Beyond the Paragraph: Teaching Writing in Middle School with Structure
If you're tired of guessing how to teach writing in middle school, you're in the right place. Robin Mellom is a veteran ELA teacher and published author of over ten children’s books with Disney, HarperCollins, and Houghton Mifflin. She brings the clarity and structure you've been craving without the gimmicks.
Hosted by Robin Mellom, author, middle school teacher, and creator of the Structured Writer’s Workshop™, each episode delivers practical, classroom-tested strategies that work in grades 4–8.
Learn how to implement evidence-based writing routines, like CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning), build lasting writing habits, and engage students in meaningful work that actually sticks.
Best of all, they will learn how to write like the pros!
Beyond the Paragraph: Teaching Writing in Middle School with Structure
Why Fun Writing Prompts Do Not = Engagement Ep. 20
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Sure, writing prompts are fun, but when it comes to true engagement, cute activities and digital games can only take your students so far. In this episode, I break down why short-term motivators are the “green tea diets” of writing instruction, and how to build something more sustainable. Learn what actually keeps students hooked all year long: ownership, structure, student leadership, and a workshop that feels like home.
Happy writing,
Robin
Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message!
➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD
📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!)
🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube
📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas
HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at robin@structuredwritingteacher.com