#182 Essays and Possibilities

#182 Essays and Possibilities

Author: Jacob Chastain & Pam Ochoa March 2, 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. 

It has been a busy year and the time of essay writing is upon everyone.  Educators in all situations are feeling the pressure to get their students up to par composing essays.

In this episode, Pam discusses how she goes about teaching the essay.  She shares some of the resources that she has used to get her up to speed in years past.  Pam explains why workshop teachers must allow the students to write from their own experiences.  These experiences come from their own life but can also be found from their responses to the materials and texts they read in class or on their own.

Join Pam as she shares all the possibilities of essay writing.  As Barry Lane once said, “…they need to be shown possibilities.”  May you find some possibilities to use in the writing workshop.

The post #182 Essays and Possibilities 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
#213 Starting Units and Poetry (Q&A) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Hello everyone! Bonus episode 2 is here for you to enjoy! It’s a full hour of workshop talk + we addressed a few questions you submitted. Below are the questions we tackle in this one. Thank you for supporting the show!…
#212 Low-stakes Writing: Why? [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. Many curriculum documents do not include t…
#211 Navigating Political Seasons as an Educator [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
In this episode of Craft & Draft, we dive into the delicate balance teachers face when navigating political discussions in the classroom. How can educators remain neutral while still encouraging students to explore diver…
#210 A Focus on the School Library [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. The concept of a school library is changin…
#209 How We Use QuickWrites in Writing Workshop [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. We are trying something new: an episode th…
#208 Standards: Academic or Kid Friendly [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 whe…
#207 Workshop in a Boxed Curriculum [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 answer a li…
#206 Develop the Future of Your Workshop (PD) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Hello everyone! In this LIVE PD, Pam and Jacob dove into what the future of your workshop could look like. AKA… Previously, this episode was a PATREON only episode. If you’d like to see the video, join us here. We give p…
#205 A Wide Array of Workshop Wonderings [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 share their…
#204 The Dos of Starting Workshop [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. The new school year is around the corner f…