This episode explores practical executive functioning tools that support students’ writing and goal-setting success. Inspired by Valerie Bolling's book, Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom: Building Student Agency, Independence, and Success (Stenhouse Publishers, 2025), Stacey highlights seven strategies—such as making timelines, using timers, and tracking progress—that help improve organization, focus, and motivation. These tools build essential skills for writing and lifelong executive functioning. Drawing on personal experience, the episode shows how goal-setting applies both in and out of the classroom. Tune in to learn how to help students develop confidence and independence with their writing goals.

GO DEEPER!

• TWT Podcast Episodes That Deal with Executive Functioning
  • Accommodations for Access to Writing Instruction
  • Build Executive Functioning with Time Management Techniques
  • 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
• TWT Blog Posts That Explore Executive Functioning
  • Contingency Maps for Writing Workshops
  • From Memory to Mastery
  • Hands in the Air: How Gestures Support Writing Instruction
  • Routines Build Capacity
  • Writing and Working Memory: Reflective Practice

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

• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

In this episode, Melanie talks with TWTBlog co-authors Sarah Valter and Leah Thomas about ways to infuse writing experiences in students' lives beyond classroom instruction. 

GO DEEPER:

Finding Wider Audiences for Student Work

This or That: Inspiring Writers to Learn About Themselves

Extracurricular Writing Clubs

Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge

*****

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. 

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

In this special episode, Melanie turns the tables as she interviews Stacey about her forthcoming book, which helps parents understand how to make the school system work for their child with disabilities. Hear about the personal passion that fueled this project, get an overview of the book’s three-part structure, and demystify the language of special education. The episode concludes with a discussion on the vital role of self-care, agency, and advocacy for parents, underscoring the book’s unique focus on caregiver well-being and empowerment.

Go Deeper:

• Follow Stacey on Instagram, where she shares tips for parents and caregivers.
• Sign up for emails from Guilford Press, which will publish Stacey's book, to stay in the know about new releases.

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

Test prep can be fun! Here are a couple of ways to use media and bring some joy into writing as you prepare students for summative assessments.

The Two Writing Teachers blog post mentioned in this episode is: 

Some Narrative Writing Fun

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

In this Conversations with a Colleague episode, Pam Koutrakos joins Melanie to talk about interactive writing and its power to grow writers. 

Here are several Two Writing Teachers blog posts and past podcast episodes that deal with the topics discussed in this episode:

• Step Up Interactive Writing (…And Sneak In More Spelling, Vocabulary, and Grammar)
• Conferring Toolkits: Class Stories, Shared Writing and Interactive Writing
• Interactive Writing: Don’t Close the Door
• Shared Writing: Expanding the Reach with Small Groups

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

Just as your classroom library has books that kids can grow into, we can give students paper choices with the knowledge that they’re working to outgrow the paper they’re using. In today's Tip for Tomorrow, find out how paper can be used as an accommodation for students in writing workshop. 

Check out these Two Writing Teachers blog posts for more information about the topics we discussed in today’s episode:

• All About the Paper.
• Creating Classroom Environments: Paper Choices
• Gifts from the Heart
• Paper Choices for Opinion and Argument Writing: Reaching Your Writers
• Paper Choices: What’s up with that?
• Supporting Multimodal Composition in the Writing Workshop: Simple Ways to Begin
• The Promise of a Writer Maker Space
• Writing as a Gift Center

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

Send us Fan Mail

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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

We have a new feature, Conversations with a Colleague, to share today! In this episode, Leah Koch, who is one of our newest Two Writing Teachers co-authors, joins Stacey to talk about student-led small groups, as well as goal setting with primary writers. 

Here are several Two Writing Teachers blog posts and past podcast episodes that deal with the topics discussed in this episode:

• 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
• Increasing Student Agency as Writers: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
• Small Groups, Big Engagement: Expanding the Possibilities and Potential 
• Student Agency, Self-Assessment, and Small Group Instruction
• The Power of Goal-Setting

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

• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

The 16th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge, or SOLSC, will begin on Wednesday, March 1st, 2023 at Two Writing Teachers. Participants, who we call Slicers, chronicle moments by living a wide-awake life for 31 days in March. They publish their writing on their own blog, share a link to their story daily over at Two Writing Teachers, and then provide at least three other Slicers with comments on their blogs. 

In today's pod, you'll learn more about the challenge and how you can join us so that you part of a global community of educators who write and share stories.

LINKS:

• Overview of the 16th Annual SOLSC
• Things to Think About When Creating a Blog for the SOLSC
• Tips to Help New Participants Hit the Ground Running in March
• FAQs about the SOLSC (Scroll down to the part of the page that says "Challenge #2.)

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

In this Tip for Tomorrow, you'll learn how to help students create and use a personal editing checklist that will help them fix up their writing in ways that meet them where they are as writers.

For more on personal editing checklists and the editing minute, check out these posts on Two Writing Teachers:

• Something Do-Able to Try: The Editing Minute
• Three Ways to Introduce Personal Editing Checklists in Writing Workshop
• Using Personal Editing Checklists At Home

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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Happy New Year!

Students may have forgotten some of the routines and procedures used in the classroom. Taking the first few days to reteach routines after a school vacation benefits everyone so that writing workshop runs smoothly again.

Book: Welcome to Writing Workshop: Engaging Today's Students with a Model  That Works
Pod Episode: Plan Boxes will Inspire You: Tip for Tomorrow

Check out these Two Writing Teachers blog posts for more information on routines.

• A Game Plan for Writing Workshop Transitions
• Classroom Routines Made Simpler with QR Codes
• How to Get Kids to Write More Each Day
• Interactive Modeling
• Sharpen Your Workshop Routines Blog Series (contains links to six posts)
• The Importance of Establishing Routines
• The Silent Hero: Routines and Procedures
• Writing Workshop Expectations

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

• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Are you tired of thumbs-up/thumbs-down as a self-assessment strategy? Here's a suggestion for a self-assessment system you can teach students so you can get a more nuanced view of their understanding.

For more on self-assessment, check out the following posts on Two Writing Teachers:

• How Many Stars? Tools for Self-Assessment and Goal-Setting
• Self-Assessment: Assessment Strengthens Writers
• More on Student Self-Assessment

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

Conventions are one of the hardest things to teach kids to do well in an exciting and authentic way. We have some ideas for teaching kids how to write with conventions without resorting to worksheets. 

Resources Mentioned:

• Co:Writer Universal
• Common Core Language Standards K-5 (See pg. 26.)
• Patterns of Power Family of Resources by Jeff Anderson et. al.
• Practical Punctuation: Lessons in Rule Making and Rule Breaking in Elementary Writing by Dan Feigelson
• Writing and the Writer, 2nd Ed. by Frank Smith

Visit the Two Writing Teachers' archive to read past blog posts about conventions. 

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

In this Tip for Tomorrow, Melanie provides three ideas for differentiating that can work across grade levels and across genres. 

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

For more about google forms, check out the following posts on Two Writing Teachers:

• Continuing to Think About Google Forms
• Ideas for Getting Started With Google Forms

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

Do your students write with pens or pencils in your writing workshop? While some people wouldn't consider handing a pen to an elementary student, using them in the writing workshop has many benefits. You can find out more by listening to this Tip for Tomorrow and by reading what some of the TWT co-authors have written about the benefits of having students write with pens.  

• A Writing Tool that Honors the Writing Process Itself
• An Eraser-Free Workshop and the Language We Use for Talking About It
• More Barriers Along a Writer's Pathway... And More Ways Around
• Pens Versus Pencils: Which One Is Better for Writing Workshop?

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

You can grow your students’ agency in writing workshop by thinking deeply about the curriculum, growing your instruction, and nudging students toward self-assessment. 

Here are several Two Writing Teachers blog posts that deal with some of the topics discussed in this episode:

• Creating Clarity for Writers
• Different Ways to Use Checklists in Writing Workshop
• Increase the Number of Teachers in the Room with Student-Led Small Groups
• Intentional Practice in Our Writing Classrooms
• Six Ways to Make Charts More Student-Centered
• The Importance of Charts in Our Classrooms: Resetting Our Workshop Practices
• Making the Most Out of Charts: Maximizing Independent Writing Time
• The Power of Goal Setting
• The Power of Progression: Expanding the Reach with Small Group Work
• The Power of Silent Teachers: Helping Writers Increase Productivity and Build Independence Through Interdependence with Tools in the Classroom
• Three Ways to Introduce Personal Editing Checklists in Writing Workshop
• Writing Checklists: Tools for Independence and Goal-Setting

Additional Resources Mentioned:

• Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Writing by Melanie Meehan
• How to Personalize Instruction with Seminars (Cult of Pedagogy Podcast)

Send us Fan Mail

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

If you're interested in reading more about  writing as a gift, please read Heather's post about it, Narrative Writing Makes a Beautiful Gift. 

Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com. 

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

Follow me on Twitter!

Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1

Send us Fan Mail

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

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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Conferring time is sacred! No one likes to be interrupted during a writing conference, but some students need a visual reminder that their teacher is off-limits when they're conferring. Today's Tip for Tomorrow will help you implement a visual conferring reminder to eradicate unnecessary distractions and interruptions while holding one-to-one writing conferences.

• Check out "What's a Conferring Scarf?" to help you plan your next steps with this nonverbal reminder tip. 
• Check out the TWTBlog Archive if you want to learn more about conferring.

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

Mentor texts are important co-teachers in the writing workshop! This episode provides an in-depth look at mentor texts and is ideal for anyone who wants to extend the power of mentor texts in their classroom. 

Picture Books We Mentioned in the Podcast

• A Person Can Be… by Kerri Kokias and Carey Sookocheff
• Bake, Make & Learn to Cook Vegetarian: Healthy and Green Recipes for Young Cooks by David Atherton and Alice Bowsher
• Copycat: Nature-Inspired Design Around the World by Christy Hale
• Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco and Priscilla Tey
• Hana’s Hundreds of Hijabs by Rezeena Omar Gutta and Manal Mirza
• Kiyoshi’s Walk by Mark Karlins and Nicole Wong
• Little Guides to Great Lives: Frida Kahlo by Isabel Thomas and Marianna Madriz
• Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner, Margaret E. Powell, and Erin K. Robinson
• Puffin by Martin Jenkins and Jenni Desmond
• What Are You? by Christian Trimmer and Mike Curato
• What’s Your Name? By Bethanie Deeny Murguia
• Windows by Julia Denos and E.B. Goodale

Professional Books We Mentioned in the Podcast

• Above and Beyond the Writing Workshop by Shelley Harwayne
• Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts by Stacey Shubitz
• Mentor Texts, Second Edition: Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature, K-6  by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli
• Nonfiction Mentor Texts: Teaching Informational Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-8 by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli
• Poetry Mentor Texts: Making Reading and Writing Connections, K-8 by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli

Book Censorship Organizations

• Banned & Challenged Books: (ALA)
• Florida Freedom to Read Project
• Freedom to Read Foundation
• Moms for Social Justice: PEN America

Individuals you can follow on Twitter to better understand how and where they’re working to fight book banning:

• Jonathan Friedman - Director of Free Expression and Education Programs at PEN America
• Kelly Jensen - Book Riot editor

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

If you're interested in reading more about small group instruction, we have many blog posts about them on our website. Here are a few to check out: 

• A Few Tips for Small Group Instruction: Expanding the Reach With Small Group Work
• Ideas for planning Small Group Instruction
• Small Groups, Big Engagement: Expanding the Possibilities and Potential 

Send us Fan Mail

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

For more on plan boxes, check out the following posts on Two Writing Teachers:

• The Plan Box
• Are Plan Boxes Worth It?

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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

In this episode, we tackle several predictable problems we've seen students deal with in a writing workshop. We discuss how to work with students who claim they have nothing to write about, how to deal with stories that go on and on (and on), the "I'm done" syndrome, guiding students with perfectionist tendencies, managing a variety of behavior issues, and helping students who don't use conventions. 

Here are a dozen past #TWTBlog posts for more ideas, strategies, and tips for solving predictable problems in your classroom:

• 10 Topic Choice Mentor Texts
• Approximation vs. Mastery
• Grammar and Conventions: Meet Writers Where They Are
• Micro-Workshop: Making Time for Conventions and Grammar
• Six Tips to Keep Minilessons Short
• Something Do-Able to Try: The Editing Minute
• The Importance of Establishing Routines
• The Important of Repertoire
• Updating Your Map
• Ways to Teach Conventions
• Writing Because You Want To
• Writing the Hot Spot First

ICYMI: Our co-author team wrote a "Solving Predictable Problems Blog Series" in 2017. You may also check out the series' Twitter Chat Archive on Wakelet for further help solving predictable problems.

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

In this episode, we announce the winners of our Corwin book giveaway. Thank you to everyone who has left reviews or ratings on their listening platforms, and an especially big thank you to Corwin Press for sponsoring this giveaway by donating five professional books. The winners are:

• Jenn Burke
• Patty Saentz
• Rikki Kwas
• Meredith Schaefer
• Linda Szakmary

____________________________________

To read more about partnerships and processes, check out some of the blog posts about them, including:

• Partnerships to Establish Community
• Strengthening Writing Partnerships Part 1 and Part 2
• Setting Up Writing Partnerships

Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com. 

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

Follow me on Twitter!

Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands 

Send us Fan Mail

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

• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Let’s revisit the Spring 2017 blog series "Keep Learning Going Throughout the Summer," which explored various strategies to maintain children's writing skills during the summer break. Stacey highlights key ideas from the 2017 co-author team, including creating personalized writing spaces, gamifying the writing process, and using books to inspire writing projects. The episode emphasizes the importance of making summer writing fun, engaging, and tailored to each child's interests and needs. Listeners are encouraged to share these strategies with colleagues and students’ families to prevent summer writing loss. 

GO DEEPER:

• Recap of the Keep Learning Going Throughout the Summer Blog Series
• Twitter Chat Archive (Many participants’ tweets are no longer present due to deactivating their accounts.)

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

This Tip for Tomorrow will inspire you to set a time to follow up with your students after a writing conference. 

RATINGS/REVIEWS

• We are excited to share the Two Writing Teachers Podcast with you. If you've provided a rating or review on any of the listening platforms, then please fill out this form to be entered into a giveaway for a free professional book from Corwin. 
  • All entries must be received by October 14th, 2022. 
  • You must have a U.S. mailing address to enter the giveaway.

*****

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Amy, Melanie, and Stacey talk about ways to solve five predictable problems teachers face as teachers of writing. 

1. There isn't enough time in my writing block.
2. My writing units go on forever.
3. I don't know what to confer about.
4. I need help explaining writing workshop to parents and caregivers.
5. I'm always interrupted when I teach writing.

Check out the Solving Predictable Problems Blog Series our co-authors wrote in 2017. You may also check out the series' Twitter Chat Archive on Wakelet for further help solving predictable problems.

Plus, here are additional TWT blog posts that will help you with the problems we talked about in today's podcast.

• For problem #1: Five Ways to Maximize Time if Writing Workshop Gets Cut, Minimizing Transition Time, and Six Tips to Keep Minilessons Short 
• For problem #2: Units of Study That Go on Forever and Unit Planning
• For problem #3: Conferring Carl on Conferences, Conferring Toolkits: Cheat Sheets, and Get REALLY Good at Conferring 
• For problem #4: Family Resources for At-Home Learning, Five Tips for Parents and Caregivers for Offering Feedback to Writers, Helping Parents Understand Writing Workshop, and Talking to Caregivers About Conventions and Spelling
• For problem #5: Working Together to Support All Kids: Getting All Adults in the Classroom on the Same Page

RATINGS/REVIEWS

• We are excited to share the Two Writing Teachers Podcast with you. If you've provided a rating or review on any of the listening platforms, then please

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

To read more about supporting young writers in raising the level of their talk in a workshop, check out some of our blog posts including: 

• The Power of Language Revisited
• Conferring With Writers is Like Coaching Skiers: Strength ID and Enhancement
• Top Three Predictable Beginning of Year Conferences: Our Favorite Things

*****

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
https://twowritingteachers.org. 

*****

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

RATINGS/REVIEWS

• We are excited to share the Two Writing Teachers Podcast with you. If you've provided a rating or review on any of the listening platforms, then please fill out this form to be entered into a giveaway for a free professional book from Corwin. 
  • All entries must be received by October 14th, 2022. 
  • You must have a U.S. mailing address to enter the giveaway.

MORE INFORMATION

• Check out Shawnda's blog post that inspired today's bonus episode:
  • Chants for Writing: Support Routines, Conventions, and Craft
• Read more posts about working with multilingual learners and on translanguaging on Two Writing Teachers. 
• In addition, here are some other #TWTBlog posts that will provide you with more information about things Shawnda mentioned.
  • Developing Storytellers
  • Students Can Draw at Every Stage of the Writing Process (At All Ages)
  • Use Oral Rehearsal to Aid Note-Taking

ABOUT SHAWNDA

Shawnda Fukano is a primary literacy coach at Mount View Elementary, a dual-language school in the Highline School District in Seattle, Washington. She supports teachers and students in both English and Spanish classrooms as they develop biliteracy. Shawnda has had a passion for educating multilingual learners since she began teaching in 2004. She spent many years as a classroom teacher for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade newcomers, and was then the Dual Language Coordinator when her school first transitioned to the dual-language program. She also taught English to adult refugees from Burma for several years.

Shawnda is a National Board Certified Teacher in English as a New Language and is an OCDE Project GLAD® Trainer. She lives in Seattle with her husband, son, and twin daughters and writes slices of her life as a mom and teacher at ShawndaStories or follow her on Twitter @ShawndaFukano.

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

If you're interested in reading more about conventions, some blog posts include:

• Ways to Teach Conventions
• Grammar and Conventions
• Using Inquiry to Lift Language Conventions

Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com.  If you subscribe and leave us a review, please fill out this form! You'll be entered in a drawing for professional books from Corwin Press. 

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

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

Conferring is the heart of writing workshop, which is why we are talking about four types of writing conferences we adore having with students. In this episode, we discussed on-the-spot writing conferences, complement-only conferences, table conferences, and inquiry conferences. As usual, we tuck in some conferring tips as well!

MORE ABOUT CONFERRING
We have written a lot of content about conferring over at Two Writing Teachers so it's hard to pick just a few pieces to share in today's show notes. Here are ten must-read blog posts about conferring: 

1. Conferring: Writing Workshop Fundamentals
2. Don't Skimp on the Compliment
3. Get REALLY Good at Conferring
4. How to Name a Transferrable Teaching Point in a Writing Conference
5. Let's Talk About Methods for Conferring
6. Listening Closely
7. Table Conferences: An Important Coaching Move at the Start of the School Year
8. Three Ways to Make Your Conferring More Effective
9. Top Three Predictable, Beginning of Year Conferences
10. What To Do When a Writer Doesn't Say Much

ICYMI: Be sure to check out our previous podcast on record-keeping!

RATINGS/REVIEWS

• We are excited to share the Two Writing Teachers Podcast with you. If you've provided a rating or review on any of the listening platforms, then please fill out this form to be entered into a giveaway for a free professional book from Corwin.
  • All entries must be received by October 14th, 2022.
  • You must have a U.S. mailing address to enter the giveaway.

This episode was recorded in September 2022.

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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Maximize the power of your mid-workshop interruptions by having a precise location where students can easily find you.

To read more about mid-workshop interruptions, head over to our blog and read:

• The Mid-Workshop Interruption: An Opportunity for Instruction During the Workshop 
• Writing Workshop Fundamentals: Structure

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

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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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

To read more about the organization of materials in the workshop, check out some of our blog posts, including: 

• My Conferring Toolkit: Our Favorite Things Blog Series
• Writers Need Tools
• This is the Year I'm Going to Make Writing Toolkits
• Creating Classroom Environments: Paper Choices 

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog!
http://twowritingteachers.org

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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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Some of our past blog posts that correspond to today's conversation are:

• The Importance of Charts in Classrooms
• Making the Most Out of Charts
• Personalizing charts to foster intention and independence

For more on the teaching of writing, out our blog at https://twowritingteachers.org.

This episode was recorded on August 21, 2022.

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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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

To read more about building writers' stamina, check out some of our blog posts including:

• Building Stamina in Primary Writers
• Developing Stamina
• Resources Teachers Can Share With Families: Increase Writing Volume and Stamina at Home
• Stamina in Our Youngest Writers

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

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Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

In our second Writing Roundtable episode, renowned literacy expert Lester L. Laminack joins us to discuss his Ferris wheel of education concept, providing a fresh perspective on educational trends. Lester examines the current state of writing instruction, investigating how recent developments influence students' writing experiences and skills. Listeners will gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of writing pedagogy as Lester addresses the promising advancements and potential challenges facing educators. 

GO DEEPER:

• Read Lester's original "Ferris Wheel" piece on The Robb Review

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Lester Laminack, Professor Emeritus, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina is a full-time writer and consultant working with schools throughout the United States and abroad. He is the author of over 25 books for teachers and children. His academic publications include Climb Inside a Poem (Heinemann) Cracking Open the Author’s Craft (Scholastic), Bullying Hurts: Teaching Kindness Through Read Aloud and Guided Conversations (Heinemann), The Writing Teacher’s Troubleshooting Guide(Heinemann), Writers ARE Readers: Flipping Reading Strategies into Writing Instruction (Heinemann), Reading to Make a Difference(Heinemann), The Ultimate Read Aloud Guide 2nd Edition (Scholastic) and The Ultimate Read Aloud Collection Fiction and Nonfiction (Scholastic), Critical Comprehension: Lessons for Guiding Students to Deeper Meaning (Corwin). 

Lester is also the author of several children’s books including: The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins, Trevor’s Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth, Saturdays and Teacakes, Jake’s 100th Day of School, Snow Day!, Three Hens and a Peacock  (2012 Children’s Choice K-2 Book of the Year Award), and The King of Bees all published by Peachtree Publishers. His most recent book for children is Three Hens, a Peacock, and the Enormous Egg.  His most recent book, A Cat Like That was released in January 2025.

Lester is available for professional development and school author visits. You can contact him via his website, and follow him on Facebook.

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 Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

For more on record keeping, check out some of these posts from Two Writing Teachers:

• Record Keeping- Why and How: Assessment Strengthens Writers
• Conferring Toolkits: Record Keeping
• Record-Keeping Forms
• The Case for Record-Keeping
• This is the year I’m going to keep better records.
  
  

Melanie's posts about Google Forms are available through the following posts:

• Ideas for getting started with google forms
• Continuing to Think About Google Forms
  
  

Follow us on Twitter!

Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12 

Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1 

Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz 

Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com. 

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org. 

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

To read more about building writers' agency, check out some of our blog posts including:

• Student Agency: Solving Predictable Problems Blog Series
• Top Three Beginning of Year Conferences: Our Favorite Things Blog Series
• Joy and Agency: An Origin Story
• Fostering Authorship, Identity, and Agency in the Early Childhood Classroom Through Storytelling

Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com. 

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

Follow me on Twitter!

Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12

Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org. 

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

For more on the importance of volume, check out some of these posts on the Two Writing Teachers blog:

• Pump Up the Volume
• Paper Choices: What’s up with that?
• All About the Paper.
  
  

Follow us on Twitter!

Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12 

Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1 

Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz 

Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com. 

Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org. 

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

To read more about transitions, check out some of our blog posts including:

• Rituals and Transitions
• Three Tricks for Smoother Classroom Transitions
• A Game Plan for Writing Workshop Transitions

Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com. 

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

Follow me on Twitter!

Melanie Meehan:https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1

Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org. 

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Some useful links on teaching shares and mid-workshop interruptions:

• Mid-Workshop Interruption Category on TWT
• Teaching Shares: Ending Strong

Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com. 

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

Follow me on Twitter!

Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz 

Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org. 

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Some of our past blog posts that correspond to today's conversation are:

• Co:Writer
• Differentiating and Inspiring Students with Learning Differences in Writing Workshop
• Finding Accessible Fonts for Classroom Use

Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com. 

For more on the teaching of writing, check out our blog at https://twowritingteachers.org.

Follow us on Twitter!

• Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12 
• Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1 
• Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz

This episode was recorded in July 2022.

Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org. 

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

For more on being a teacher-writer check out It's Not Magic (but it IS): The Power of Being a Teacher Who Writes, and The Power of Writing Timelines,  You may also check our archives at https://twowritingteachers.org/category/teacher-of-writing/.  

Follow us on Twitter!

Amy Ellerman: https://twitter.com/sanderling12 

Melanie Meehan: https://twitter.com/MelanieMeehan1 

Stacey Shubitz: https://twitter.com/sshubitz 

Subscribe to our podcast at https://twtpod.buzzsprout.com. 

For more about the teaching of writing, check out the blog! 

https://twowritingteachers.org 

Advertising Inquiries: Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org. 

This episode was recorded in July 2022.

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Welcome! We are glad you are here.

We are excited to talk about the ways to create, lead, and sustain joyful and productive writing workshops. This trailer will provide you with an overview of where we are headed with this project.

In addition to finding us here on the Podcast, connect with us on our blog, Two Writing Teachers. 

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Fun test prep may seem like an oxymoron, but in this tip for tomorrow, Melanie shares a few ways you can bring movement, collaboration, and agency into getting students ready to take assessments. 

Send us Fan Mail

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

• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

In this episode, Stacey interviews Melanie about her upcoming book (co-authored with Maggie Beattie Roberts), tentatively titled THE WRITING BRAIN: FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS OF WRITTEN EXPRESSION. The book emphasizes developing foundational writing skills through research- and evidence-based instructional methods. We discuss the five guiding principles featured in the book: Cognitive Load Theory, Neurological Response to Learning, The Zone of Proximal Development, Universal Design for Learning, and the Gradual Release Model. Melanie explains how their book helps teachers identify and address individual students' writing challenges. She also shares insights about the collaborative writing process with Maggie. 

GO DEEPER:

• Cognitive Load Theory: Sweller, J. Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning. Cogn. Sci. 1988, 12, 257–285. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
• Zone of Proximal Development - Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
• Gradual Release Theory- Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3), 317-344.

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Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

There is a lot of research about spelling and how students learn to spell words, and there are important connections between how students spell and how they learn to read. In this episode, Melanie shares a few changes she's made as she works with students who ask how to spell words. 

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• How Words Cast Their Spell
• Rebecca Treiman

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Welcome to The Writing Roundtable, where we explore writing topics with guest authors. In this inaugural episode, Stacey discusses poetry’s significance in elementary education with poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, who describes poetry as "offerings of beautiful words by beautiful people that I don't know." Amy shares the benefits of poetry and strategies for educators, including daily readings, group writing activities, and showcasing student work. She also reflects on her journey as a children's poet, offering tips for those interested in publication. This discussion provides insights for teachers looking to enhance learning through poetry. 

ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUEST:

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is a children's author, poet, and writing teacher celebrated for her contributions to children's literature and poetry education. She has contributed to many anthologies and authored several children's books, including Forest Has a Song, The Sound of Kindness, With My Hands: Poems About Making Things, and Read! Read! Read! Additionally, she teaches teachers about writing and is the author of Poems Are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres. 

Find Amy online at The Poem Farm and Sharing Our Notebooks.

GO DEEPER:

• Highlights Foundation
• One Simple Ritual, All Year Long (CCIRA) 
• SCBWI
• "Something Told the Wild Geese" (Recording) by Rachel Field, sung by the Von Trapp children 

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 Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Explore the transformative power of process logs in writing instruction. Stacey reveals how process logs provide accountability, track progress, and offer authentic glimpses into the writing process. Discover how sharing these logs can make writing instruction more transparent and supportive for students. Whether you're a writer or educator, this episode offers practical strategies for using process logs to deepen your understanding of the writing craft.

GO DEEPER: Explore Two Writing Teachers' blog posts about process logs.

Send us Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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

Shawnda Fukano, a literacy coach and contributing writer to TWTBlog, chats with Stacey to expand on her blog post about oracy and its importance for multilingual learners. The discussion covers various aspects of oracy development, including success stories, challenges, and practical classroom implementation strategies. Shawnda shares her experiences balancing vocabulary and language structure instruction, using mentor texts, and incorporating active listening skills. The episode also delves into hands-on strategies for integrating oracy into daily classroom activities and effective methods for assessing students' oracy skills.

Shawnda Fukano is a primary literacy coach at a dual-language school in the Highline School District in Seattle, Washington. She supports teachers and students in developing biliteracy in both English and Spanish. With a passion for educating multilingual learners since 2004, Shawnda has taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade newcomers and served as the Dual Language Coordinator. She has also taught English to adult refugees from Burma. Shawnda is a National Board Certified Teacher in English as a New Language and OCDE Project GLAD® Trainer. She lives in Seattle with her husband, son, and twin daughters. She writes slices of her life as a mom and teacher at ShawndaStories.

Go Deeper:

• Building Bigger Vocabularies Through Books
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
• Chants for Writing: Support Routines, Conventions, and Craft
• More about Isabel L. Beck
• Oracy: What & How
• Read more posts about working with multilingual learners and on translanguaging on Two Writing Teachers. 
• Strategies for Working with Multilingual Learners episode
• Vocabulary Games

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 Fan Mail

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: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

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