Writer's Workshop Chapter 3

Writer’s Workshop

Chapter 3: Short Term Goals

When designing the Writer’s Workshop it’s important to not get overwhelmed with the long term requirements that are listed in the state standards. (If you do this you risk sinking the workshop and creating chaos within your classroom.) To begin, you must keep in mind the short term goals, which is the heart of the Writer’s Workshop:

Getting students to love writing

Establishing a safe environment

Creating a workable classroom management system

Here are some suggestions on how to best achieve these three short terms goals:

Getting students to love writing; self-satisfaction and high interest,

Give them regular writing time; give them consistency and expected performance

Give them real choices (which will give them a sense of ownership)

Show a genuine interest in their work

Establishing a safe environment

Give students choices in what they write (again!)

Give specific praise

Let primary students draw

Read aloud texts that model different types of writing

Use a writer’s notebook (in upper grades)

Write with your students (so you model for them)

Creating a workable classroom management system

Dedicate several mini lessons at the beginning of the year that focus on management (and not standards).

You want your students to work independently

Have a “finished tray” where finished pieces of writing go so not to interrupt the teacher when conferencing

Keep an unfinished writing folder that houses topics to write about and unfinished pieces.

Provide an accessible place for the finished writing folder (all finished pieces with rubrics)

This chapter had a lot of good information. It made you think of the goals and reasons for a Writer’s Workshop. The biggest AHA was taking a step back from the expectations of the standards and focusing on the short term goals of creating a harmonious and safe classroom environment for your students. Realizing that you need to focus on the overarching goals rather than the specific standards will truly aid in effective implementation of the Writer’s Workshop.

As a special needs teacher in grades 2,3,4, and 5,  I will take this information back to my classroom at the beginning of the new school year. I feel that I can focus on the short term goals in a more paced schedule. There seems to never be time to adjust and I realize that a slower more focused plan will

fit my differentiated curriculum.