Two Writing Teachers Podcast

Mentor texts are important co-teachers in the writing workshop! This episode provides an in-depth look at mentor texts and is ideal for anyone who wants to extend the power of mentor texts in their classroom.

Picture Books We Mentioned in the Podcast

• A Person Can Be... by Kerri Kokias and Carey Sookocheff
• Bake, Make & Learn to Cook Vegetarian: Healthy and Green Recipes for Young Cooks by David Atherton and Alice Bowsher
• Copycat: Nature-Inspired Design Around the World by Christy Hale
• Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco and Priscilla Tey
• Hana’s Hundreds of Hijabs by Rezeena Omar Gutta and Manal Mirza
• Kiyoshi’s Walk by Mark Karlins and Nicole Wong
• Little Guides to Great Lives: Frida Kahlo by Isabel Thomas and Marianna Madriz
• Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner, Margaret E. Powell, and Erin K. Robinson
• Puffin by Martin Jenkins and Jenni Desmond
• What Are You? by Christian Trimmer and Mike Curato
• What’s Your Name? By Bethanie Deeny Murguia
• Windows by Julia Denos and E.B. Goodale

Professional Books We Mentioned in the Podcast

• Above and Beyond the Writing Workshop by Shelley Harwayne
• Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts by Stacey Shubitz
• Mentor Texts, Second Edition: Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature, K-6 by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli
• Nonfiction Mentor Texts: Teaching Informational Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-8 by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli
• Poetry Mentor Texts: Making Reading and Writing Connections, K-8 by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli

Book Censorship Organizations

• Banned & Challenged Books: (ALA)
• Florida Freedom to Read Project
• Freedom to Read Foundation
• Moms for Social Justice: PEN America

Individuals you can follow on Twitter to better understand how and where they’re working to fight book banning:

• Jonathan Friedman - Director of Free Expression and Education Programs at PEN America
• Kelly Jensen - Book Riot editor

Send us a text

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.

Welcome to The Writing Roundtable, where we explore writing topics with guest authors. In this inaugural episode, Stacey discusses poetry’s significance in elementary education with poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, who describes poetry as "offerings of beautiful words by beautiful people that I don't know." Amy shares the benefits of poetry and strategies for educators, including daily readings, group writing activities, and showcasing student work. She also reflects on her journey as a children's poet, offering tips for those interested in publication. This discussion provides insights for teachers looking to enhance learning through poetry.

ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUEST:

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is a children's author, poet, and writing teacher celebrated for her contributions to children's literature and poetry education. She has contributed to many anthologies and authored several children's books, including Forest Has a Song, The Sound of Kindness, With My Hands: Poems About Making Things, and Read! Read! Read! Additionally, she teaches teachers about writing and is the author of Poems Are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres.

Find Amy online at The Poem Farm and Sharing Our Notebooks.

GO DEEPER:

• Highlights Foundation
• One Simple Ritual, All Year Long (CCIRA)
• SCBWI
• "Something Told the Wild Geese" (Recording) by Rachel Field, sung by the Von Trapp children

Thanks 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 text

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.

Stacey explores the vital executive functioning skill of time management as it applies to the writing workshop. She identifies common challenges students face, from grasping time concepts to meeting deadlines, and offers practical strategies to enhance their skills. Listeners will learn about tools such as visual aids, organizational checklists, and digital planners that can help young writers stay on track. Stacey also discusses establishing routines and breaking down larger projects into manageable tasks. This episode is packed with actionable tips to foster confidence and efficiency in students as they navigate the writing process. Join Stacey to discover how to equip young writers with the time management skills they need for success both in and out of the classroom!

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GO DEEPER:

• TWT Podcast Episodes That Deal with Executive Functioning
  • Accommodations for Access to Writing Instruction
  • Build Writing Confidence with the "Ready, Do, Done" Model
  • Co-Create Writing Goals
  • Help K-8 Students with Executive Functioning Needs: A Conversation with a Colleague
  • Unlock Strategies for Task Initiation
• TWTBlog Posts That Explore Executive Functioning
  • Contingency Maps for Writing Workshops
  • Writing and Working Memory: Reflective Practice

*****Thanks 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.
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Send us a text

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 this episode, we talk about content creation, personalized learning, accessibility, efficiency & productivity with artificial intelligence. We share various teacher-facing AI tools and discuss how you can incorporate them into your writing instruction.
Go Deeper:

• Leveraging AI for Writing Miniseries on Two Writing Teachers
• Los Angeles Unified School District's AI Page

Previous TWTPod Episodes:

• Navigate a Digital World by Seeing, Hearing, and Reading: A Tip for Tomorrow
• Three Possibilities for Using Chat GPT: A Tip for Tomorrow

AI Tools We Mentioned:

• Bing
• Brisk Teaching
• ChatGPT
• Diffit
• Gemini (previously known as Bard)

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Send us a text

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.

RATINGS/REVIEWS

• We are excited to share the Two Writing Teachers Podcast with you. If you've provided a rating or review on any of the listening platforms, then please fill out this form to be entered into a giveaway for a free professional book from Corwin.
  • All entries must be received by October 14th, 2022.
  • You must have a U.S. mailing address to enter the giveaway.

MORE INFORMATION

• Check out Shawnda's blog post that inspired today's bonus episode:
  • Chants for Writing: Support Routines, Conventions, and Craft
• Read more posts about working with multilingual learners and on translanguaging on Two Writing Teachers.
• In addition, here are some other #TWTBlog posts that will provide you with more information about things Shawnda mentioned.
  • Developing Storytellers
  • Students Can Draw at Every Stage of the Writing Process (At All Ages)
  • Use Oral Rehearsal to Aid Note-Taking

ABOUT SHAWNDA

Shawnda Fukano is a primary literacy coach at Mount View Elementary, a dual-language school in the Highline School District in Seattle, Washington. She supports teachers and students in both English and Spanish classrooms as they develop biliteracy. Shawnda has had a passion for educating multilingual learners since she began teaching in 2004. She spent many years as a classroom teacher for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade newcomers, and was then the Dual Language Coordinator when her school first transitioned to the dual-language program. She also taught English to adult refugees from Burma for several years.

Shawnda is a National Board Certified Teacher in English as a New Language and is an OCDE Project GLAD® Trainer. She lives in Seattle with her husband, son, and twin daughters and writes slices of her life as a mom and teacher at ShawndaStories or follow her on Twitter @ShawndaFukano.

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Send us a text

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.