What to Expect in a Writing Workshop

I want to tell you about writing workshops because my Imagination Soup writing classes are all workshop classes. It is the best way, in my well-researched and experienced opinion, to teach writing.

A Writer’s Workshop is best way to teach writing to children because it allows for choice, differentiation, individualization, reflection, and the belief in oneself as a writer. I say this based on over a decade of teaching experience and staff developer. Once I learned the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing and instructing with writing workshops, I became a teacher who taught writing well and a better writer myself.

What is a Writing Workshop?

I. Teach Writing Craft With Writing Examples (also called mentor texts, read-alouds, touchstone books, and modeling writing with write-alouds.)

This is the craft of writing lesson using a picture book, or an excerpt from a text, with which the teacher and students use to learn and study craft. It is also the time where the teacher shows how she processes and makes decisions in her writing in front of the students, out – loud, modeling the craft lesson.

Writing Workshop — Reading Aloud a Mentor Text

II. Writing Time for Writing, Conferring with Teacher, Conferring with Peers

This is a long period of time (30 – 60 minutes) for the students to apply the lesson to their own writing, confer with the teacher, confer with each other, or other writing such as draft, revise, edit, or publish. The teacher spends several minutes with each writer, talking about their writing – noticing what is working and suggestion something to work on. I usually gave my students a sticky note with a + for strengths and an arrow for a goal to work on. Teachers will keep this information in their own logs as well. I tried to meet with each students 1 – 2 times a week so every week I knew exactly what was happening with each student in writing. It is a very important part of the workshop as these conferences inform the teacher of what to teach — weaknesses, strengths, and so forth. The teacher asks guiding questions to help the student improve their reflections of their writing.

Writing Time

III. Reflection and Author’s Chair

This is probably the most important and beneficial part in a writing workshop. This is where the students learn how to revise and reflect – on their own work and each others. An author shares while the other students listen. Depending on the time in the year and the age, what happens after will vary. Initially, you will ask the listeners to help inform the writer of strengths, probably based on the lesson. Further along in the year, listeners will ask questions and offer suggestions.