I am so appreciative of having this amazing resource to strengthen writing workshop in my classroom. This book has truly given me ways to reflect and build upon what is currently going on during this time. These last few chapters of the book were very helpful in really grounding my understanding of how to motivate the young writers in my class.
Reading through these last couple chapters has led to me the understanding that the key to a powerful writing conference lies in understanding that it is a conversation with a clear purpose and a predictable structure. I am learning that this is the best lens through which to view the task of holding writing conferences with my students. The book shows us how we can take what we already know about having effective conversations and use that knowledge to improve our writing conversations.
Usually, we begin our writing workshop with a short mini lesson (a whole group lesson), then students work independently on their writing for 20-30 minutes. During this independent writing time, I usually circulate around the classroom and confer with students. Chapter 5 really allowed me focus on the art of crafting mini-lessons that are effective and helpful to my students. The components of an effective mini-lesson include the connection, the teaching, and the have-a-go.
I know that I have a habit of inviting too much student talk during whole group instruction. I love to see the way new learning is shaping and changing the way my student's think. When they are engaged in conversation, it is easy for me to see the connections they are making on their own. I want to aim for fifteen minute (or less) mini lessons. I believe that learning comes by doing not by listening to someone else talk about the doing. Therefore, I need to leave the bulk of Writing Workshop time for students to work. The simplest way to keep lessons short is by adhering to that one key point and committing to ending the lesson when time is up.
I love the idea of focusing on NOT being a GateKeeper when it comes to controlling how our students move through the writing process. Earlier this year, I made a huge writing pencil where students can move a clothespin with their name on it up and down the stages of the writing process. I want to begin to let students move through the process when they decide instead of having to always check in with me. This will give them a sense of ownership, responsibility, and accountability.
As I move forward next semester, I want to be able to revisit and reflect on our progress in writing workshop in my classroom. Too often do we have an amazing resource, read it, reflect, and then put it down. I love how our program forces us to revisit these resources to help strengthen and improve our practice.
Thanks for the advice on my blog post! I am definitely going to try some of those things out to foster independence and keep writer's workshop running more smoothly!
ReplyDeleteI love that you latched on to that phrase "gatekeeper." We really do try to be the gatekeeper for so many things in the classroom deciding when students can and cannot move back and forth. Relaxing this notion will give students so much more agency to create and feel invested in their writing and learning as they guide themselves through the process.
I am so with you about the inviting student talk. Everything turns into some form of discussion in my classroom and I really need to be more aware of this so that the students aren't losing the precious time to practice the things that we are talking about in our mini-lessons. Thanks for pointing that out! Keep up the fantastic work laying the foundation for your kiddos to become rockstar writers.
Kelsey Ferguson :)
DeleteTenange,
ReplyDeleteThe craft of the mini-lesson was very helpful! I feel that this architecture can work as a mini lesson for any subject. It helps us to determine how to frame our conferences based on the framework of our mini lesson. I also think it is a great idea to let students control the pace of their own writing, it's great that you are taking this into account :)
-Ashley
I think you picked out a lot of the very important points in these last few chapters. I, also, sometimes struggle with keeping my mini-lessons truly mini, but as you said, it is so important that our students get as much time as possible to write. I have recently restructured my Writer's Workshop in order to maximize independent writing time. My mini-lessons are currently around 15 minutes, but I want to get them down to 10 so that my students have more time to write and I have more time to confer.
ReplyDeleteI have also made a writing process wheel and have put my students' numbers on clothespins and they are able to move them around based on where they are at in the writing process. I have seen it empower students to take responsibility for their own writing, and it has helped my students talk about their writing because they can see on the wheel that they are in the drafting stage, for example. I know that developing writer's talk is both important and difficult, but developing our students' self-awareness of the writing process really helps with that.
Sounds like you're rocking out in Writer's Workshop, Tenagne! :)
I really relate to your thoughts on not being the gatekeeper! But I also know that it can be hard not to. My students unfortunately still have the mindset of faster being better so they often rush through the writing process to say that they are finished. It's hard not to want to micro manage them when they only find one mistake in a draft riddled with them, and say they have edited and revised their work! But, these chapters helped me to realize that if students know that once they complete a piece, there's another piece to start on, and another and another, they may be less inclined to rush. Although I don't strictly regulate how fast they need to move through the writing process, I do tend to keep us all working on the same writing piece, albeit without a prompt. If I teach them how to move successfully from one writing piece to another without me, at least the ones who rush just to be finished early may stop doing so. Can't say the same about the ones who rush because they are eager to start a new piece :).
ReplyDelete-allaisia
Tenange- I love the writing pencil you have and the freedom you are giving your students to be themselves and take the writing process in steps that make sense to them. I think we often times feel as though we have to be teaching our s turners when in reality we just need to give them information and then allow them to teach and make meaning in a way that actually makes sense to them. Continue with the amazing things you are doing in your classroom - I am eager to see how things come together now that you have read the whole book and have some time to put very thing in place!
ReplyDeleteKelsey M