In the season four finale, Stacey Shubitz and Melanie Meehan tackle the increasingly contentious topic of “writing workshop” in today’s educational climate. They reflect on the origins and evolution of the writing workshop, the research supporting its key principles, and why certain foundational practices remain crucial, even if the label itself is under fire. Drawing from recent evidence-based recommendations and their own classroom experiences, Stacey and Melanie unpack what truly effective writing instruction looks like and why authentic, joyful writing communities matter now more than ever.

Resources Mentioned:

• “All Children Can Write” by Donald H. Graves
• Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
• “Evidence-based recommendations for teaching writing” by Steve Graham, Alyson A. Collins & Stephen Ciullo
• Literacy Specialist Graduate Program at Teachers College
• More Than Words: How to Think about Writing in the Age of AI by John Warner
• Sentence Structure for Young Writers: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie
• The Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy Calkins
• Transfer Writing Skills Across Genres: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey
• Writing, 20th Anniversary Ed.: Teachers & Children at Work by Donald H. Graves

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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, Stacey dives into what happens when educators reconnect with the familiar passions that ground them after a demanding school year. While the daily hustle of teaching often forces educators to put their own needs on the back burner, summertime presents a vital opportunity for them to reclaim their personal identities. Through a reflection on what it means to be a "swimmer with a lowercase s," Stacey explores the powerful shift that happens when teachers step out of their educator personas and reconnect with their own identity as writers. This episode is a call to action for teachers to dust off their notebooks, embrace writing practices that bring them joy, and find peace in the rhythm of the craft. Listeners will discover how making time for their inner writer this summer can help them unplug, decompress, and build a writing repertoire for future school years.

GO DEEPER:

• Listen to one of our first TWT podcast episodes, “Why Teachers Should Write.”
• Read Creating a Consistent & Meaningful Writing Life, or It's Not Magic (but it IS): The Power of Being a Teacher Who Writes.
• Check the deep TWTBlog archives by visiting the category “teacher of writing.”
• Check out Tapping the Writer Within: Practical Ways to Help All Students Claim Their Wri-dentity by Ralph Fletcher.

Send us Fan Mail

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.

This episode features a rich conversation with author and educator M. Colleen Cruz about her new book, Neurodiversity in the Literacy Classroom: The General Educator’s Guide to IEPs, Dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, and More. Colleen shares the story behind the book and explains why information about neurodivergent learners must move out of special education silos and into every general education classroom. Melanie, Stacey, and Colleen explore universal design for learning (UDL), explicit writing instruction, and concrete strategies to reduce instructional obstacles so that vulnerable learners can fully participate. They also discuss strengths-based IEPs, collaboration between general and special educators, and practical classroom strategies—from fine-motor supports to executive-function scaffolds—that help all writers, not just those with identified disabilities. Throughout the episode, Colleen emphasizes curiosity as a core stance for teachers seeking to better understand students’ behaviors, needs, and potential in the writing workshop.

M. Colleen Cruz is an educator, independent consultant, and author committed to making rich literacy education accessible. Her popular books include The Unstoppable Writing Teacher, the Writers Read Better series, and Border Crossing, a Tomás Rivera Mexican- American Children’s Books Finalist. Her student-centered, research-driven work is used by classroom teachers, administrators, and teacher education programs nationally and internationally. She lives in Brooklyn with her family, her persnickety dog Charlie, and way too many books.

Connect with Colleen Online:

• Instagram: @mcolleencruz
• LinkedIn: m-colleen-cruz
• Substack: @mcolleencruz
• X: @colleen_cruz
• Website: colleencruz.com

Mentioned in the episode:

• Archaeology of Self: The Introspective Educator’s Guide to Racial Literacy by Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz
• "Living with Dignity in Education: How noticing dignity can transform teaching, learning, and collaboration" by Leah Mermelstein
• Maryanne Wolf

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Send us Fan Mail

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.