The First Writing Routine You Should Teach After Break (It Makes Everything Easier)

If you’re coming back from a long break, you already know how this feels.

Students are rusty.
Routines are shaky.
And jumping straight into writing assignments can feel overwhelming for everyone.

You know your students need to practice writing skills again.
You know claims, evidence, and justification matter.

But you also know that assigning an essay on day one back isn’t realistic or effective.

That’s why this episode focuses on a different starting point.

In this episode, I share the first writing routine you should teach after break, and it doesn’t involve students writing anything at all. Instead, it helps you rebuild evidence-based thinking through everyday class discussions you’re already having.

This routine works because it meets students where they are. It gives them low-pressure, daily practice connecting ideas to evidence and explaining their reasoning, long before they’re asked to write paragraphs or essays again.

We talk about why verbal practice is one of the most overlooked parts of writing instruction, how to give real-time feedback during discussions, and why asking students to explain why their evidence works is one of the most powerful moves you can make as a teacher.

If you’ve ever wondered why students struggle with justification when they write, this episode will help you fix that problem before it ever shows up on the page.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ The best first writing routine doesn’t involve writing
Students can practice claims, evidence, and justification orally during discussions, which lowers pressure and rebuilds confidence after break.

2️⃣ Real-time feedback matters more than written comments
Asking follow-up questions like “Why?” and “How does that evidence support your idea?” helps students strengthen their reasoning in the moment.

3️⃣ Daily discussion builds stronger writers
When students regularly explain their thinking out loud, writing later feels more natural and less overwhelming.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Evidence-Based Writing Approach
Claims, Evidence, and Justification Framework

MORE FROM EB ACADEMICS

If you want a clear, repeatable framework for teaching evidence-based writing across discussions and writing tasks, explore the EB Writing Approach inside the EB Teachers ELA Portal.

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