Looking for writing workshop tips? Ways to make it easier?
I’ve got you covered!
Teaching writing is challenging! But this post will help you!
I’ve written several articles about it – and collected them here to help you find the answers you need.
Let’s get started!
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Let’s start at the beginning
If you’re not sure you should use writer’s workshop, this is a good post to start with:
This is helpful for Back-to-school events or conferences when parents may have questions about how you are teaching writing and why you use a workshop to do it.
It will also help you clarify what you want your lessons to accomplish.
The big picture
To get a good overview of what to expect, you’ll want to check out this post.
This is probably the hardest part of starting workshop — envisioning how it will all work together.
The hardest part is figuring out how all the pieces should work together.
Getting Set Up
This next post will give you an overview of the steps you need to get started.
What do you need to set up and what systems do you need to put in place to have a successful workshop? This post clarifies that.
Understanding the Mini Lesson
Modeling and mini lessons are at the heart of writing workshop.
If you are wondering how you will manage them, read this.
One of the most important tips for mini lessons is to pay attention to your time! If you need to, use a timer to make sure your mini lesson is mini!
Managing the rest of the class
Another big question about writing workshop is: What is the rest of the class doing while you are conferencing with students?
This post shows you exactly how to set up your class so that students can work independently while you are conferencing.
Once your students understand what happens when during workshop time, they can manage their own tasks.
This post will help you get there!
Building in Student Choice
One of the fun things about workshop is the fact that students are working on projects they’re interested.
You’ll still want to give them guidance, though.
You can find ideas here:
The Power of Conferences
Another element that makes writing workshop so awesome is the student conferences.
This is where you will really see your students grow as writers!
If you don’t do anything else with writing workshop — at least give conferencing a try. It is a game changer!
You can find a post that shows you how to get the most of it here:
What about assessments?
Teaching writing means that you’ll have a lot to assess!
You’ll want to be able to quickly and efficiently assess student writing.
Especially if your students are at various points in the writing process.
This post will give you tips for quick assessments and keeping track of where students are as they write.
Questions about Writing Workshop?
Other questions? You might find the answers in this post of frequently asked and answered questions.
If there is something else you need help with, just let me know!
With gratitude for all you do,
