Valuable Information in Less Time

Estimated Reading Time: 1 1/2 minutes (270 words)

Audience: All #TWTBlog Readers

Starting today, our team will use a shorter format to continue to provide high-quality information about the writing workshop to respect educators’ busy schedules. After reading Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz, our team of co-authors and contributing writers have adopted the short-not-shallow approach they suggest. We hope this approach will better serve our audience through compelling and succinct communication.

We want to continue providing valuable information while respecting our readers’ limited time. Here’s what you can expect from our posts.

A subtitle will explain what kind of post you will read.
An estimated reading time so you’ll know if you have time to read it.
- Reading rates vary, so we use Read-o-Meter to calculate an approximate time.
The primary audience (e.g., K-2 teachers, literacy coaches, middle school educators) will let you know the intended audience.
A go deeper section will often help readers find related posts to learn more.
- You may still use each post’s categories and the related links WordPress generates for us.

Subtitles like "a ready-to-go tip" provide a clue about the kind of post you're reading.

This quick snapshot at the top of each post shares estimated reading time and the intended audience.

Look for a "go deeper" section at the end of most posts if you're hooked and want to learn more! — Click on the image to enlarge.

Here’s a peek at ten types of blog posts you can expect to see from us:

Ready to Go Tip: An instructional strategy or resource you can use as soon as tomorrow!

Straight from the classroom: A post by teachers, for teachers; we will share a snapshot from a classroom
and advice.

Coach-to-coach: Written for coaches or administrators; we outline strategies for inspiring
teachers and
promoting best
practices.

Trending Topic: A hot topic getting a lot of traction in the education world! Get ready to
challenge your
assumptions and
join an exciting
conversation.

Your personal writing coach: Don't have an instructional coach in your building? Here's a TWT Coach in your pocket with a new
strategy for
instruction!

Reflective Practice: A deeper narrative describing
a teacher's new
ideas and
philosophical
shifts.

book review: Learn about a new release in writing instruction or children's literature (and maybe even win a copy)!

From the archives: A biweekly throwback to popular posts from years past.

recap: A biweekly round-up
of posts from the past two weeks, ICYMI.

Blog series: A collaborative effort by the TWT Co-Authors to deep dive into a critical writing topic over one week. Expect a thoughtful series each fall and winter. — Click on the image to enlarge.

You’ll continue to see one more kind of blog post. We didn’t include Slice of Life Story Challenge and Slice of Life Tuesdays in the infographic since it’s been a cornerstone of this blog for 16 years. These posts will continue daily in March and every Tuesday year-round.

In the coming weeks, contact us with any feedback you have about our shorter posts and new structure.

Many thanks to Leah Koch for creating the images above!