Two Writing Teachers Podcast Two Writing Teachers

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.

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

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.

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 TomorrowConversation with a Colleague Episodes (with Lainie Levin)Addressing Perfectionism in Writing InstructionExploring the Power of Oral LanguageUniversity 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 ChildWork Quality Continuum

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Zencastr: Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. 



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 today’s Conversation with a Colleague, Stacey chats with Lainie Levin, a gifted interventionist and coach, about helping learners conquer perfectionism. Lainie unveils the manifestations of perfectionism in students, particularly during writing instruction, highlighting key signs to watch for. She shares an innovative work quality continuum she co-created with her students, as a powerful tool to address perfectionist tendencies. Practical strategies are discussed for reframing perfectionist behaviors, fostering a growth mindset, and embracing mistakes as opportunities for growth. Stacey and Lainie also explore the impact of perfectionism on partnerships and group work. Finally, they discuss where perfectionism is most prevalent during the writing process while discussing effective methods for addressing it.
ABOUT LAINIE LEVIN:
Lainie is a dedicated educator with 28 years of teaching experience and a strong advocate for children and public education. She is a gifted interventionist and coach in language arts and math, specializing in meeting the needs of gifted/talented elementary school students. Since 2021, she has been a valued colleague at Two Writing Teachers.

Check out Lainie’s personal blog, Soapbox: The Way I See Things, follow her on X @mrslevin11, or read her Two Writing Teachers blog posts. 


GO DEEPER: 
Advice for the Perfectionists in Writing WorkshopReframing Avoidance: Writers and PerfectionismWork-Quality ContinuumTHANKS TO OUR AFFILIATES!
Libro.fm: Use the TWTPod CodeReceive 2 audiobook credits for $14.99 USD with your first month of membership.Zencastr: Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. 

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.

Make sentence structure more straightforward for students with Melanie's intentional activities in this episode. Melanie shares ways she helps students understand the definition of sentences, create sentences with phrases and pictures, and combine sentences. You'll help students recognize and create simple and increasingly complex sentences with Melanie's playful and purposeful ideas.

Go Deeper:
Sentence Patterning ChartsBring on the Fun in Sentence ConstructionWord, Sentence, Paragraph
Thanks to our affiliate, Marley Spoon! $235 off through 5 boxes -- The first box portion price starts at $4.99. Click here or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=6988&id=1261005. 
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.

Explore the origin and significance of end-of-year reflection letters in this week’s episode. Stacey highlights the unique nature of these letters, which go beyond self-evaluations of academics and instead focus on students reflecting on their growth as learners and individuals. Practical guidelines for structuring the letters are shared, emphasizing flexibility in paragraph structure to suit individual needs. The episode also features touching excerpts from actual student letters, showcasing their accomplishments, thoughts on cooperative group work, and advice for the teacher. The power of these reflection letters as tools for student self-awareness and goal-setting is celebrated, emphasizing the importance of taking a step back to recognize personal growth.


Looking for what you can do after you receive these letters from your students? Check out “My Hope and Dream for You,” which explains how you can respond to your students as they exit your classroom door for the final time.


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


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.

We explore the vast potential of student-facing AI tools. Join us as we delve into the benefits of tools like Co:Writer Universal, EverWrite, Grammarly, Read&Write, and Speechify. Discover how these cutting-edge tools revolutionize students' learning, writing, and communication and empower students to reach new heights of academic excellence.
Check out the Los Angeles Unified School District’s AI policies. 
Listen to our previous episode: Boost Writing Instruction with AI.


Related TWTBlog Posts:
AI Tools for Writing TeachersCan AI Write a Good Speech?Co:WriterExploring Voice Typing During Writing WorkshopThree Ways to Use ChatGPT…TomorrowWe Need to Talk About AI EssaysAI Tools We Mentioned:
Co:Writer UniversalEverWriteGrammarlyRead&WriteSpeechifyThanks to our affiliates!
BestSelf: Use code TWTPOD for 15% off your purchase. Valid from 1/28-4/30/24.Zencastr: Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. 

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.