An extra teacher is always a gift, especially when working with young authors. But what if we looked for teachers within those tiny writers?
Category: agency
How do we Know When our Workshops are Working?
Launching a writing workshop is hard work. Intentional work. What are those “look fors” that let us know that our workshops are gelling? That community is being built, routines are being established, and writing work is happening?
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Student-Created Learning Progressions: A How to
Student-created learning progressions help foster agency in students and move them forward in their writing.
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Engage Writers at the Beginning of the Year with Base Training
At the beginning of the school year, take time before launching your first unit to allow students to settle in to writing workshop. This time helps you learn about students, build their confidence, and teach workshop routines.
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When Management Issues in the Workshop are the Result of Mixed Messaging
The beginning of the school year is perfect timing for the classic cautionary tale, an anecdote shared with the intention of saving others a difficulty I created for myself. My purpose is to both teach and entertain, as I humbly recount the thing I should not have done (and will be mindful not to do again).
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Writing on Students’ Work in Progress: Resetting Our Workshop Practices
I used to write on my students’ writing. NOW I believe if I’m the person writing down what I think a child should write, then I remove lots of that child’s agency.
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Graphic Organizers Limit Creativity: Resetting Our Workshop Practices
Many teachers assign graphic organizers to help students learn about structure and organization. But do these organizers actually impede authentic writing and student agency? Read about why Leah chose to stop mandating graphic organizers, and some tips for letting go!
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The Importance of Charts in Classrooms: Resetting Our Workshop Practices
Within classrooms, charts are critically important elements for shifting the responsibility of learning.
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Tumbling Toward Open Space in a Workshop
These tumbleweeds feel like a metaphor for the writers in our workshops: the times they dance freely across the landscape and the times they get stuck. As a teacher of writers, it’s prompting me to step back and reflect on those stuck places. I hope to offer you a similar moment of reflection on the tumbleweed-jams that might be forming in your own workshop(s).
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Small Groups, Big Engagement: Expanding the Possibilities and Potential
Here are some fresh approaches from Melanie Meehan and guest authors Julie Wright, Pam Koutrakos, and Maria Walther. In this post, we reimagine when and why small groups come together and expand your small group repertoire.
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(Re-)Launching our Writing Workshops With Joy in January
As I think about returning to school, I want to be excited about the week to come. I want students to feel happy to be back together. Writing workshop is my favorite part of the day, and it’s the perfect place to infuse some intentional joy for all of us. I have a two part plan to do just that.
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Mining the Moments Between Minilesson and Work Time
In those quick moments between minilesson and work time, as writers are settling in (or not), I pay attention to what is—the current reality. I seek leverage points to both know writers better and to support writers in continuing to grow. Over time, I notice as more and more writers find the processes and strategies that work for them.
