for a free account or check out special offers, including 3 months of full access.

*****
Go Deeper:

• A Clinical Model for Developing Executive Function Skills by Sarah Ward and Kristen Jacobsen
• Cognitive Connections website
• Unlock Strategies for Task Initiation: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey

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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 episode delves into the importance of understanding students as writers and its benefits to educators and learners. We explore how this knowledge fosters a stronger classroom community and informs more tailored instruction. Tried-and-true methods such as kid-watching, utilizing writer's notebooks, and conducting effective one-on-one conferences during the initial weeks of school are discussed. We also highlight the value of listening to students, reviewing previous portfolios, and using digital tools like audio or video recordings for self-introductions. Finally, we examine various ways to assess writing styles and preferences, including surveys and analyzing students' writing processes, to identify their strengths and areas for growth.

Thanks to our sponsor, Book Creator!
Listeners can get 3 months free premium using the code TWTPOD at the checkout when upgrading their Book Creator account. Follow this link:  bookcreator.com/TWTpod

Online Resources:

• Classroom management posts on #TWTBlog
• Passionate Writers (mentioned as single-topic writers in the episode)
• Non-verbal Cues for Writers: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
• Making Space in Writing Workshop for Kids to Be Funny by Beth Moore
• Steve Graham: importance of community 
• Surveys and questionnaires through google forms
  • Self-reflection form 1 and Self-reflection form 2
• What’s a Conferring Scarf?

Books Mentioned:

• The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard by Michael Callahan
• The Responsive Writing Teacher by Melanie Meehan and Kelsey Sorum

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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.

It's the final episode of season two, so we're discussing some of the best practices for writing instruction. We cover the importance of a thriving writing community and the writing process, and we explore the role of oral language in boosting writing stamina. We also discuss the importance of dedicated and intentional writing time, the reciprocity between reading and writing, and the thrill of writing for an authentic audience. This episode will tee you up for the next school year!

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Many thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Texthelp! 

Visit text.help/cowriter to learn more about Co:Writer prediction in Read&Write because everyone deserves the power to read, write, and understand.

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Go Deeper:

• Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing by Melanie Meehan
• Collaboration and Community in the Writing Workshop
• Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts by Stacey Shubitz
• Exploring the Power of Oral Language: A Conversation with a Colleague (with Lainie Levin)
• Exploring Voice Typing During Writing Workshop
• Family Resources for At-Home Learning
• Research Round-up (Build Your Expertise Blog Series)
• The Editing Minute
• #TWTBlog Posts about Audience
• Writing Instruction Considerations by Carl Anderson & Matt Glover

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Thank you to our affiliate, Zencastr.

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.

Melanie explores critical strategies to help you plan for your summer learning. Discover practical tips for organizing your classroom, finding or forming a study group, curating mentor texts, and engaging in personal writing. You'll leave this episode invigorated to try one or more ways to enhance your teaching skills for the upcoming academic year.

Go Deeper:

• Join a hybrid book study and writing group led by #TWTBlog co-author Lainie Levin this summer. Learn more at this Summer Writing Refresh: A Grown-up Writing Circle.
• Simple and Functional Classroom Design
• The 9th Annual TWTBlog Author Spotlight Series

Thanks to our affiliate, Zencastr!
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.

Stacey explores the importance of co-creating goals with students to help them grow as writers. She discusses how collaboration during goal-setting enhances students' ownership, motivation, and personalized learning. It also allows for individualized growth and fosters collaboration and communication with the teacher. If you haven't tried co-creating goals with your students before, this Tip for Tomorrow will inspire you to do so with future groups of students.

Go Deeper with These #TWTBlog Posts:

• Aim Higher: Conferring and Student Goals
• Creating Clarity for Writers
• How Many Stars? Tools for Self-Assessment and Goal-Setting
• ICYMI Aim Higher: Outgrow Old Goals and Set New Ones (Blog Series)
• Setting Goals with Students
• Student Agency, Self-Assessment, and Small Group Instruction
• Students and Goal Setting: My Choice, My Growth, My Responsibility
• The Power of Goal-Setting
• When Your Reality Doesn’t Match Your Expectations
• Writing Checklists: Tools for Independence and Goal-Setting

Thanks to our affiliate, Marley Spoon!
Get $235 off through 5 boxes. This makes the first box portion price start at $4.99. Click here or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=6988&id=1261005. 

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 episode, Melanie guides you through the art of crafting concise and well-structured paragraphs that are easy to follow and understand. With her expert tips on oral rehearsal and the use of sentence frames, she empowers young writers to hone their writing skills and develop a unique voice. Tune in to learn how to help students move from writing formulaic paragraphs to composing authentic pieces that truly showcase their writing talents.

Thanks to our affiliate!

• Libro.fm: Use the TWTPod Code
  • Receive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership. 
  • Check out Stacey’s audiobook playlist.

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.

Task initiation is one key to student success, particularly in the context of writing instruction. The episode highlights some students' challenges with executive functioning skills and how they struggle to begin tasks efficiently. The host provides nine effective strategies to help students overcome task initiation challenges, such as normalizing task-avoidant behavior, emphasizing work quality, preparing materials, using visual aids and organizers, breaking tasks into smaller steps, employing backwards planning, facilitating getting started, limiting distractions, and incorporating planned breaks. The episode also references Admiral William H. McRaven's "Make Your Bed" speech, emphasizing the significance of small tasks and their impact on productivity and motivation.

GO DEEPER:

• Plan Boxes Will Inspire You: A Tip for Tomorrow
• Conversation with a Colleague Episodes (with Lainie Levin)
  • Addressing Perfectionism in Writing Instruction
  • Exploring the Power of Oral Language
• University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address and Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World  both by Admiral William H. McRaven  
• What Is Executive Function? And How Does It Relate to Child Development? from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child
• Work Quality Continuum

THANKS TO OUR AFFILIATE!

Zencastr: 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.