Biweekly Recap #ICYMI

Many teachers (myself included) went back to school in the past few weeks. During this busy time, we’ve missed some incredible posts on Two Writing Teachers blog that are relevant to our current back-to-school frenzy. Here’s a recap of four posts you missed:

Melanie pens a thoughtful letter to new teachers with the three most important things to remember about writing workshop:

A Letter to a New Writing Teacher

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

It’s hard to know when kids are ready to move from routines and expectations to content. In her post, Sarah grapples with that debate and shares a tool to help teachers decide:

Is It Time to Teach Yet?

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

I share a strategy to amp up reflection. This is a great routine to kickoff now and encourage throughout the year.

Try Reflective Notebooks This Year: Straight From the Classroom

Estimated Reading Time: 2.5 minutes

Our students’ writing muscles likely experienced some atrophy over the summer. Shawnda explores ways to amp up stamina.

Building Writing Stamina Outside the Workshop

Estimated Reading Time: 2.5 minutes

On #TWTPod

In “Joyful Writing Partnerships,” Stacey shares how to set writing partners up for a successful year. She also reminds us about the importance of taking time to compliment as we confer with writers in “Remember the Compliment.”

The Beauty of Opinion Writing: A Digging Deeper Dialogue – Two Writing Teachers Podcast

Opinion writing in grades K–6 is more than just persuasive essays. It lets kids express what they really think and see their ideas matter on the page. In this episode, we look at what makes opinion writing special: children sharing real opinions on topics they care about, building their sense of self, and bravely taking risks with their words. You’ll hear how opinion writing grows from simple preferences with pictures and labels to more thoughtful arguments that consider other viewpoints. We also share a list of mentor texts you can use to lift the level of your students’ opinion writing. Finally, we offer ways to celebrate students’ work, like author’s chair, hallway displays, family mailings, and online publishing, all focused on giving students a voice and the joy of sharing their opinions with real audiences.Go Deeper Doug KaufmannTracey LafayetteBeth Moore’s website for paperThe New York Times’ Writing ContestsBooks We Mentioned:1,000 Awesome Things by Neil PasrichaBreakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable Essays: Your Favorite Authors Take A Stab at the Dreaded Essay edited by Brad Wolfe and Rebecca SternDon’t Feed the Bear by Kathleen DohertyCan I Be Your Dog by Troy CummingsEating to Save the Planet by Ann BroylesOur Favorite Day of the Year by A.E. AliThe Black Mambas by Kelly CrullThanks to our affiliate, Zencastr! Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. Send us a textPlease 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.