Ok, but what if the secret to getting them to read is getting them to WRITE?? - BNT Team Meeting [S7 EP. 276]

Listen to the full episode below:

Ever have one of those weeks where your brain goes down a rabbit hole you did not see coming? That was me (Marie here!), heading into this episode. I fully intended to dig deeper into that Atlantic article about the literacy epidemic… and then a totally different article popped up on my Instagram feed and sent me spiraling in a new direction. 

Before I knew it, I was connecting the dots between reading resistance, writing avoidance, student emotions, and the way anxiety is showing up in classrooms more than ever. Watching my own kids navigate school, plus having seniors suddenly binge-reading a series they refused to touch last year, really had me thinking about how much timing, maturity, and emotional bandwidth shape literacy - way more than we sometimes acknowledge.

As I kept thinking (and talking, and overthinking), I realized how often our school systems try to help kids by protecting them from discomfort… but in doing so, we may actually be feeding the anxiety monster instead of shrinking it. And honestly? It made me rethink the literacy conversation entirely. 

If avoidance fuels anxiety, and exposure builds resilience, maybe one of the most powerful entry points for rebuilding reading stamina is actually through writing…yes, the very thing so many students are dodging with AI shortcuts and “I can’t” energy. I share how this all clicked for me, what I’m noticing in my classroom, and how I’m planning to gently nudge students into more authentic attempts at writing as a path back to deeper reading. 

All that, plus a quick life update because… it’s Thanksgiving week and I’m finally moving back into my house!

topics discussed:

  • How an article about student anxiety shifted the entire episode’s direction

  • The connection between emotional development, readiness, and literacy skills

  • Real classroom examples of students suddenly becoming hungry readers

  • The impact of avoidance-based accommodations on long-term anxiety

  • Why writing may be a powerful entry point for rebuilding reading stamina

  • Growing student reliance on AI and what it reveals about academic resistance

resources:

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More about Brave New Teaching:

Join hosts Amanda Cardenas (Mud & Ink Teaching) and Marie Morris (The Caffeinated Classroom) in discussions about being brave, trying new things, and all things teaching! As seasoned classroom teachers, Amanda and Marie bring their experience, insight, energy, and oh, so many opinions and ideas... It's time for all teachers to take their classroom and teaching practice into their own hands!

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