Stellar Teacher Podcast: A Podcast for Upper Elementary Teachers

Writing instruction can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to fit everything in and help students meet grade-level expectations. But what if some of the things we think we need to do to build strong writers are actually making writing instruction harder than it needs to be?
In this episode, Emily and Sara are breaking down five common writing instruction myths they believed as classroom teachers and sharing what they would do differently now. From focusing too much on essays and isolated grammar practice to feeling like you need a dedicated writing block, they’re sharing practical shifts that can help you simplify your writing instruction while building stronger, more confident writers.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why strong writing instruction starts at the sentence level before moving into paragraphs and essays.
How to teach grammar in the context of actual student writing.
Why you don’t need a dedicated writing block to help students become better writers.
How focusing your feedback on one or two skills can make writing more manageable.
Why building strong writers is ultimately better test prep than teaching specifically to the test.

You don’t need a perfect writing block or a complicated approach to help your students grow. By slowing down, focusing on foundational skills, and being intentional about the writing opportunities already happening throughout your day, you can help students build the confidence and skills they need to become stronger writers.
Grab your FREE sentence writing routine guide - stellarteacher.com/sentence
Learn more about the Stellar Literacy Collective - stellarteacher.com/join

Have you ever sat down to teach a small group only to realize you’re spending half your attention wondering what the rest of your class is doing?
Maybe students are interrupting you with questions. Someone is suddenly wandering around the room. Another student has been “working” on the same question for 20 minutes. And you’re starting to wonder: How am I supposed to actually teach my small group AND manage everyone else?
If small groups feel harder than you expected, it doesn’t mean you’re doing them wrong.
In this episode, Sara and Emily are wrapping up our Small Group Success series by tackling one of the biggest challenges of small group instruction: managing the rest of your class while you’re teaching.
And we’re starting with a reminder we think more teachers need to hear: You have flexibility.
If your students can’t successfully work independently for 45 minutes, don’t ask them to. If they can handle 15 minutes, teach a 15-minute small group and then bring everyone back together. You don’t have to force your students into a small group schedule just because you think that’s what small groups are “supposed” to look like.
We also talk about why you don’t need to meet with every student in a small group. Instead, ask yourself: Which students actually need additional practice with my support? Your goal isn’t to fit every student into a rotation—it’s to use your instructional time where it will have the greatest impact.
From there, we’re sharing simple, practical ways to make small group time run more smoothly. We talk about explicitly teaching expectations, giving students plenty of opportunities to practice being independent, creating a plan for what students should do when they need help, and using visual cues to reduce interruptions.
And before you create an elaborate new reward system or classroom management plan, Sara has an important reminder: keep it simple. The behavior systems you already use may be all you need. Small groups don’t have to become one more complicated thing for you to manage.
Finally, we share a quick reflection routine that can help students take more ownership over small group time and recognize that what they’re doing while you’re teaching matters, too.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to structure small groups around what your students can realistically handle
Why you don’t have to meet with every student in a small group
How to set clear expectations for independent work time
Simple ways to reduce interruptions while you’re teaching
Why you probably don’t need another behavior management system
How a two-minute reflection can help students take more ownership

If small groups haven’t been working the way you hoped, you don’t need to throw out the whole idea or assume you’re doing something wrong.
You know your students best.
Give yourself permission to adjust the schedule, shorten the independent work time, rethink who actually needs a small group, and create routines that work for the students sitting in your classroom.
Small groups don’t have to look perfect. They need to work for you and your students.
The Stellar Literacy Collective - stellarteacher.com/join

Episode 327: What Should the Rest of Your Class Do During Small Groups?
You’ve planned an intentional lesson for the students at your small group table—but then comes the other question: What should the rest of your class be doing while you teach?
For years, Emily assumed small group instruction automatically meant centers and rotations. One group was doing word work, another was reading, another was on the computer—and every 15 minutes, everyone rotated. But small groups don’t have to be that complicated. Your students can all work on the same meaningful literacy activity, or you can rely on a few predictable routines that students already know how to complete independently.
In this episode, Emily shares practical ways to simplify what the rest of your class is doing during small group instruction—without constantly searching for, creating, and prepping new activities. You’ll learn four literacy routines you can use again and again: partner fluency practice, sentence writing, writing about reading, and purposeful independent reading. The goal isn’t to create an entirely separate literacy block for your independent students. It’s to build on the instruction and routines you’re already using.
Emily also shares why independent work needs a clear connection back to your instruction, how a quick whole-class check-in can create accountability, and one mistake she made when assigning graded work during small group time.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why small groups don’t have to mean complicated centers and rotations
How predictable routines can make independent work easier for students—and require less planning from you
Four meaningful activities students can do while you teach a small group
How to use partner fluency practice as a repeatable routine where the structure stays the same and the text changes
How sentence writing and writing about reading can extend instruction you’re already doing
How to make independent reading more purposeful by connecting it to the knowledge students are building
Why bringing students back together after independent practice creates accountability and helps you catch misconceptions
Why you should be thoughtful about assigning graded work when some students will have less independent work time because they’re meeting with you

Next week, we’re continuing our Small Group Success series with a conversation all about behavior management during small groups—including setting expectations, reducing interruptions, and helping students work independently while you focus on the students at your table. Pasted text(20260925-153458)
Resources Mentioned:
FREE Sentence Writing Activities: stellarteacher.com/sentences
You’ve planned an intentional lesson for the students at your small group table...but then comes the other question: What should the rest of your class be doing while you teach?
For years, Emily assumed small group instruction automatically meant centers and rotations. One group was doing word work, another was reading, another was on the computer—and every 15 minutes, everyone rotated. But small groups don’t have to be that complicated. Your students can all work on the same meaningful literacy activity, or you can rely on a few predictable routines that students already know how to complete independently.
In this episode, Emily shares practical ways to simplify what the rest of your class is doing during small group instruction—without constantly searching for, creating, and prepping new activities. You’ll learn four literacy routines you can use again and again: partner fluency practice, sentence writing, writing about reading, and purposeful independent reading. The goal isn’t to create an entirely separate literacy block for your independent students. It’s to build on the instruction and routines you’re already using.
Emily also shares why independent work needs a clear connection back to your instruction, how a quick whole-class check-in can create accountability, and one mistake she made when assigning graded work during small group time.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why small groups don’t have to mean complicated centers and rotations
How predictable routines can make independent work easier for students—and require less planning from you
Four meaningful activities students can do while you teach a small group
How to use partner fluency practice as a repeatable routine where the structure stays the same and the text changes
How sentence writing and writing about reading can extend instruction you’re already doing
How to make independent reading more purposeful by connecting it to the knowledge students are building
Why bringing students back together after independent practice creates accountability and helps you catch misconceptions
Why you should be thoughtful about assigning graded work when some students will have less independent work time because they’re meeting with you

Next week, we’re continuing our Small Group Success series with a conversation all about behavior management during small groups—including setting expectations, reducing interruptions, and helping students work independently while you focus on the students at your table.
Resources Mentioned:
FREE Sentence Writing Activities: stellarteacher.com/sentence
Small Group Success Checklist: stellarteacher.com/smallgroup

Small group instruction is a regular part of many literacy blocks—but what actually makes a small group effective? And do you really need to meet with every student every day?
In this episode, Emily is joined by Dr. Julia Lindsey to rethink some of the traditional ways teachers approach small group reading instruction. Instead of starting with rotations, reading levels, or the pressure to get every student to the teacher table, Julia encourages teachers to start with something much more important: the specific needs of their students.
Julia shares why small group instruction is most powerful when it gives teachers an opportunity to differentiate instruction, provide immediate feedback, and target the skills students need additional support with. She also explains why small groups don't have to look the way they've always looked—and why it's okay if every student doesn't meet with you every day.
You'll also hear practical advice for using assessment data and informal observations to make instructional decisions, managing the rest of your class while you're meeting with a group, and designing a small group schedule around your students rather than trying to fit your students into a predetermined schedule.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why effective small group instruction starts with student needs, not a predetermined schedule or rotation
How small groups give teachers an opportunity to differentiate instruction and provide immediate, precise feedback
Why you don't have to meet with every student every day for small group instruction to be effective
How to use assessment data and informal observations to identify targeted skills for small group practice
Why reading comprehension is complex—and what that means when you're deciding what to teach in a small group
How a triage approach can help you prioritize which students need additional teacher support
Why knowing your readers is one of the most important parts of making small group instruction more effective
How to rethink traditional small group structures and create an approach that works for the students in front of you

If small groups have ever left you feeling like you need to do more, meet with more students, or somehow fit more rotations into an already packed literacy block, this conversation is your reminder that small group instruction is a tool you can use—not a structure you have to serve. Focus on knowing your students, identifying what they need, and designing your instruction from there.
Resources Mentioned:
Small Group Success Checklist: stellarteacher.com/smallgroup
Check out the Stellar Literacy Collective: stellarteacher.com/join

Small group instruction is probably built into your literacy block—but have you ever stopped to ask: What is the actual purpose of small groups?
For years, Emily knew she was supposed to teach small groups, but she wasn't always sure what students should actually be doing once they got to the teacher table. Like many teachers, she focused on creating groups, planning rotations, finding leveled texts, and managing the rest of the class. But the most important question often got overlooked: What do these students need to practice with my support?
In this episode, Emily breaks down the real purpose of small group instruction and shares a simple mindset shift that can completely change the way you plan. Small group isn't a curriculum or a specific type of lesson. It's an instructional structure that gives students more opportunities to practice a targeted skill while you observe, provide immediate feedback, and adjust your instruction based on what you notice.
You'll also learn why strong small group instruction starts with specific student needs (not reading levels) and how using multiple layers of data can help you pinpoint exactly what students need to practice.
In this episode, you'll learn:
The real purpose of small group instruction—and why it's not simply getting every student to the teacher table
Why small group is an instructional structure, not a curriculum
How small groups increase opportunities for meaningful student practice
Why immediate, precise feedback is one of the biggest benefits of teaching students in a smaller setting
The planning shift from “What am I going to teach?” to “What do my students need to practice with my support?”
Why effective small groups should be flexible and responsive to what you notice about your students

Next week, we're wrapping up our Small Group Success series with a special guest! You're not going to want to miss that!
Resources Mentioned:
Small Group Success Checklist: stellarteacher.com/smallgroup