Two Writing Teachers Podcast
Since 2007, Two Writing Teachers has been a vibrant community of reflective writers. We're excited to take our passion for teaching writing to new heights in the second season of our podcast. Join us as we explore ways to create, lead, and sustain joyful and productive writing workshops, empowering educators to help their students become competent, brave, and confident writers. Let's make writing instruction engaging and rewarding for everyone involved!
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Episodes
139 episodes
Shape the Trajectory of Writing Units: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
In this episode, we explore the typical path that every writing unit follows, regardless of the curriculum. We highlight teaching strategies that work in different settings. We discuss immersion, its importance, and how to make it more benefici...
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29:25
Build Strong Writers with Executive Function Tools: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
This episode explores practical executive functioning tools that support students’ writing and goal-setting success. Inspired by Valerie Bolling's book,
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5:42
Inspiring Writers Beyond the Classroom: A Conversation with Colleagues
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:
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41:48
Prepping for Conferences: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie
GIven that many teachers are getting ready for parent/caregiver conferences, Melanie suggests five ideas for making good writing conferences even better! GO DEEPER:
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7:06
Explore the Power of Cognitive Writing: The Writing Roundtable
My Kids Can't Write: How to Advance Achievement Through Cross-Curricular Writing, by Paul Emerich France, provides K-5 teachers with practical guidance on helping students write effectively across all subjects. It explains how to incor...
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43:24
Consider Different Assessment Lenses: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie
There are many different questions to consider when assessing students' writing. This episode suggests various lenses for deciding on next instructional steps.
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6:41
Not Your Granny's Grammar: The Writing Roundtable
In this Writing Roundtable episode, Stacey and Melanie talk with Patty McGee and Tim Donohue, co-authors of ...
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35:03
Bring Choice Into Writers' Lives: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
In this first episode of our fourth season, we talk about the importance of choice in the lives of writers. Why does choice matter, and what are some ways to bring choice into the classroom?GO DEEPER:
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29:40
Beliefs Drive Successful Writing Practices: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
In the final episode of our third season, we dive into the foundational beliefs that shape effective writing instruction. From emphasizing explicit teaching to fostering a community led by a teacher who writes to foundational skills like handwr...
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37:56
The Salad Bowl Game: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie
The Salad Bowl Game is one of our family's favorite games to play when we're all together, and it's also a great game for building students' vocabulary in writing, as well as any other content area. Give it a try with friends when you have some...
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7:25
Meet the Featured Writers in This Year's Author Spotlight Series: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
Introducing the 10th Annual Author Spotlight Series on the Two Writing Teachers blog, featuring daily interviews with children’s authors and illustrators who share their creative journeys and writing processes. Listeners get a preview of the we...
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5:10
Support Family Advocacy and Empowerment: A Digging Deeper Dialogue
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 fue...
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34:05
Three Ways to Differentiate: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie
In this Tip for Tomorrow, Melanie provides three ideas for differentiating that can work across grade levels and across genres.
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4:53
Maintain & Nurture Writing Skills During Summer Break: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
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, in...
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8:19
The Evolving Landscape of Writing Instruction: The Writing Roundtable
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 perspecti...
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45:44
Three Ideas for Writing Test Prep: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie
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.
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6:24
Foundations of Written Expression: Digging Deeper Dialogue
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 s...
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32:59
Some Spelling Shifts: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie
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 wi...
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6:55
Igniting a Passion for Poetry: The Writing Roundtable
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 Ludwi...
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48:36
Master the Art of Reflection with Process Logs: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
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 wri...
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8:22
The Importance of Oracy in Language Development: A Conversation With a Colleague
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 discu...
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33:18
Motor Skills in Written Expression: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie
Motor skills are fundamental for written expression. In this Tip for Tomorrow, Melanie shares some strategies for building and leveraging large and small motor skills.
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6:06
Research Around Writing Instruction: A Conversation with Colleagues
In this episode, Melanie talks with Two Writing Teachers co-authors, Leah Thomas and Lainie Levin, about their presentation from NCTE 2025. The presentation and discussion focus on important research supporting fundamental writing instruction p...
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34:12
Using Sticky Notes in Writing Workshop: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
Stacey explores how sticky notes enhance writing workshops through three key uses: spelling assistance, sentence revisions, and personalized mini-charts. These practical ways promote student independence and offer non-intrusive feedback for cus...
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6:04
Modernizing Mentor Texts Blog Series Recap: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie
The Two Writing Teachers co-authors shared ideas for modernizing mentor texts in the most recent blog series. Melanie summarizes some of the ideas she has already implemented with children and teachers within her work. Go Deepe...
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5:22