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!
Episodes
16 episodes
The Structured Writer’s Workshop™ CRASH COURSE! Learn how to make writing instruction structured and engaging in under 60 minutes Ep.15
In this 60-minute audiobook, you’ll learn the complete framework behind the Structured Writer’s Workshop™, a structured approach that helps students in grades 4–8 become confident, independent writers. They also LOVE it. Why This...
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Episode 15
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53:15
Revolutionizing Student Writing: Beyond the 4x4 Classroom
The writing crisis in American classrooms isn't due to lack of teacher effort, it's our instructional model. When the Nation's Report Card reveals only 27% of eighth graders scoring proficient in writing, we need to examine what's really happen...
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31:08
THIS is The Secret Ingredient for Better Writing Across All Subjects Ep. 13
In this episode, I’m diving into why CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) is the ultimate pivot skill. It’s not just for ELA. Students can use it in science, history, short responses, and full essays—and the more they practice it, the more confiden...
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Episode 13
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28:07
Before the Rubrics: What to Teach the FIRST WEEK of Writing Ep. 12
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...
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Episode 12
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35:00
The Science of Writing: My Hunt for Research-Based Writing Instruction in Middle School Ep. 11
This episode is the audio from one of my most popular YouTube videos, so if you hear me say “look at this” or reference something on screen, don’t worry! I've linked the full video below!In this deep dive, I unpack what I discovered afte...
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Episode 11
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21:50
Don't Ask Comprehension Questions When Reading a Novel: The Brilliance of TRACKING Ep 10
Traditional comprehension questions are holding your students back. It’s time for a shift. This method flips the script on how we approach novel studies and writing in middle school, moving beyond recall questions and into deep, authentic engag...
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Episode 10
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23:25
Stop Teaching Narrative Essays First: My Game-Changing Essay Sequence for Grades 4–8 Ep.9
What if the reason your students hate writing isn’t because they’re unmotivated but because you’re asking them to do too much, too soon?In this episode, I’m breaking down why I stopped starting the year with narrative writing an...
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Episode 9
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30:00
If You Teach Writing in THIS Order, Everything Will Click into Place Ep. 8
If teaching writing feels like one long game of catch-up… this episode will flip your perspective.In today’s episode, I’m revealing the six writing skills I teach first in my student-led writing workshop and why the order...
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Episode 8
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21:22
What Publishing Taught Me About Teaching Writing Ep. 7
When I became a published author, I thought I understood revision...until I met my editor. And then my second editor. And my third.In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what really happens in the publishing world, all...
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Episode 7
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21:58
Teacher Talk! How this Teacher Implemented a Structured Writer's Workshop in 8th Grade Ep 6
Meet Tisha, an 8th grade ELA teacher who implemented the structured writing workshop in her classroom. She shares what worked during her first year of implementation. You'll learn:✔️How to use BOTH physical and digital notebook...
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Episode 6
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26:25
From Acronyms to Autonomy: A Better Way to Teach Writing Ep 5
🏀 What does Steph Curry’s pregame warm-up have to do with writing instruction? Everything.In this episode, I'm comparing the basketball legend’s unpredictable, skill-building practice routine with the way we should be preparing st...
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21:25
Fixing the Flaws in the Writing Workshop Model Ep. 4
Many teachers are abandoning writing workshop… but not because it failed. It’s because the structure was missing.In this episode of Beyond the Paragraph, I’m sharing how you can reclaim the power of workshop with s...
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Episode 4
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30:04
Classroom Management in a Student-Led Writing Workshop Ep 3
🎯 In this episode, I’m walking you through the daily structure that keeps students engaged and independent without constant redirection. You’ll hear exactly how I:✅ Use student-led routines to minimize off-task behavior
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Episode 3
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30:43
The Truth About Real Writers (And What It Means for Your ELA Class) Ep 2
In this episode of Beyond the Paragraph, I’m pulling back the curtain on what real writers do and how we can finally start teaching like that. As a middle school ELA teacher and children’s book author with Disney, HarperCollins, and Ho...
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Episode 2
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23:28
Structured Writing: A Better Way to Teach Writing Ep 1
In this first episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on why traditional writing instruction isn’t working and what you can do instead. I’ll walk you through the simple shift I made that completely transformed my classroom (and made teaching writ...
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Episode 1
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20:51