Launching Writer's Workshop

While it may seem easy, setting up the format for writer’s workshop in the beginning months of the school year can be a pretty challenging task. A lot of teachers wonder how to stay organized, teach mini-lessons, and conference with students throughout their writing block. Even though I have been teaching for seven years, this is the first year I truly feel polished in this area, and have identified what works for me.

In the beginning of the year it is imperative that teachers collect a writing sample from each student. This enables you to be aware of the needs of your students, and set a starting point for future development. I usually perform this task during the first week of school by giving them a writing prompt. The writing prompt can be as simple as “What was your favorite memory of the summer?” to something more in depth like “If you could create your own invention, what would it be?” Again, the topic would change based upon the age of your students.

After assessing the needs of my students, I introduce graphic organizers, such as the Writer’s Heart found below. Students love this activity so much that I usually have to tell them that it’s time to stop writing. Writing their ideas on a graphic organizer also helps students when they have “writer’s block.” The next mini-lesson I do goes hand-in-hand with the “Writer’s Heart” lesson. As a class, we brainstorm places we can go to find a story. There are several books that emphasize this concept, such as "A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You" by Ralph Fletcher.

Another great way to reinforce how graphic organizers can be used is by reading "My Map Book" by Sara Finelli, which shows examples of an author who maps out her ideas, and writes about personal experience. I remind students that writer’s get ideas by thinking about things that are close to their heart. They love that idea because it boosts their confidence, and lets them know that they are authors in their own right. After reading this story, I conduct a think aloud mini-lesson in which I model this idea. I list various things or people that are in my heart (my vacation in Virginia, my wonderful students, my cat Fluff, etc . . . ). By this time, my students are usually excited and want to get started on their own heart. I always emphasize  that this is the first place they should go to in their writer’s notebook when they get “writer’s block.”  

A writer’s workshop period needs to run smoothly to be successful, which means you should build a community of writers.  This is the next area I focus on. I have students help me create charts detailing why it is important to have writer’s workshop, and the rules that should be in place. I think it is important for students to come up with their own ideas why writing is important. Students can even help create the rules for writer’s workshop, thereby allowing them to feel that they are a part of the planning process. And the rules can be phrased in such a way that they explain why they are necessary. Instead of saying “no talking,” it is more effective to state “stay quiet so others can think”. There are too many times that we, as teachers, assume that students understand the reasons behind rules. Once you have established the basic rules, the “meat and potatoes” of writer’s workshop can begin. What follows are more ideas for launching writer's workshop.

Writer's Workshop Lessons:

Writer's Heart Graphic Organizer

This lesson explains how to conduct a mini-lesson using the "Writer's Heart" graphic organizer. Students create their own "Writer's Heart."

Where Writer's Get Their Ideas

This lesson helps students prevent "writer's block." Students create lists of ideas to write about.

The Writing Process: Brainstorming

Students are introduced to the first step of the writing process, brainstorming. Students use Kidspiration software to web ideas.