I absolutely love Wood's comparison of the writing workshop to lunchtime. It would never occur to me to compare these two different times, but the comparison fits perfectly. Just as every student knows exactly what to do during lunchtime, every one of our students should also know exactly what to do during workshop time. I can visualize the routine and familiarity taking place within the classroom. As Wood & Laminack (2001) point out, "the most important thing is that students understand the writing workshop as a block of time governed by rituals and routines" (p. 54).
These chapters on setting up the workshop were extremely beneficial for me. While I have taken a writing workshop class before, we never learned about the structure or components of the workshop. I learned that it is a time when the teacher gives a mini-lesson, the students write independently, and the teacher conducts individual conferences with the students. I appreciate that in Wood & Laminack's book, they dive into the very heart of the workshop and provide the details necessary for me to learn more about this style of teaching.
So, how do I encourage all of my students as they engage in writing? How do I lead them to the place where they "fill up independent writing time with purposeful writing work"? (Wood & Laminack, 2001, p. 61) The guiding questions that Wood & Laminack (2001) provide are a wonderful resource that we should share with our students:
Who are the audiences I might write for?
What passions are in my life that I might purse with writing?
What genres would I like to try?
What stories do I need to tell?
What causes could I address with writing?
What have I never done as a writer that I'd like to try?
Where would I like to try to get my writing published?
What occasions are in my life this year that I might serve with writing?
If considered thoughtfully, these questions could provide a student with a year's worth of writing ideas and possibilities.
I also enjoyed the suggestions that students use their writing notebooks to collect ideas and write down things that intrigue them on a daily basis. There are countless times when ideas come to me or something "magical" occurs and I forget to write those moments down. If I begin the habit of always having a notebook with me, then those magical moments and ideas will never be lost again. I will make sure that this becomes one of my habits now, and I can later instill this habit within my students.
While I consider myself more of a reader than a writer, it never occurred to me that I could use reading as writer's work. As Byars (1991) states, "The words of other writers teach me and refresh me and inspire me" (p. 64). I will now read with new perspective and with a new "writer's" lens. I am a lover of words; I am also a writer. I love how Wood & Laminack (2001) express the work of writers when they state, "Writer's notice, collect, savor, share, and work with words in the ways artists work with color, musicians with sound, and dancers with movement" (p. 64). This is a quote that I want to remember and place on the wall of my future classroom! It is truly inspirational.
Chapter seven is particularly beneficial for me as I begin to think about teaching in my own classroom next year. I want to make sure to have a solid structure in place that will manage any distractions before the distractions become behavioral issues. An important tip to point out is, "...we aim for a strong presence in the room that lets students know we are in there working right alongside of them and that we expect them to take their work seriously. We must be strict about this" (Wood & Laminack, 2001, p. 75). I learned from previous teaching experiences that students are more well behaved when I am removed from the teacher's desk and circulating among them. Just the presence of the teacher close by can make a huge difference in the classroom environment.
One point that disturbed me while reading this week was chapter eight: "Understanding that slightly out-of-hand feeling." Because I have OCPD, I function best when there is order and a defined structure/routine. I went into this chapter thinking that the overall classroom environment may feel out-of-hand, and that idea frightened me. Once I understood that it is not the behavior that will feel out-of-hand, but it is the work that the writers are doing that will feel out of my control, I felt more at ease. The last quote of this chapter provides great encouragement for soon-to-be teachers, "Teaching writing is so challenging, but so worth it. Those kinds of rewards don't come packaged in a writing workshop kit. They are priceless" (Wood & Laminack, 2001, p. 92). I look forward to work that is challenging, but rewards that are priceless. As each week passes, I feel more prepared to become an effective writing workshop teacher. I look forward to learning and growing as the semester continues!
Ray, K. W., & Laminack, L. L. (2001). The writing workshop: working through
the hard parts (and they're all hard parts). Urbana, IL: National Council
of Teachers of English.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Writing Under the Influence of Love
After reading the first four chapters in The Writing Workshop: Working through the Hard Parts (And They're All Hard Parts), I feel as if I were sitting down in a personal setting with the authors. The book is such a great, practical read that is easy to comprehend and follow. I love it so far! I thought I would never enjoy a writing workshop book as much as I love Nancie Atwell's In the Middle, but I stand corrected. I found myself highlighting MUCH, laughing some, agreeing often, and wanting to discuss my reading with whoever was around me at the time.
While reading chapter one, I discovered that I have never thought of students using the writing process versus doing the writing process. I always thought it is important for students to learn the writing process, but now I understand the value of the writing process as a tool. As Wood & Laminack (2001) state, "[Teachers] see the writing process as a tool they can give their students to use when rocking the world, not just as something to learn to do" (p. 4).
My favorite aspect of chapter one is the section that addresses the need for a writer to fall in love. Wood & Laminack (2001) quote, "And, most important, a writer needs to fall in love. I'm constantly falling in love- with colors, with flowers, with wings, with bubbles, with mud, with goofy baby smiles...When you're writing under the influence of love, there's a power that will weave your words into magic..." (p. 6). Wow! From an early age, I loved writing, but I now realize that I need to fall in love with each day and take time to genuinely reflect on everything around me.
I desperately want the students in my future classroom to write about what they fall in love with and to "ache with caring" when they are writing. I realize now that this will come when I "provide them with time: time to investigate, time to read, time to think time to talk, time to write" (Wood & Laminack, 2001, p. 7).
A wonderful statement that stuck with me from chapter two is, "Writing is something you do, not something you know. Students need time to just write so they can gain experience as writers" (p. 25). The twelfth grade student that I homeschool is extremely against writing. She claims to "not know how to write" and says that she "can't write well". I cannot wait to share what I am learning with her. Writing is not something that you must learn how to do- it is something that you do. It is something that is personal and meaningful to the writer.
I particularly enjoyed the ideas Wood & Laminack presented in chapter three concerning words we associate with our identities. I found that I, too, label myself as a reader, but I never called myself a writer (even though I writer often in journals). I am an avid reader and wish that there were such a job as professional reader, but I will now make sure to classify myself as a writer.
Wood & Laminack (2001) state, "Watching, noticing, and thinking deeply will help them be better writers, but it will also help them be better scientists, sociologists, historians, mathematicians, and on and on. Watching noticing and listening- reading the world- is what smart people do" (p. 35). It is exciting to know that what I will teach my students in my writing workshop class will prepare them for their futures. My students will become more intelligent, more thoughtful, and more engaged in their worlds as a result of writing. How exciting! I also greatly appreciated reading that students who are nurtured in a writing workshop will not easily lose what they learn. It sticks with them over time.
After reading chapter four, I long to be the writing teacher version of the dance teacher in the dance studio. I want my students to view me as one who can guide and instruct them in writing. I want them to view me as a real-life writer alongside them. I want us writing together as we journey through the school year. I want my classroom to be comfortable, inviting, organized, and a place where writing flows. There are so many ideas in this textbook that will guide me to that place. I am ready to fill my "purple notebook" and discover my own "laundromat people" that will give inspiration.
I could write on and on about the first four chapters. I am thrilled to learn more and to write more during this Writing Pedagogy class. I am looking forward to the required reading books to arrive in the mail.
Ray, K. W., & Laminack, L. L. (2001). The writing workshop: working through
the hard parts (and they're all hard parts). Urbana, IL: National Council
of Teachers of English.
While reading chapter one, I discovered that I have never thought of students using the writing process versus doing the writing process. I always thought it is important for students to learn the writing process, but now I understand the value of the writing process as a tool. As Wood & Laminack (2001) state, "[Teachers] see the writing process as a tool they can give their students to use when rocking the world, not just as something to learn to do" (p. 4).
My favorite aspect of chapter one is the section that addresses the need for a writer to fall in love. Wood & Laminack (2001) quote, "And, most important, a writer needs to fall in love. I'm constantly falling in love- with colors, with flowers, with wings, with bubbles, with mud, with goofy baby smiles...When you're writing under the influence of love, there's a power that will weave your words into magic..." (p. 6). Wow! From an early age, I loved writing, but I now realize that I need to fall in love with each day and take time to genuinely reflect on everything around me.
I desperately want the students in my future classroom to write about what they fall in love with and to "ache with caring" when they are writing. I realize now that this will come when I "provide them with time: time to investigate, time to read, time to think time to talk, time to write" (Wood & Laminack, 2001, p. 7).
A wonderful statement that stuck with me from chapter two is, "Writing is something you do, not something you know. Students need time to just write so they can gain experience as writers" (p. 25). The twelfth grade student that I homeschool is extremely against writing. She claims to "not know how to write" and says that she "can't write well". I cannot wait to share what I am learning with her. Writing is not something that you must learn how to do- it is something that you do. It is something that is personal and meaningful to the writer.
I particularly enjoyed the ideas Wood & Laminack presented in chapter three concerning words we associate with our identities. I found that I, too, label myself as a reader, but I never called myself a writer (even though I writer often in journals). I am an avid reader and wish that there were such a job as professional reader, but I will now make sure to classify myself as a writer.
Wood & Laminack (2001) state, "Watching, noticing, and thinking deeply will help them be better writers, but it will also help them be better scientists, sociologists, historians, mathematicians, and on and on. Watching noticing and listening- reading the world- is what smart people do" (p. 35). It is exciting to know that what I will teach my students in my writing workshop class will prepare them for their futures. My students will become more intelligent, more thoughtful, and more engaged in their worlds as a result of writing. How exciting! I also greatly appreciated reading that students who are nurtured in a writing workshop will not easily lose what they learn. It sticks with them over time.
After reading chapter four, I long to be the writing teacher version of the dance teacher in the dance studio. I want my students to view me as one who can guide and instruct them in writing. I want them to view me as a real-life writer alongside them. I want us writing together as we journey through the school year. I want my classroom to be comfortable, inviting, organized, and a place where writing flows. There are so many ideas in this textbook that will guide me to that place. I am ready to fill my "purple notebook" and discover my own "laundromat people" that will give inspiration.
I could write on and on about the first four chapters. I am thrilled to learn more and to write more during this Writing Pedagogy class. I am looking forward to the required reading books to arrive in the mail.
Ray, K. W., & Laminack, L. L. (2001). The writing workshop: working through
the hard parts (and they're all hard parts). Urbana, IL: National Council
of Teachers of English.
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