#178 Filler Lessons for the Unexpected Day

#178 Filler Lessons for the Unexpected Day

Author: Jacob Chastain & Pam Ochoa February 3, 2024 Duration: 0:00

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching.

This episode was previously unreleased on FREE feeds and was only available for our Patreon supporters. If you want more episodes like this and more content from the show, support us here. 

In this episode, Jacob and Pam answer Hanah’s question about a day when all the ELL students are being pulled from the class for a week due to TELPAS. Pam shares how she just had a moment last week when she only had five students left in class for a similar reason. Jacob discusses how these days occur for other reasons as well, so he has had to fill time with ‘filler’ lessons.

Pam recalls how she incorporates reading and writing into these types of days while offering a few writing strategies to get the students writing.  Jacob shares how he likes to use these days for team building activities.

Join Jacob and Pam as they share how workshop structure will help you be more flexible for the unexpected day!

The post #178 Filler Lessons for the Unexpected Day appeared first on Craft & Draft.


Jacob Chastain, from Teach Me, Teacher, and Pam Ochoa, an Abydos trainer, bring their combined classroom and coaching experience to every conversation on Craft & Draft. This isn't a theoretical lecture; it's a practical dialogue built on their specific Craft & Draft approach, designed to make the reading-writing workshop model work in real secondary classrooms. You'll hear them unpack the nuances of workshop teaching, from structuring effective mini-lessons to facilitating meaningful student conferences. They delve into the intentional separation of craft study and drafting time, offering actionable strategies for fostering independent, engaged writers and readers. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair in the teachers' lounge with two insightful colleagues who aren't afraid to discuss the challenges and celebrate the breakthroughs. The podcast serves as a steady resource for educators looking to move beyond theory and into the day-to-day reality of building a dynamic literacy workshop. Tune in for honest reflections, concrete examples, and the collective wisdom of two practitioners dedicated to refining their craft alongside their listeners.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Craft & Draft
Podcast Episodes
Greatest Hits: That Summer PD Vibe! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring to you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. “Jacob, are you doing any summer PD?’ J…
#229 Cheating and A.I. — What Are We To Do? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. In this episode, Jacob and Pam address the…
#228 Allow Students to Discover Reading [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. Allowing students to discover reading need…
#227 Teaching Frustrations: What to Do… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. Everyone gets overwhelmed, but what should…
Greatest Hits: Culture of the Writing Workshop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in an episode. Pam’s new schedule and Jacob’s have conflicted more than normal! We will be back to the regular schedule soon! In the meantime, here is one of our favorites from the early…
#226 Skill vs Comprehension Reading Instruction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. In this episode, Jacob and Pam discuss Rea…
#225 Pam’s New Adventure! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. In this episode, Pam rewinds her retiremen…
#224 Keeping the Joy of Writing Instruction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. Far too often educators give up teaching t…
#223 Objectives: Posted or Not Posted? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. Jacob listened to an educational podcast e…
Greatest Hits: Paper is Still King [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
This episode was previously published Sep. 18th, 2020 — right as we were getting back into our classrooms from the Covid shutdowns. We cover A LOT in this episode, and it holds strong for then as much as I does now. Enjo…