You Don't Need New Writing Curriculum...What Finally Helped Me Fix My Writing Program (And Why I’ll Never Go Back)

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There was a time when my writing block was the most exhausting part of my day.

I knew writing mattered. I knew students needed time to explore ideas, take risks, revise, and find their voice. I wanted my classroom to feel like a space where writers actually wrote.

But no matter how hard I tried, it just… didn’t work.

Some students barely wrote anything.


Others scribbled five lines and said, “I’m done.”


A few thrived—but even then, it was usually because they were natural writers to begin with.

The rest were lost. And honestly? So was I.


The Turning Point

The shift didn’t happen overnight. It came after years of trying to make various writing programs “fit” my students—and failing.

Then, I left the classroom to tour as a children’s book author. I worked with editors, publishers, and writing teams. I was immersed in what real writing looked like behind the scenes.

And I kept thinking… Why don’t we teach our students to write the way professional writers actually work?

I started sketching out a new kind of writing workshop—one that combined what I learned from the publishing world with what I knew about middle school classrooms. It had to be:

  • Structured (because chaos helps no one)

  • Motivating (because if they don’t care, they won’t write)

  • Student-led (because I can’t be the only one doing the work)

  • Repeatable and sustainable (because no one has time to reinvent the wheel every week)

That’s when everything changed.


What My Writing Workshop Looks Like Now

I call it the Structured Writing Workshop, and I run it with the same rhythm every week. Once the students get it, they own it.

Here’s what made the biggest difference:


🕯️ We Start with Mood & Routine

We set the tone right away—lights dimmed, twinkle lights on, a soft playlist, and a projected quote from a real author.

It’s not just aesthetic. It’s signaling to the brain that this time is different. Writing time feels calm and creative.

My students even know the routine by heart:

  • Student leaders kick things off (yes, they lead it!)

  • Writers state their goals out loud

  • Everyone draws a line on their page to show how far they want to write

There’s clarity, momentum, and a little bit of magic.


🔥 Mini Lessons Are Short and Strategic

I don’t lecture.

I teach six core writing skills on repeat throughout the year:

  • Voice

  • Hooks

  • Sentence Complexity

  • Figurative Language

  • Vivid Imagery

  • Show, Don’t Tell

One skill. One clear example. Seven minutes max.


Then we move into writing immediately.

I’ve learned that depth beats quantity, and spiraling back to the same core skills gives students a chance to actually master them. We never give up on a skill, and I make them a promise at the beginning of the year:

Follow along and you will become a strong writer.

I also love showing them before-and-after shots of writing from my previous students. They are SHOCKED.

For example, here is a student of mine at the beginning of the year. He is an ELL student and tries very hard to be accurate. 


He heard my promise at the beginning of the year and followed along closely. By semester two, here are the types of stories I was getting from him:




It's mind-blowing.


💎 We Go Diamond Mining

This might be my favorite part.

As students write, I quietly walk the room, hunting for “diamonds”—lines that sparkle with voice, risk, or craft. When I find one, I pop it onto the projector or write it on my whiteboard.

They light up. They want to be found.

Instead of correcting mistakes, we highlight what’s working.

Instead of vague revision tips, we study student writing in the moment.

It’s authentic, immediate, and affirming.

They also meet in trios at the end of each session to share their writing. The group members are prompted to share out diamonds they found in someone else's writing.

This builds such community in my classroom.


What’s Different Now

Since launching this structure in my classroom, here’s what’s happened:

  • Students write more and with greater confidence

  • Behavior issues during writing time have dropped dramatically

  • They use writing terms (like “complex sentence” or “imagery”) in real conversations

  • They ask to keep working even when the timer goes off

It doesn’t mean every student loves writing—yet.

But it means they’re trying.

It means they feel like writers.

And that is a huge win.


Want to Learn Exactly How I Run It?

If reading this made you nod along—if you’re feeling frustrated or stuck with writing instruction—I want to show you exactly how I set it all up.

I created a full, on-demand training that walks through:

  • How to set up the student-led structure

  • What each day of writing block looks like

  • How to teach those six core writing skills (with examples)

  • How to keep students motivated and revising without burning out

It's self-paced and super practical—designed for real teachers with real classrooms. You’ll walk away with a plan that’s flexible, repeatable, and honestly… fun again.

💻 Check out the full training here:
👉 LEARN THE STRUCTURED WRITING METHOD

Whether you’re launching something new or just tweaking what you already do, I hope it helps you reclaim writing time—and get your students fully engaged.

Happy writing,

Robin

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