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.
Having a notebook makes such a difference. Or at least an organized place to write things down. I hate to think of all the ideas I've had that have been lost because I didn't have any paper or just neglected to take a moment and write things down. Simply paying attention, noticing things, is such an important part of being a writer...paying attention to words, to writing, to our worlds, to our thoughts. It is amazing, when you turn those lenses on, how the world lights up with ideas of meaningful pieces to write.
ReplyDeleteI do hope to keep hearing about how your vision for your writing classroom continues to take shape. I am already picturing your strong teaching presence.