Category Archive: writing workshop routines

Partnerships Can Provide Purpose and Power

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All writers seek feedback.  All writers write for an audience.  All writers question themselves. And for these reasons, writers long to bring their work to another person– another set of eyes, another pair of ears.  Hence, the writing partner in writing workshop.  When working well, partnerships can help grow the confidence of each writer in our classes by providing support, authentic peer feedback, and a sounding board for ideas.  Here are a few ingredients to consider when creating a community of writers…

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Teaching Students to Self-Monitor

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Three strategies to use so that students develop their own ability to monitor themselves as writers.

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Structure: Writing Workshop Fundamentals

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Writing Workshops have important structural components.

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Building a Community of Writers: Creating the Emotional Space

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Building a community of writers is likely a goal for all writing workshop teachers. But what are some ways to be intentional about bringing such a goal to fruition?

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Three things that might be stressing out your young writers (and what you can do to support them)

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Classrooms need to be places where students can take risks, solve problems, and learn to work through the hard parts. But sometimes anxiety and worry get in the way of learning.

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Finding Time: With Craft Moves on The Poem Farm

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Poetry month in my opinion (and my students’) is a celebration of writing! It’s a time when we writers welcome new beginnings and hone the art and crafting of our writing skills. I watch my students take wings and write with grace and confidence during poetry month.

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A Game Plan for Writing Workshop Transitions

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Have you ever visited a colleague’s classroom or watched a video of a lesson and wondered, “How are those kids so perfect? How do they seem to know exactly what to do, the… Continue reading →

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Sometimes we only write in writing workshop

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My sixth graders have been busy drafting their feature articles this week, and I had a series of mini lessons planned to begin each writing workshop day. My students, however, had other ideas.

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Teaching Writers about Writing Workshop

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Teaching students about the structures and rationales for writing workshop can lead to greater productivity and independence. This post outlines a minilesson that teaches students what to expect and why during each day’s writing time.

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Enticing Kids to Revise, Revise, Revise

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One of the biggest challenges you might face in writing workshop is this: getting kids to see the power and purpose of revision. Here are a few tips for helping kids understand how important and rewarding revision can be, organized by writing process phases.

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Creating Classroom Environments: Charts to Start the Year

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Start the year off right with charts that make expectations, strategies and tips on writing visible for students.

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Work Smarter: How To Wrap Up A Unit of Study

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This week my colleagues and I are writing posts that we hope will make your life a little easier. We’re sharing some ways to work smarter, not harder.

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Work Smarter: Use checklists throughout a unit of study …and beyond

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I’ll begin by being honest – I don’t like checklists. It’s a personal thing.  Checklists make me anxious, they fill me with the fear of impending failure. As soon as I’ve taken the… Continue reading →

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Sharpen Your Workshop Routines: Writing Centers to Organize All Your Materials

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Every year, around this time, I start having dreams about setting up my classroom. In the classroom of my dreams, I’m moving around small circular tables, unfurling a brand new rug for the… Continue reading →