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Notes on teaching writing, thinking, and how Scaffold works — from a working teacher.

• Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, for writing teachers
  August 5, 2026

  The zone of proximal development is the gap between what a student can write alone and what they can write with help. Here is how to find it and use it.

• Seven writing scaffolds that work — and when to take each one down
  July 22, 2026

  Sentence starters, mentor texts, chunking, question ladders — seven writing scaffolds from a real classroom, each with the sign that it is time to remove it.

• What is scaffolding in writing? A plain-English guide from a working teacher
  July 22, 2026

  Scaffolding in writing means temporary support that helps a student write what they cannot yet write alone. Here is what that looks like in a real classroom.

• Scaffolding writing for ESL students: what helps and what gets in the way
  July 22, 2026

  ESL students do not need simpler thinking — they need language support around real thinking. Practical writing scaffolds for English learners, from an ESL classroom.

• How to help a stuck writer write the first sentence
  July 12, 2026

  The first sentence is the hardest one a young writer will face. Here is the move I use in my classroom: stop asking them to write, and start asking them a question.