It’s tough when you’re a teacher and realize that the usual tricks of the trade just aren’t cutting it. Teaching in the trenches, especially when students are in that “too cool for middle school” phase, can feel like trying to herd caffeinated cats… Especially when they suddenly lose all their energy and full-on apathy takes over the second you mention it’s time to write.
So let’s talk game plan.
Step 1: Set the Vibe
- Tiny Wins First: Start with consistent, low-stakes activities that build confidence. Do this every. single. day (either as a timed warm-up at the very beginning of class, or as a timed “exit ticket” at the end of class). The goal is to establish that (1) we are a writing-rich classroom and we write every day, (2) to start building stamina and confidence for writing… and (3) to prove to your students that writing is much more than just a lengthy, literary essay. → Use super short, creative prompts like, “Describe your dream lunchroom menu in three sentences,” or “If you were a meme, what would it say?”
- Mix it Up: If they feel like the topic is relevant to them, they’ll lean in. Bring in unconventional materials for students to discuss and write about, like:
– Memes >> Students use the meme to write about their own story or life experience based on the truth (or untruth) in that meme
– “Day in the life of a student” video clips from YouTube >> Can be interesting to see high school and college kids and how they hustle to get things done)
– Song lyrics for analysis and writing (available in the poetry and narrative writing units)
Step 2: Structure Like a Pro
- Chunk it Down: To build confidence and stamina, break everything into bite-sized, manageable tasks with very small, specific time goals (Think: 1-3 minutes max for each part). For writing, that could mean:
- Brainstorm 5 ideas in 1 minute.
- Write 3 sentences about one idea in the next 2 minutes.
- Share with a partner and add 1 extra detail based on their feedback.
- Gradually move into longer timed writing experiences, especially when taking advantage of my “Quotes for Thinking & Writing” and / or my “Images for Thinking & Writing” To really build both confidence and stamina, students must do this consistently at least once a week (go for twice a week if possible, and after a while you can drop back down to once a week or once every two weeks). Here’s the student-friendly handout I use for this activity. If you want my whole strategy on this, click here and read the step-by-step how-to article I wrote that details everything.
Step 3: Motivate with Magic
- Personalize It: Let them write about them. Give choices for writing topics—personal narratives, their opinions on silly debates (Is cereal a soup?), or “how-to” guides for things they’re obsessed with.
- Bribe…er, Reward: Use incentives that they’ll actually care about, free seating day, a homework pass, drop the lowest grade, or the ultimate currency: a movie day with snacks. Better yet, ask students what reward they would want to earn (within reason). Tie the reward to whole-class effort to help students push each other so you’re not the only one driving the motivation.
Step 4: Build Accountability
- Daily Check-ins: Use exit tickets. Ask for one sentence summarizing what they accomplished that day and one goal for tomorrow. It keeps them honest, and you can track trends over time.
- Team Work: Let them write in pairs or small groups. Sometimes peer pressure is the best motivator. Bonus: fewer kids complaining, “I don’t know what to write.”
- Talk First, Then Write: It really is tough to just sit down and write (even for me as an adult with an M.Ed. and blog and a love of writing!!!) Regardless of the prompt or assignment, set a timer and have students talk through with each other what they think they could write about before actually writing. Model it first through role play for the class so they know what to do. Example:
– Student A >> “So we’re supposed to write about _________?”
– Student B >> “I guess so, but what does ______ mean?”
– Student C >> “I think it means ______ so that’s what I’m doing.”
– Student B >> “Oh yeah, that makes sense.”
– Student A >> “Yeah, but, what are you actually going to write?”
– Student C >> “I think I’m going to say _______ and then _____.”
– Student A >> “That’s a good idea. So then what could I write?”
– Student B >> “Well, for mine, I’m going to write ______.”
– Student A >> “I get it. I’ll write about _____ for mine.”
The timer goes off, and students start writing. It’s much more effective for them to write when they’ve literally just talked through what they’re going to do.
Step 5: The Ultimate Choice
Sometimes, they’re just not going to be “on,” no matter what you do. Here’s what has been super effective for me to use for those students who absolutely refuse (for whatever reason) to write: They. Still. Have. To. Write. SOMETHING, so below is the handout I give them to “replace” what they are refusing to do (I have lots of copies of this on hand, ready to go as needed)⤵
I give them a form with five questions on it that they HAVE to respond to (in writing, of course). The form appears below on the next page.
Those👆five questions are suuuuuuper thought-provoking and uber-reflective for the student who refuses to work on the original writing assignment. (And more often than not, as soon students start to try to answer those questions, they give up and just DO the original assignment lol).
But for the student who just. won’t. write., this is the alternative.
I tell them I HAVE to have something from them for the day. So the choice is either the original assignment, or THIS assignment. I explain it privately to them at my “teacher table” and I make sure they know they’re NOT in trouble (unless they flat out refuse to even do the form because at that point, it’s straight up defiant behavior so you would then follow your school’s protocol for behavior). Otherwise, no one’s “in trouble” here, and they DO have a choice (either those 5 questions, or the actual assignment).
The five questions give me huge insight into what’s blocking them from writing… But more importantly, it allows them to take control of what they do or do not understand.
Often, I do have students who suddenly “get what the prompt is asking” by the time they finish question #2 on that form. This tells me (and them) that they weren’t really thinking about the prompt the first time around, or that they read too quickly, or that they went into the assignment already deciding that they didn’t get it.
For students who are the “IDK” kids for everything (as in, it’s easier to just say “I don’t know” when asked what’s blocking them, or what’s confusing them, or what they need help with, etc.), the remaining three questions on that form are worded in a way that they can’t simply opt-out of thinking about what they need in order to complete the actual assignment. It gives them a chance to truly think about what they need help with, and it’s empowering for them to be able to say, “Oh, I wish I could use my notes for this paragraph I have to write” or “If I could have help understanding the article better than I think I could write about it.”
Name: ________________________________
Date: ________________ Class: ___________
Respond to the following tasks:
- Copy the prompt (or the writing instructions) exactly as it appears.
- Now paraphrase the prompt (writing instructions) in your own words.
Complete the following statements:
- If I understood what _____________________________________ means from the writing assignment, then I could get started.
- If I knew how to ________________________________________, then I could ___________________________________________.
- If I could use _______________________________________ to help me get started, then I think I could do this.
