WW Chapters 9, 10, 13

The Writing Workshop

Chapters 9, 10, 13

1/31/11

“If I locked my students in my classroom and stuff outside the door, what could they learn about writing without me being in there?” (94, WW). I think this is a great questions for teachers to ask themselves because it is a great way to keep them in check with what they are teaching their students and what is on their walls. I have been in countless classrooms where I feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff on the walls. However, when the information on the walls is actually useful, I feel less overwhelmed.  The students learn at an early age to look around the room and use the information they see. So, teachers should stop and check their walls to make sure it is information that is actually useful and not just space fillers.  

Another good point from chapter 9 is about structures and routines.  It is very important for a teacher to start a routine at the beginning of the semester. It helps the students become prepared, organized, and it establishes a time that they know they have to write. If the teacher changes the routine, it becomes less structured which can make the students think that it is not a very important topic. This is not the case. Students need to realize the importance of a stable writing environment early on in life.

Chapter 10 harps on the fact that students need to learn about strategies (ways to do things); techniques (ways to fashion things); questions (ways to think about things); relationships (ways to connect things); and conventions (ways to expect things). Looking back on my years in a class room, I wish my teachers had stressed more about these topics instead of just having me pick a topic, write facts about it, and connect them together. That process was boring to me. I wish I had had more free time to write about things I cared about in a more structured environment involving the five categories listed above. 

I LOVE the concept of “show and tell” in chapter 13 of Writings Workshop.  The section states, “Explanations need to be accompanied by something that “shows” students what we are talking about, something that gives the lesson a concreteness” (147, WW).  This gives students a sense of pride in their work. They will most likely spend more quality time on these assignments because they know they will have the chance to share it with the class. Often times teachers hush students throughout the day. This gives them a time to speak freely and explain a creation they made in their own words.