4/29/25: The Student Writing Hack That Actually Works, Eat that Frog (Teacher Edition) & more!

Another week of touching hearts and changing lives!

But First, A Chuckle!

​Helpful Stuff

​One of the most asked questions we see from secondary ELA teachers online is:
“How do I get students to actually revise their writing instead of just fixing commas?”

Here’s a strategy that works like magic:

The “Color Code Revision” Method

Here’s how it works:

1. After students write their first draft, hand them highlighters in three colors.
   
   
2. Instruct them to highlight:
   💛 Yellow = Their thesis or topic sentence
   💚 Green = Their strongest piece of evidence
   💗 Pink = A sentence they added or rewrote completely during revision
   
   
3. The goal? At least three pink highlights by the end—so they have proof they made real changes, not just spelling tweaks.

You can even make it a game: whoever makes the most meaningful pink changes wins a small reward (or just serious ELA bragging rights).

This keeps students accountable and helps them visualize the difference between editing and revision—without you hovering over every draft.

Want a digital version? Have them use the “highlight” tool in Google Docs!

Recommendations

Straight from Brian Tracy’s “Eat That Frog”, here’s the mindset shift: Tackle your biggest frog (aka most important task) first thing in the morning.

For ELA teachers, that could mean:

1. Grading your trickiest set of essays during your first planning period—before your energy dips.
   
   
2. Tackling lesson plans for your least-engaging unit early in the week, not at the last minute.
   
   
3. Creating a quick “priority post-it” the night before with just one task that will move things forward (hint: it’s not checking email).

You don’t need more hours—you just need better frogs.
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Go try these out and let us know how it goes! Don’t forget to tag us in your posts on Instagram and Facebook!

PS: Don’t forget to leave reviews on TPT products you buy because you get credits that count towards your next purchase while helping a fellow teacher out —it’s a WIN-WIN! 🙌
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This Week’s Most Helpful Resources!

Grades 7–10 Mock Trial & Debate | “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton — no-prep
Engage your students in a mock trial activity based on S.E. Hinton's novel "The Outsiders." This resource allows students to delve into character analysis and persuasive argumentation by putting Johnny Cade on trial, fostering critical thinking and public speaking skills.

Class Vote Cards for Student Titles (MVP, Most Valuable Pupil, etc.)
Turn end-of-year or end-of-unit celebrations into a fun, student-centered experience! These printable voting cards let your class nominate peers for playful, positive titles like "MVP: Most Valuable Pupil" or "Future Novelist." Great for building community and ending the year with laughs and love. Easy to use, super engaging, and totally classroom-ready.

Engaging and Interesting Journal Writing Prompts for All Students
Say goodbye to “I don’t know what to write!” These high-interest prompts are designed to spark ideas, reflection, and creativity in even the most reluctant writers. Perfect for bell ringers, warm-ups, or early finisher activities—and they work across grade levels! Your students will actually want to write.

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A Little Inspiration

​We feel like this work is an art, science, and a beautiful craft! And because of that, our headspace really matters when we are trying to show up as our best selves for our students, our loved ones, and ourselves!

We’d like to think of this as a little bit like life coaching for teachers. 🙌

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​Sharing is caring—so please forward this to any teacher that could benefit from this message and help spread the love!

The goal of these messages is to help ourselves improve—for our students, for our loved ones, and for ourselves. 

You can always reply to this message or message us on Facebook here!

Keep touching hearts and changing lives!
Charlie with Shining Scholar Education
Our podcast is back—check it out!
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