Writer's Workshop Reflection: Chapters 7,8,19

I have been spending a lot of time in my field placement walking around the classroom observing students' work and helping where needed. As my mentor teacher spends time putting together other things and helping individual students, I have found my job as the teacher who walks around making sure students are constantly working towards something. I have observed a few students in the class who struggle finding their focus and accomplishing much at all. I repeatedly tell them that they should be writing and try to encourage them to write by asking questions about their writing topic and where they want to take their writing. In my classroom, the teacher does not put a lot of pressure on students to complete a certain amount in specific time. She allows freedom for her students, so it bothers me that students still have a problem finding enjoyment in writing and why some students just CAN'T stay focused and write even a few sentences. In another class I am taking, the teacher demonstrates well how to work with your students. If the teacher is making known his/her presence, it may be motivating for students in that he/she is creating a complete working environment where everyone is being productive.

I love being in control. I can definitely see how in the future with writer's workshop the ways I may struggle if students are in many different places with their writing. I agree with the text in that writer's workshop at the base is very organized, planned and stuctured, but how it can easily seem out of control with students' work being so diverse.

I really liked the author's three concepts of publishing. I am unsure if these would explicitly be made known to the class; however I can see where it would be beneficial to go into detail with students about these three ideas. Students need to know what it means to "finish" a piece and the long process it takes for a piece of work to be published. I also think audience is important for students to know about in that one of the beginning steps of writing is determining your audience.

Writing Workshop: Chapters 14,15, 17 Reflection

Conferring sounds like a great idea. I've heard about the effectiveness of having conferences with students on a regular basis, writing related or not. It will be extremely important in my classroom that I follow up with students not only on their individual work, but their lives and how my class is affecting them. I think it is important to meet with students and to show that you care and are concerned with the rate of progress and understanding of material. Students should know that their teacher is supportive and genuninely interested in each student. I have no doubt that conferring could play a large roll in improving students' writing.

Should students be required to share? In the past few years at UGA, on many occasions I have become very frustrated with professors that have participation grades, in which to get full credit a student must speak aloud in class and share in discussion. I feel like student sharing of their writing is similar. I absolutely do not feel that I should be required to speak aloud in class and state my opinion in order to obtain a grade. Personalities vary, and so do confidence levels. In my case, I just choose to weigh the opinions and voices of others and compare with my own silently. I see the potential benefits from participatin in group discussion, as I can see what could good can come from sharing their writing. I just don't know if I would require students to share. I'm sure there are many methods to use to increase students' confidence for sharing.

My mentor teacher seems to have no problems planning writer's workshop. I have seen her use the standards combined with the framwork to create a drawn out tentative plan for the year. All of the standards are covered, but there is room for additions and flexibility with topics and ideas.

Writer's Workshop Focus Lessons

Suspense
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, Chris van Allsburg
The Giving Tree

Persuasion
Commercials, Cereal Boxes, Magazine Ads
Hey Little Ant
The Great Kapok Tree, Lynne Cherry
The Salamander Room

Punctuation
Punctuation Takes a Vacation, Robin Pulver

Online Books/Digital Libraries
tumblebooks.com
storylineonline.net
childrenslibrary.org