Throwback Thursday: Setting Up for Success in the Middle School Writing Workshop

As each new year approaches, many of us begin thinking about the physical space(s) we create for our writers.  How might it/they be more effective? Inviting? Or different? The spaces we design for our middle school writers can greatly affect how they “view” writing.  For example, if we place them in rows reminiscent of the old “factory model” of education, chances are good that our students will view writing as just a “school thing.”  However, if we begin to think differently about the spaces we can control, we might open up new possibility around student viewpoints; after all, our goal is for our students to view writing not as a “school thing,” but a “life thing.”

My post this week is dedicated to helping readers think about setting up for success.  Below are some excellent posts written in the past by some of our Two Writing Teachers co-authors (past and present).  Hopefully there will be something here for everyone:

• Why We Gather: The Importance of a Meeting Area by Beth
  • https://twowritingteachers.org/2015/08/30/classroom-meeting-area/
• Creating Environments: Setting Up for the Middle School Writing Workshop by Tara
  • https://twowritingteachers.org/2015/08/08/creating-classroom-environments-setting-up-for-the-middle-school-writing-workshop/
• A Game Plan for Writing Workshop Transitions by Beth
  • https://twowritingteachers.org/2016/08/25/a-game-plan-for-writing-workshop-transitions/
• Environments: Writing Workshop Fundamentals by Deb
  • https://twowritingteachers.org/2017/08/07/environments/

Comments are now closed on all of the above-mentioned posts. Therefore, if you have any thoughts or questions about what you encountered in these posts, please write a comment below.