Meanwhile, your kids? They're going through the motions. Writing because they have to, not because they want to. Treating essays like a formula to survive, not a skill that matters.
And here's the kicker:
Another weekend sacrificed to the essay-grading altar. Another stack of papers that all sound the same. Another round of feedback that students don’t actually use.
You're drowning in essay drafts.
Let me guess...
You're not even sure if it's working.
When you finally resurface from grading purgatory, you wonder—
Is this the only way to teach writing rigor? Is this the only way to hit standards?
The answer, my fellow teacher-friend, is a hard NO!
The essay isn't the problem...
It's the assumption that essays are the only way students can show depth, reasoning, and insight.
What if your strongest essay lesson didn't involve assigning an essay at all?
What if...
What if students learned the thinking behind academic writing through formats that feel modern, visual, and genuinely worth doing—without adding hours to your grading load?
What if...
essays
Not abandoning essays.
Not lowering the bar.
entire
That's the shift...
Just refusing to let define the
writing experience.
Just refusing to let
essays
define the
entire
writing experience...
Every strategy inside this resource bundle builds a core essay skill—brainstorming, reasoning, elaboration, drawing conclusions—through formats students will actually use beyond graduation.
Introducing...
You'll still meet standards.
You'll still build writing stamina.
But now, all that student work leads somewhere.
And you?
You'll reclaim your weekends—and remember why you loved teaching writing in the first place.
5 resource kits in one PLUS the full workshop series to help you implement!
Take a peek inside!
This resource breaks you free from repetitive drafting cycles and gives you a broader range of writing experiences that build the same (or stronger!) skills that essays intend to teach—in ways that actually transfer beyond the classroom.
Step Inside Your Teaching Transformation
...are looking for practical, plug-and-play resources you can implement Monday morning and a clear roadmap that shows exactly how to teach writing skills in your classroom.
...know there's a better way to teach writing—more engaging, more relevant, and without sacrificing weekends to grading—but you're overwhelmed by starting from scratch or deviating from the "approved" curriculum.
...are drowning in a sea of lifeless, formulaic essays—and you're tired of reading five-paragraph structures that all sound exactly the same.
who this is for:
ELA 6-12 teachers who...
Watch your students light up about writing (yes, really!).
Re-ignite your own teaching energy with strategies that feel fresh
Lighten your grading workload while still hitting standards
What You’ll Gain:
'Aligning Standards' guidebooks — so you can map every move back to your core teaching standards (plus, these come in handy when admin asks!)
Student Toolkits — student-facing materials for each and every strategy
5 writing resource kits — these contain my most powerful writing strategies, plus a complete step-by-step for implementing each
The official, video workshop series — bingeworthy PD that doesn't insult your intelligence (and that you can knock out at lunch!)
What's Included:
Great ideas don't happen on the page—they happen before it. Whereas traditional brainstorming asks students to retrieve their thoughts, The Compass Method invites them to discover both potential and depth in their ideas.
If you want to produce better writers, you don't need more writing. You need more thinking. This strategy is your way in.
01. Brainstorming
The introduction is the paragraph students dread writing most. Not anymore! With our Start Smart strategy, your writers will know exactly where to begin and they'll ditch the gimmicky intro-hooks for good.
02. The Introduction
The body of an essay is usually where student arguments break down—it's here, students stack fact after fact as if volume = persuasion (eek!).
The Photo Essay strategy teaches writers how to build a logical progression of ideas (not a grocery list of evidence!)
03. Line of Reasoning (1)
Quite literally, my BEST teaching tool for argument development!
The Tree of Reasoning strategy makes logic visible so your writers can finally SEE how the elements of an argument work together as a whole. *Chef's kiss* with this one!
04. Line of Reasoning (2)
Skip the dull endings and empty wrap-ups that make conclusions the paragraph teachers enjoy grading least...
The Innovator's Challenge puts your writers into the creative mindset required for synthesizing information and pushing thinking forward. Strong conclusions don't end thinking—they extend it!
05. The Conclusion
Ready-to-use, student-facing materials that put the strategy directly in their hands.
Graphic organizers, planning templates, reflection prompts, and step-by-step guides designed to help students do the work, not just hear about it. Print and teach, or share digitally.
No reinventing the wheel.
Student Toolkits
Every strategy, every lesson, every move mapped back to your core teaching standards.
This isn't just coverage—it's intentional alignment that shows how purpose-driven writing instruction satisfies (and exceeds) what's required. So when someone questions the relevance, you've got the receipts.
Aligning Standards
The binge-worthy workshop series that breaks our Anti-Essay method down in full, plus expert-level support and all the tactical teaching insights you'll need along the way.
I know what it feels like to feel like, 'am I even doing this right?!' My workshops make sure you NEVER have to feel that way.
Community inside, all questions answered, and a PD Certificate upon completion. Boom!
FULL, WORKSHOP SERIES
What's Inside:
The Official Video Workshop Series — Netflix-style PD that levels up your instruction (think: practical, not preachy)
Exclusive Resource Bundle — my top FIVE go-to writing strategies; each includes step-by-step lesson plans, teacher tips, assessment guidance, and implementation notes
Student Toolkits — Student-facing materials for every strategy (print and teach)
Standards Alignment Guide —
Map every move back to your core teaching standards
Complete Essay Checklist — Transition students from planning to drafting with confidence
WORKSHOP BUNDLE
$67
Get The Anti-Essay Workshop Series + Strategy Pack—your complete roadmap for teaching writing that matters...without the essay grind.
It's about building the thinking systems that make writing stronger—
seeing issues more fully, reasoning more clearly, communicating with more depth.
essays...
Writing isn't just about
The Anti-Essay Strategy Pack does exactly that—through formats that don't require an essay at all.
This is writing instruction that prepares your writers for the real world they’re walking into—not just the one we assess on paper.
— Dana Centers Gallina
Jill provides so much encouragement and so many resources for FREE!! I seriously don't know how I would do this without her.
So much encouragement!
— Melissa Ann Roche
Live training for two days with this terrific lady. I got to personally tell her how her educational efforts have helped my students over the past seven years!
Her strategies transform learning.
— Annmarie Phelps Walker
The resources from Jill have brought my class to life. I've taught many of her lessons, from the Tree of Reasoning to the Photo Essay. My students finally feel like English class applies to the real world!
Finally...ELA applies to the real world!
