Introducing Writable’s First Podcast: Writing Matters with Dr. Troy Hicks ft. Carol Jago, Jim Burke, The HyperDoc Girls, and more!

Team Writable is so excited to announce our first podcast series: Writing Matters with Dr. Troy Hicks (our academic advisor).

This podcast brings together bestselling authors, veteran teachers, and thought leaders in both education and writing to share their unique advice, perspectives, and experience from the field.

Writing matters deeply to us all, and writing proficiency is the problem that we, and you, our readers and listeners, are passionately invested in improving.

As Carol Jago best puts it in our first episode: “Writing is power and it is essential. In the way we wouldn’t not teach some students how to how to swim, we need to teach all students how to write. It’s unsafe not to be able to write.”

Writing Matters is a podcast perfect for professional development and personal learning. You can watch full episodes on YouTube, or listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or Soundcloud. Check back every Wednesday for a new episode!

Enjoy our first three episodes featuring Carol Jago, Jim Burke, and two of the HyperDoc Girls: Sarah Landis and Lisa Highfill!

> In this episode, Troy speaks with Carol Jago, an English teacher of 32 years, celebrated author, associate director the California Reading and Literature Project at UCLA, and former president of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Troy and Carol speak to the challenges and successes in teaching students to revise and edit their own writing (a crucial aspect of writing growth). Carol also shares the difficult aspects of being a writer, recognizing that even the most accomplished writers struggle with the process. She beautifully articulates the importance and power in writing, and why it is such a crucial skill for all students.

For more on Carol’s work, visit her website and follow her on Twitter: @CarolJago

In this episode, Troy speaks with Jim Burke, an English teacher of more than 20 years, and bestselling author of numerous books, including The English Teacher’s Companion. Jim is also the founder of the English Companion Ning and has garnered numerous awards for his teaching and writing.

In their conversation, Jim and Troy speak about the importance of having a personal writing and reading practice to help bolster your teaching, and both share unique teaching tips for all educators. Jim is kind enough to show a recent innovation and secret to classroom success, The Daily Record, with instructions that all teachers can replicate.

For more on Jim’s work, visit his website and follow him on Twitter: @englishcomp

In this episode, Troy speaks with Lisa Highfill and Sarah Landis, better known as two of the Hyperdoc Girls and co-founders of the Hyperdoc movement. Lisa and Sarah are acclaimed authors, veteran educators turned instructional coaches, and both are Merit fellows.

They share a multitude of wonderful tips around focusing feedback to student needs, tying student interests to your teaching methods, and incorporating video into writing instruction to increase engagement. They share an obvious joy for both teaching and writing that is infectious to hear. Also, they speak to their “Teachers Give Teachers” initiative, inviting teachers to “[l]essen your workload, be inspired by other’s ideas and share your lessons.”

For more on Sarah and Lisa’s work, visit their website and follow them on Twitter: @SARAHLANDIS and @lhighfill