One would term this week as the Writer’s Workshop week because that was what the main focus was on in LIT 102: Promoting Writing in Primary Grades. My classmates and I were introduced to how one goes about conducting writing workshops. Based on the information presented by our lecturer, Mrs Lazarus, one has ciphered that Writer’s Workshops involve a specific time slot in one’s classroom where students can write. Specifically, the ownership is on the students regarding their intention for writing specifics about their writing pieces. In this regard, one also realises that it is essential to guide my students through this process correctly.
Ideally, the Writer’s Workshop should take place throughout the week, which may be daunting. However, as
teachers, we should set this as a goal because, just as anything else, the more
one practices it, the more competent one will become at it. For this purpose,
we were placed into small groups and were given the task of how one would go
about planning a Narrative Writer’s Workshop for a week.
The first step is known as teaching time. This is where the teacher
targets a critical skill and delivers it through instructing a mini-lesson to
the students. During this time, the teacher would define the craft as well as
model the skill, which will act as a guide for students. Next comes writing
time, where students will practice what was taught and demonstrated by the
teacher. Specifically, the students will start creating and editing their writing pieces. The
next phase of the writer’s workshop is conferencing. During this time, the
teacher will be going around to check up on and conferring with writers. This
may also include answering specific student questions. It is a form of ‘checking in’ on the progress the students are making during the Writer’s Workshop and may also provide feedback concerning their writing pieces to aid them in further revising their writing.
Finally, in the sharing stage,
this can be done using a gallery walk or the author’s chair strategy.
Admittedly, one realises that this Writer’s Workshop will only come to fruition
in my classroom if I routinely practice it. Unfortunately, I am not in the
classroom at the moment to implement it. However, I must be sure that once I
return to my classroom, I will not waste time implementing this writing
strategy.
