Writing Workshop: Chapters 1-5 Reflection

I never thought it was possible for a noisy classroom to be a sign of hard work and creative learning.  It has taken a while for me to recover from what I have experienced as a student and from also what I have witnessed in the classroom as a prospective teacher.  What once seemed like the model of a perfect classroom, including silent students, has been recreated.  I am beginning to realize the importance of noise.  I give credit to my experiences and also my parents for my personality that desires the quiet and controlled setting for students.  However, I am in the process of breaking down those improper standards I and other teachers have set for classroom management and allowed myself to witness the wonder of a nice little roar of students throughout the room.   I haven't let go of all my values and importance of a having productive students remaining on task and at the highest level of learning.  A classroom described in the first chapter of The Writing Workshop, these students are talking and communicating with each other, but they are also being very productive and are remaining at an appropriate level of noise.  Like anything, it is necessary to have a balance.  Writer's workshop seems like a fantastic tool to set up the learning environment described that will provide students with optimum learning opportunities through discussion, listening, and writing.

Can everyone be a writer?  Apparently the author of The Writing Workshop would be appalled if anyone ever questioned it!  Although  I believe the answer is clear, it is definitely an idea to ponder.  I come from a fairly successful writing background and experience.  I have vivid memories of writing in elementary school and my teachers being proud of my writing progress and achievements.  Throughout grade school I continued to make the grades in writing.  At the beginning of college I struggled with the different expected writing styles, but have somehow managed my way through assignments.  In high school I wrote articles for the newspaper and thoroughly enjoyed the creative writing aspect.  I absolutely believe everyone can be a writer.  I don't any teacher or society in general should hold any standards or rules for writing.  With the various genres and types of writing, the broadness should allow for all types of people the opportunity to write and to find their own identity in writing.  These outlets could include journalism, writing lyrics to a song, creating poetry, play writing, or writing novels. 

The essential components of writing workshop are helpful to me in that I can visualize and use them as a foundation in my classroom.  Structure behind flexibility seems to be key for writing workshops, allowing enough direction and lesson, but providing the flexibility of topic and writing styles.  It seems important for the Georgia set standards to provide the basis of the workshop by providing a lesson that prompts students for the independent writing time.  Time spent during the second phase on writing seems extremely flexible as to allow for different students' writing time and style and any other reasons.  Sharing is something I am familiar with from experience in my own classes, but also after observing first graders last semester.  It is crucial for students to have the opportunity for sharing, whether in front of a classroom with a mock-spot light and curtain, or if they simply go through the publishing process, which allows work to be displayed about the room or in the hallways.