6-12th- ADD ARTICLES HERE — TeachWriting.org

Elevating Informational Writing with the Engaging Photo Essay

Tired of the same old informative writing prompts? Ready to inspire students to think more creatively…and to be inspired by their informative writing topics? Enter the photo essay…your new favorite way to teach informative writing!

Melissa KruseDecember 13, 2022Comment

Essay Revision: Ways to Encourage Students to Revise their Writing

Increase engagement with essay revision using this flexible revising points activity for middle or high school ELA.

4 Lessons to Elevate Students' Argumentative Writing Skills

Here are our key skills and strategies we can teach students to help elevate the level of their argumentative writing skills!

4 Ways to Help Students Write Routinely

When we provide students with opportunities to write routinely, we help them develop their stamina as young authors. In turn, this helps them develop a more positive outlook on writing.

Melissa KruseOctober 21, 2021Comment

7 Easy and Effective Bell Ringers to Start Your ELA Class

7 high-interest, practical bell ringers for the secondary ELA classroom

Best PracticesMelissa KruseJune 28, 2021back to school, bell ringers, organizationComment

5 Ways to Use Jamboard for Writing

Engage students in efficient, targeted writing activities using Jamboard!

Melissa KruseJanuary 31, 2021Comment

Digital Writing Activities Students Actually Want to Complete

Engage middle and high school students in meaningful virtual writing assignments! These digital activities pack powerful learning benefits. Plus, they build confidence in reluctant writers.

16 Meaningful Writing Activities that Engage Students

Read about 16 high-interest writing assignments that middle school and high school students actually enjoy! #WritingActivities #MiddleSchoolELA #HighSchoolELA

FREEBIES, Best Practices, Writing AssignmentsMelissa KruseFebruary 25, 2020engaging, relevant, writing assignments, middle school, high schoolComment

Maximizing Writing Conferences with Older Students

Tips for running writing workshop conferences in middle school and high school classrooms #WritingWorkshop #MiddleSchoolELA #HighSchoolELA

6 Creative Lessons to Inspire Secondary Writers

A roundup of creative and engaging activities for middle school and high school ELA

10 Tips for Scaffolding Literary Analysis

Read about 10 literary analysis teaching ideas for middle and high school ELA, including engagement and scaffolding strategies.

5 Ways to Incorporate Vocabulary in Writing

Looking for meaningful ways to have students practice using new vocabulary words in writing? Check out these 5 unique approaches to engage middle and high school learners. #VocabularyActivities #MiddleSchoolELA

FREEBIES, Writing Assignments, Writing WorkshopMelissa KruseJuly 15, 2019vocabulary, writing activities, writing workshopComment

5 Creative Response to Reading Activities

Your students are reading. Hooray! Writing about reading has research-proven benefits, and it’s important that we ask students to respond to reading on a regular bases. Those responses don’t always have to be formal, though. Let’s take a look at some ways we can engage students in creative written responses to reading.

FREEBIES, Writing AssignmentsMelissa KruseFebruary 19, 2019reading response, creative writingComment

Google Doc Do’s and Don’ts

Teaching writing? Here are some tips for using Google Docs in the classroom. #writing #highschoolela

Best Practices, Technology & Writing, Distance LearningMelissa KruseNovember 18, 2018google docs, digital, tips for teachers, GoogleComment

Fun Holiday Writing Activities for Secondary

Read about a handful of fun and engaging yet meaningful holiday writing assignments for middle school and high school ELA. #holidaywritingassignments #middleschoolela #highschoolela

6 Ways to Differentiate Writing Instruction

Read about 6 ways to differentiate your writing instruction meaningfully - for any genre #highschoolela #differentiation

Best Practices, Differentiating WritingMelissa KruseAugust 12, 2018argumentative writing, genres, tips, differentiationComment

9 Ways to Get Secondary Students to Enjoy Writing

How can teachers help older students enjoy writing? Negativity and reluctance is a mindset that is established early on. However, in middle and high school, certain teaching approaches and strategies can help to change the way students view themselves as writers. Create a positive writing culture and maintain it through the year. These nine approaches can help.

Writing Thank You Emails to Spread Kindness

Engage secondary students in a meaningful real-world writing activity at the end of the school year - or any time! Writing thank you letters is an important life skill, but it's becoming overshadowed by emails and text messages. Teach middle and high school students about how to spread love and kindness by encouraging others through writing.

7 Poetry Activities Students Love

Getting older students to read and write poetry can be hard. Engaging poetry activities are critical for obtaining student buy-in. In this post from Reading and Writing Haven, read about five poetry activities older students will enjoy.

A Writing Lesson to Get High School Students Thinking

Needing inspiration for teaching writing in high school? In this guest post, read about one of Language Arts Classroom's favorite writing lessons to get students thinking critically and taking ownership for their learning.