How Becoming a Children’s Book Author Changed the Way I Teach Writing

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When I first started teaching, I didn’t really know how to teach writing.

I knew it was important. I had some textbooks. I had a stack of construction paper and glitter. 

And I had a lot of hope.

So we made pop-up books and paper-plate characters. We turned in Tall Tales written on scrolls of receipt paper. We displayed stories with cotton balls and googly eyes.

It was creative.
It was fun.
But it wasn’t teaching writing.

I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and no one had really shown me how.


Why Was Writing So Hard to Teach?

Part of the problem was that writing is invisible. You can’t point to it the way you can point to a math formula. There’s no clear-cut path. There’s no single right answer.

I tried rubrics. I tried sentence starters. I tried grading checklists.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was guessing.
And that my students were guessing, too.

The bright ones thrived. The quiet ones hid. And the reluctant writers? They copied from the board or wrote two lines and shut down.

I cared deeply about writing. But I couldn’t seem to teach it in a way that mattered.


Then Everything Changed

Years later, something unexpected happened: I became a published children’s book author.

I stepped away from the classroom and stepped into the world of publishing where I worked with talented editors at Disney-Hyperion, HarperCollins, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

And let me tell you: I learned more about writing in those few years than I had in my entire teaching career.

Why? Because for the first time, I was being edited. Brilliant, thoughtful editors were showing me how to:

  • Revise with intention

  • Write with voice

  • Restructure a piece to make it stronger

  • Cut what didn’t work (even if I loved it)

  • Think about pacing, imagery, rhythm, and flow

  • Write with a reader in mind

And most importantly, they showed me that good writing doesn’t happen all at once.


It happens through cycles. Through clarity. Through feedback.


Through structure.


(My novel with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt-- slightly autobiographical and slightly therapeutic)


Coming Back to the Classroom

When I returned to teaching, I came back with new eyes.

I realized how disconnected most classroom writing programs were from what real writers actually do.


They focused on:

  • Rules

  • Formulas

  • Essay formats

  • Checklists

  • Rubrics

…without helping students think like actual writers.

And honestly? That made me mad.

We were giving students paint-by-number templates and wondering why their writing wasn’t vibrant.

So I decided to change things.


🚗Schrreech!! This is Where I Pull the Car Over

Hold up.

This part, I need you to hear. Full attention... the whole deal. 

If you teach writing and you only get ONE takeaway from my story, let it be this:

The most important thing I learned from my editors had nothing to do with grammar or structure—it was about encouragement. 

My editors were masters at finding the diamonds in my drafts and pointing them out. No clever line went unnoticed. They’d highlight a sentence with “LOL” or drop a smiley face in the margin. They reacted with excitement, joy, and genuine appreciation for the parts of my writing that worked. 

And you know what? That feedback fueled me. 

It made me want to write more. 

It made me want to get even better.

So when I returned to the classroom, I went all in on motivation and feedback that lifts kids up, not feedback that scares them off. I started highlighting their best lines. I started using real reactions, showing real joy, and helping students recognize what they were doing well. 

Because when students feel seen as writers, they show up differently. 

And they keep coming back to the page.


>>ok let's get back on the road :)


The Writing Program I Wish I’d Had

I started building a workshop model based on what I had learned in the publishing world, and adapted it to work with real middle schoolers.

Here’s what I changed:

🎯 I stopped teaching “all the things”

Instead of cramming in every writing standard, I focused on six essential skills:
Voice. Hooks. Sentence complexity. Figurative language. Imagery. Show, don’t tell.
I spiral those skills all year long so students can actually master them.

🧠 I built it around student-led routines

Students set their own goals.
They start the workshop.
They keep time.
They run the show.
Because ownership = engagement.

✨ I created a writing environment that feels real

Mood matters.
We use music, warm lights, and quotes from real authors.
Writing time feels sacred. Different. Purposeful.

💬 I made feedback authentic

I don’t just grade final drafts. I walk around and “diamond mine” during workshop, pulling great lines and showing them to the class. Students want to be spotted. They want their line on the screen.

That’s feedback that sticks.


It’s Still Evolving—But It Works

Now, writing is one of the calmest, most productive parts of our day.


Even the students who used to dread writing are engaged. They know what to work on. They understand how writing works.

And maybe most importantly, they see themselves as writers.

Not just kids completing an assignment...

writers.


Want to Learn More?

If you’re curious about how I teach writing now or want to explore a structure that might work better for your students, I walk through the full system in my online workshop training.

It’s a self-paced video course that shows you exactly how I run writing block, teach mini lessons, get students revising, and build writing confidence without burning out.

🎯 You can check it out here:
👉 The Structured Writing Teacher Training

Even if you don’t make a single change, I hope my story helps you feel a little more confident, a little more supported, and a little less alone in this messy, magical work of teaching writing.

Cheers,

Robin

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