How to Find More Time to Teach Writing

Listen to the full episode to hear how to find more time to teach writing:

Our number one complaint as teachers is we don’t have enough time. Enough time to lesson plan, gather materials, teach each content area with the same equity, communicate with parents, eat our lunch, or have time for ourselves. The list goes on and on. But let me ask you this: how are you using your time? Is it that you don’t have enough of it or are you not managing it in the best way?

In last week’s episode, Episode 102, I discussed the challenges of teaching writing and how to overcome them. The issue of time was definitely part of those challenges. But what if I told you there were ways to find more time in your day to teach writing? In today’s episode, I’m going to share my tips and strategies on how to find more time to teach writing in your classroom. 

Throughout the episode, I share simple ways that either prioritize making time to teach writing or small ways to incorporate it throughout your day. We all have a writing block incorporated into our day that’s designated for writing, but I help break down what that can look like and how to make that writing block effective and achievable for you, as well as your students. 

It has been determined that if your students are writing consistently, they will improve at a higher rate. And while accomplishing this during your writing block is a good start, I share how to find time you don’t think you have, for opportunities to write. I refer to these minutes as “dead times” and it might surprise you how much time you’re actually wasting. 

The amount of time in a day to get all you need finished, seems nearly impossible. Particularly as a teacher, who’s trying to juggle a million different plates all at the same time. Therefore, finding more time to teach writing can be a challenge, but after listening to this episode, you’ll have some easy tips and strategies on how to use the time already given or finding small pockets of time throughout your day that will get your kids writing more often and feel successful!

In this episode about finding more time to teach writing, I share:

• How your students will keep you accountable if you prioritize time for writing in your day
• Where you can find small opportunities to have students write
• Students will feel more empowered and experience success with writing during smaller amounts of time
• What you can actually accomplish during your “dead” minutes throughout your school day
• A sneak peek into next week’s episode of finding additional ways to sneak writing into your content areas

Resources Mentioned:

• Join the Writing Made Simple Membership.

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About The Literacy Dive Podcast:

Do you find yourself seeking new ideas when it comes to literacy instruction in elementary classrooms? The Literacy Dive Podcast was created to offer actionable steps and to share information for teachers, like you, who are always looking to improve their craft! ELA is our jam and we are excited to dive into all things reading and writing with you!

Your host, Megan Polk, is the creator and owner behind The Literacy Dive and loves to support students and their teachers with curriculum, literacy instruction, best practices, and engaging literacy activities.

Dive in with us every Monday for a new episode from Megan! She, and her guests, will chat about various literacy topics and will bring you tips and tricks that can easily be implemented in your classrooms. You can tune in wherever you get your podcasts! Listen to The Literacy Dive Podcast on platforms like Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, and more! If you find value from listening to this podcast, please rate this show, leave a review, and follow!