I first learned about the writer's workshop model during a summer institute with my local chapter of The National Writing Project. We engaged in lessons from Linda Christensen's books Teaching for Joy and Justice: Re-Imagining the Language Arts Classroom and Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching About Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word, which I was able to transfer directly into my high school classroom the following school year.
I loved the use of relevant mentor texts to draw out students' own stories plus the emphasis on revision. In sharing their work with their peers, students received direct feedback but also learned from seeing and hearing each others' writing "moves." If you are interested in a more engageing writing process for your middle or high school students, this post is for you.
What is a Writer's Workshop?
Writing instruction is a tangled web. Some students have a natural ability to write beautifully, while others struggle to write one word. But what all writing has in common is that it is a process, and the more students work through the process, the more their writing will improve. Writer’s workshop blends the process of brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, sharing, and reflection into a success story for talented writers and for writers who need an extra boost of support. The end goal is confidence in writing, and writer’s workshop will provide that to all learners.
The structure is simple. First comes the explicit mini lesson. Then work time, followed by sharing their work. The mini lesson is explicit. Use genre specific writing elements like plot diagrams for narrative. Or use your data to drive your mini lessons. If students are struggling to vary their transitions, use that as a mini lesson and guide students, very clearly, through that process. If your curriculum drives your writing instruction, use those objectives or standards to build your mini lessons. The goal is always to build better writers.
The mini lesson can have built-in practice also. If the objective is to use vivid verbs, then allow students to practice with vivid verbs before jumping back into their writing. This could be partner work where students look at sample sentences and change out the verbs to make their writing shine. Struggling students can be given a verb word bank to guide them through the practice, and the word bank can then be used in their own writing.
Don’t shy away from modeling your thinking with the students as you write with them. A model is a tremendous starting point. When starting a new writing piece, brainstorming can be your first mini lesson using lists, or a mentor text to guide students gathering ideas. Author’s craft and structural moves are small moves that can have huge impacts on young writers.
Using mentor texts is also hugely important in the writer's workshop model because reading and writing are connected. When students read powerful writing, it inspires them to share their stories too. Mentor texts also give a starting point for students and help to build ideas to write about.
After the mini lesson, it is time to write! This is the heart of the writer’s workshop model. Students dedicate time working through a writing piece. This could be drafting, revising, or editing, depending on where students are in the process. This could be an assigned piece of writing or a passion piece that students are working on for the school year. Writing time is essential for students to be successful because without time to practice, there is no chance of improvement. During this time, students can work together with partners or independently.
More importantly, writing time must be utilized by the teacher for more focused, individual conferencing with students. Differentiate students based on their specific needs. This could be 1:1 or in small groups. For example, if you notice a small group of students struggling with engaging leads, pull the group together to reteach that topic. Don’t forget enrichment though! The individual conferences can focus on enriching writing for students who are soaring in their writing and need critical feedback to improve even more. A student’s writing growth does not need to stop just because they are meeting grade-level expectations. Push them to be even stronger writers
The final step of a writer’s workshop is reflection and sharing. There is power in reflection and sharing. Students have pride in their work. Reflection builds future goals. Sharing in small groups or sharing as a whole class encourages motivational accolades. Students can share an entire piece, a few sentences, or show how they used the mini lesson to strengthen their writing. Be prepared with positive praise for successful shares! The power behind sharing writing is essential because writing deserves an audience.
Why use Writer’s Workshop in Middle School and High School?
Secondary students are often taught to write in a formulaic way. Writing should be enjoyable and fulfilling. Writing is a life tool. We use writing in the workplace: emails, memos, and more. Writing is also essential for communicating with others. Using a writer’s workshop model allows for more creativity, individual growth, and growth through revisions. Teaching middle school and high school is a labor of love, and we all know we have heard the “I’m finished, and I’m not going back to revise my work” excuse. Writers’ workshop encourages revision. It encourages students to take a second, or even third, or fourth look at their writing through the explicit mini lessons and shared feedback. Feedback is key in the peer and individual conferences, and it gives students a specific direction for revisions. The clear feedback is not just comments after writing has been graded. It is part of the process.
Writing is authentic and allows adolescent voices to be heard. It does not matter if students are writing an argument essay or a narrative poem. Those voices have power. Writer’s workshop is an opportunity to bring those voices to the surface, celebrate them, and share stories that matter to them. Not only does this motivate students to write, but they will also quickly realize that sharing their writing fuels their confidence and a real-world audience is incredibly motivating.
Using a writer’s workshop not only allows teachers to use a variety of models to examine literary elements and examine good writing, but it also motivates students and encourages them to brainstorm their own ideas and become better writers. Allowing for time in class for drafting, peer discussions, and giving clear criteria are critical to the writing process. When students have a clear understanding of what to revise, powerful changes happen and students are proud to continue working through their writing to improve.
Read on for three lessons to get you started:
0 yorum:
Post a Comment