TEACHER. WRITER. LEARNER.
Believer in education, equity, and kindness.
About Me
About Melanie
Having begun her teaching career as a special education teacher, Melanie has been the Elementary Writing and Social Studies Coordinator in Simsbury, Connecticut since 2012, and her passion for writing has led to several books and publications.
Melanie’s first book, Every Child Can Write, was published by Corwin Press in October 2019. With a foundational belief that all students can learn to write, this book provides strategies and resources that teachers can use, duplicate, and gather inspiration from. The Responsive Writing Teacher, co-written with Kelsey Sorum, was published in February 2021 and emphasizes the importance of knowing and understanding students across many platforms in order to teach them powerfully. Melanie’s most recent book, Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing, is part of Corwin Press’s Five to Thrive Series.
Melanie is also a co-author of Two Writing Teachers, a blog dedicated to the teaching of writing, and her writing can also be found at Choice Literacy and Lead Literacy. Melanie’s past conference presentations and additional blogs and articles can be found here.
Melanie holds a BA from Cornell University, an MA in Special Education from the University of Hartford, and a second MA in Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University. Melanie also has her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing through the Solstice MFA Program of Pine Manor College.
When she’s not writing, reading, or teaching, Melanie’s four daughters keep her busy, as well as yoga, dog walking, cooking, and spending time with friends.
My Books
My Resources
Resources For Students
Resources For Caregivers
Options for Services
While I will individualize and tailor any service for the specific needs and budgets of districts, I have described some forms of professional development below:
1) On-site Professional Development
This work involves working with teachers on an identified topic of interest or a specific set of goals. The work could involve a series of days with a combination of workshops, classroom demonstrations, and teacher coaching.
2) Full-Day Workshops
Full-day workshops are designed for larger groups of teachers during designated professional learning days. I can work together in order to develop and deliver presentations that are both inspirational and practical for a wide range of teachers.
3) Distance Learning Workshops
Shorter in duration, these workshops address a specific topic. Many participants can join, interacting and responding to strategies and ideas that they can incorporate into their instruction immediately.
4) Curriculum Writing and Curriculum Support
Usually done with a group of teachers or coaching, we create units of study or specific materials needed for a school or district. Depending on the time and goals, we can create written materials, accompanying videos, and assessment materials.
