One of the best parts of teaching is connecting with other educators and discovering what’s really working in their classrooms. Hearing about the lessons or strategies that sparked growth and confidence in students is incredibly inspiring. I also love to hear what works for other teachers because it means it could work in my classroom too! Those “aha!” moments and the excitement that comes when students truly engage in learning are what make teaching so rewarding. So let’s explore how one teacher transformed her writing block with visual writing strategies using Canva.
Soar into Writing Framework & Resources with Canva
That’s why this teacher’s testimony about The Soar into Writing Framework & Resources with Canva stood out. Not only did her students’ writing improve dramatically, but their motivation did too. Writing became easier, more enjoyable, and something they actually asked to do.
Let’s step inside her classroom and see how The Soar into Writing Framework & Resources turned her writing block into a joyful, thriving space for writers.
How has using Canva with The Soar into Writing Framework & Resources changed writing for my students?
Before Canva, I didn’t even bother to have my students write on a computer. I always taught writing using the traditional method: pencil and paper. However, Canva changed everything. In the past, my students would just sit and stare, trying to convince me they were thinking, but I knew they were just avoiding writing. They didn’t know what to write, scared of making grammatical errors, and simply just wanting something else better to do than the torment of another writing block.
However, now that my classroom uses the methods from Soar into Writing, everything has changed. The students know the first thing they must do is to create their story. They now do this with visuals on Canva, instead of staring at the ceiling, wishing for recess or lunch. They create their story completely from beginning to end with ideas from fun writing prompts and visuals they chose from Canva. 3
How Visual Writing Transforms the Writing Block
By the time students finish building their story visually, the words are already there in their minds. The visuals act like a wordless picture book, making it easy for them to go back and type the story they’ve been creating in their minds all along.
Why does this make such a difference for them?
The story itself is already complete through the visuals they created, and now all they have to do is write the words that are already in their heads. This is what makes the HUGE difference.
Where do the words come from?
The words come from the story they were creating as they chose each and every visual. It makes writing so much easier for my students. They absolutely love it! I never have a student try to hide their writing from me anymore. They all begged me to just “Look at my story, please!” This happened today after they completed their Snowman’s Journey to Meet Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Increased Motivation
So many students wanted me to look at their story. They were actually begging. I mean, how many times do students who write with pencil and paper beg a teacher to read their story? Yes, it happens, but not the entire class at the same time.
Easier for the Teacher to Read the Students’ Stories
To tell you the truth, it does make reading their story so much easier and more interesting than when written with pencil and paper. For example, if a sentence is a little off or maybe way off for some reason, all I have to do is look at the visual. Then, I can instantly tell what they were trying to explain. From there, the student and I can easily craft the sentence together. This makes conferencing so much easier for both the student and the teacher.
Conquering Descriptive Language
As far as adding details, this is so much easier, too. In the past, my students struggled to add the kinds of details that really, truly bring their stories to life. With this writing method, I don’t have to hand them a list of adjectives and say choose an adjective to add to your sentence. Instead, I say, “Look at what you’ve already created. What details do you already see?”
Specific Adjectives that Actually Matter to the Story
Because when students design their stories visually first, the adjectives are already there. They’re right in the visuals. The cracked window. The flickering light. The towering trees. The tiny shadow hiding in the corner. Those images naturally point students to specific adjectives that actually matter to the story.
At that point, adding adjectives isn’t hard anymore. It’s not forced. Students aren’t guessing or randomly inserting words. They’re simply noticing what they already see and then going back into their writing to add those details. The visuals they have already chosen simply guide the way.
This is also why mini-lessons are such a breeze for me now. I teach every mini-lesson through Canva. I’ll create a quick, fun visual and then model a sentence right alongside it, for example, adding an adjective to a noun. The visual clearly shows the difference between a plain noun and one filled with meaningful, story-driven details.
Students can See the Details First
Because students can see the details first, they finally feel confident writing them. And that confidence has completely changed the way my students write.
No More Writer’s Block
My students no longer freeze when it’s time to write. They’re excited to get started because they already know what their story is about before they ever touch the keyboard. I have actually had many want to work on their writing during their indoor recess days, which still amazes me to this day. Another thing I have noticed since using this method of writing is that I see my students making intentional choices, such as choosing the perfect visuals to set the mood of the story and then adding these details to their sentences afterward.
Writing Mini-Lessons & Building Confidence
For example, the other day I watched a student design his scene by choosing dark trees, a thick fog, and a distant cabin instead of bright colors and open space. When he wrote his sentences, his writing reflected those choices. The mood and details were already there because he had planned them visually first. “The boy stepped into the dark, foggy woods. He could barely see the cabin through the trees.” I fully believe this sentence was created from viewing the sentence through the visuals first.
It’s almost like we’ve always wanted students to see their story in their heads before they write it, and then somehow turn what they see in their mind into words on a page. But that’s a really hard thing for a child to do. Yes, they can picture it, well, barely, but taking that picture and turning it into clear sentences is often where they get stuck.
Visuals-First Approach
When students take what’s in their heads and turn it into a visual on their computer, something they can truly see and move and adjust, everything changes. Now the story isn’t trapped in their mind anymore.
Missing Link for Writing Instruction
Writing a sentence to describe what’s happening becomes so much easier, because they’re simply describing what they can already see. I feel like, at times, I have found that missing link from visuals in their head to sentences on paper. What was missing all along were visuals that actually exist before their eyes, visuals they can share with others, and visuals they can use to craft those splendid sentences every teacher wants their students to accomplish.
Writing is Now Fun for Everyone!
And honestly, this has made writing so much easier for me as a teacher, too. I love writing, I really do, but being able to create my visuals first and let them come to life in front of my students before I start writing has changed everything.
I’m no longer standing there, trying to explain my thinking with just words and hoping students are following along. I’m not on the struggle bus by myself anymore. When I use visuals to teach writing, the roles flip. My students can actually see what I’m thinking as I’m thinking it.
Modeling Writing for my Students is Easy Now
So when I model a strong sentence, they understand how it was created, because they’ve already seen it take shape visually. My thinking is no longer hidden. It’s right there in front of them. And because of that, teaching writing is a lot more fun and more meaningful at the same time.
If you’re looking for a simple yet meaningful way to help your elementary to middle school students plan and write imaginative stories, you’re in the right place! (Recommended for Grades 3rd-7th.)
Soar Into Writing with Visual Magic is a flexible writing framework with ready-to-use resources that guides students through the writing process using visual supports, choice, and creativity, without adding stress to your writing block.
Resource includes:
- 12 short instructional videos to model each step of the writing process and how to utilize Canva
- 180 Choose-Your-Own-Adventure writing prompts (Magic of 3 structure)
- 180 Story Starters journal for idea generation
- Visual Story Arc template (Think a fun, virtual plot line!) (Inspired by Pixar!)
- Canva Story Template & Canva Virtual Writing Portfolio Templates
- Planning and differentiated writing templates and rubrics
- Peer conferencing forms
- Teacher conferencing forms
- Teacher data snapshot for progress monitoring
- Guide for hosting a student Story Showcase
How to Use
• Our writing framework supports a Writer’s Workshop model, where teachers introduce a focused mini-lesson, students write independently using visual prompts and templates on Canva, and the class reconvenes to share and reflect.
• The visual nature of the prompts and planning tools allows students to work at their own pace and level, making differentiation easy and natural.
• Students can keep their work in a virtual Canva writing folder (video provided on Canva virtual folders) and choose how long their stories are, which templates to use, and how they revise or expand their writing.
• Early finishers can continue building their story, start a new one, or select a favorite piece to revise and publish for the Story Showcase.
Soar Into Writing with Visual Magic Framework & Resources is designed to make writing feel clear, creative, and achievable for both teachers and students.
Conclusion
The Soar into Writing Framework & Resources changed students’ writing and how they see themselves as writers. By starting with visuals, the fear and frustration faded and were replaced by confidence, creativity, and genuine excitement. When students can see their story before they write it, the words no longer feel out of reach. Writing becomes purposeful, joyful, and authentic for students and teachers alike. And that’s when a writing block transforms into something truly powerful.
