Beyond the Paragraph: Teaching Writing in Middle School with Structure
If you're tired of guessing how to teach writing in middle school, you're in the right place. Robin Mellom is a veteran ELA teacher and published author of over ten children’s books with Disney, HarperCollins, and Houghton Mifflin. She brings the clarity and structure you've been craving without the gimmicks.
Hosted by Robin Mellom, author, middle school teacher, and creator of the Structured Writer’s Workshop™, each episode delivers practical, classroom-tested strategies that work in grades 4–8.
Learn how to implement evidence-based writing routines, like CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning), build lasting writing habits, and engage students in meaningful work that actually sticks.
Best of all, they will learn how to write like the pros!
Beyond the Paragraph: Teaching Writing in Middle School with Structure
Before the Rubrics: What to Teach the FIRST WEEK of Writing Ep. 12
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When it comes to writing instruction, the first week can make or break your year. In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly how I start the school year in my writing classroom. You'll hear about the phone call I make before students ever step through the door, and the voice lesson my students beg to do again.
I’m sharing:
- The one question I ask families that tells me everything about a student’s writing mindset
- How I get an honest, messy, meaningful baseline writing sample
- Why I don’t open the writing workshop right away (and what we do instead)
- The unexpected activity that teaches voice better than any anchor chart
- How I use my ELA Three-a-Day to build grammar skills and writing stamina, all year long
These are the exact lessons I use to set the tone, build trust, and kick off a student-led writing program that actually works.
Mentioned in this video:
Back to School: Icebreaker activities and writing prompts
How to Write a Scene, not a Story
Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!
➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD
📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)
🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube
📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas
HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at robin@structuredwritingteacher.com