Chapter 1 – The Writing Workshop
This chapter is a snap shot at what a writing workshop should feel like. I really enjoyed how the authors compared the workshop to an industrial arts class. “Kids wearing goggle are spread out around the room, each working on their individual projects. The instructor gathers the students for a few minutes to point out technique, or reminding them about a safety issue. But pretty soon the kids are back on their own projects” (p.2). This is a great metaphor for how to run student writing time. Teachers often get tunnel vision during writing instruction and try to make all students write about the same topic in the same way at the same time. It is important to remember that all students, just like all writers, are different and succeed using various strategies. Teachers should foster that individuality and encourage diversity during writing.
In my classroom, I often get that feeling of anxiety when one student is off and writing lengthy stories while others are stuck on their first word. However, I have been trying to force myself to get over that feeling and allow more fluidity during writing time. I flit around from table to table, desk to desk, discussing anything from trips to the beach to knights or ballerinas. Writing is one of the only times of the day that students have free choice of topic and time, and even my struggling students still look forward to having that freedom everyday. I hope that this year I will be able to continue separating myself from my “old school” writing methods and become more of an assistant to my classroom authors.
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