Abstract
This paper presents an exploration of the way mini lessons used to teach Six Trait Writing improves student motivation to write and writing performance. The approach of mini lessons is proven to be rather efficient for providing relevant opportunities for students to write. Essential arguments from empirical research are presented in order to support the major assumption about the usefulness of mini lessons in the contemporary classroom. For the purpose of the paper, the researcher combines both quantitative and qualitative research methods, reflecting in the use of surveys, detailed observation checklists, and semi-structured interviews. There are 20 participants in the study, as they are identified as students from a second-grade classroom. The major research finding of the conducted study is that the implementation of mini lessons to teach Six Trait Writing contributes to increased motivation and self-efficacy of students to write. The paper also includes certain recommendations for improvement of the teaching method and for future practice.