The Writing Workshop Responses to Chapters 9, 10, 13

• In chapter 9, I connected with Ray’s statement about my future classroom design. She writes, “If I locked my students in my classroom and stood outside the door, what could they learn about writing without me even being there.” In my current field placement, the classroom walls are mostly barren exaggerating the white paint that blankets them. My mentor teacher has several posters of typical, motivation-type sayings, science posters, and a few about the writing process. Other than a couple items here and there, it does not encourage learning in the least or mirror the actual learning that is occurring. However, the high school English classroom in which I took the GACE created a positive learning environment, especially in regards to writing. The ceiling tiles had quotes from authors and writers, clearly illustrated by students. Mentor texts and student writing examples filled the walls and cork boards. Instead of simply having a generic poster about the writing process, one could find more specific strategies to complete a piece. The decorations stimulated me to almost want to take the test at eight o’clock in the morning: not an easy task. I hope that my classroom fosters learning through the help of the environment I create just as the English classroom did for me.     
• In regards to the focus lesson chapter, I have a question on how to access students on what they learned during the lesson. If everyone is writing about different things at different stages, how do you access the lesson? For instance, in the example Ray gave, she just offered a suggestion as to how to find a topic for writing poetry. She indicated that students could use her strategy during the workshop time, but they were not required to apply it to their pieces. How do you access students on focus lessons if they are just invited to participate and are not mandated? Also, are lessons such as defining poetry and how to teach noun and verb agreement included in a focus lesson? If not, should that be taught during another block of time aside from writer’s workshop? Would it be better to have students free write for ten minutes and then spend the remaining writing time on these subjects?     

My First Blog Post...A Response to The Writing Workshop Chapters 1-5

After reading these chapters, I have comments and questions that I will address in the following bullet points.

• Every morning in fifth grade, I distinctively remember having to respond to a writing prompt displayed on the white board upon entering the classroom. It usually mimicked, “If [this happened], what would you do?” I usually enjoyed this time, but I do remember that the routine grew monotonous. Even my teacher faded in interest which I noticed when the prompts began with creative ideas to “write about what you did this past weekend.” Ray suggests that the students should contribute to the daily prompts. It may seem like a simple solution, but I truly believe I will enact this morning work idea. Every month or so, I will ask students to write a prompt, question, or topic on an index card and place it in a box. Each morning, I will draw a card that will represent the prompt of the day. The students will be engaged, because it is a topic of interest. Plus, it gives the students a plethora of subjects that will elicit different response genres.
• Ray also believes that the teacher and students should create a positive writing community in which its participants contribute to the development of each other. One of the biggest struggles in writing at any stage is trying to find something to write about that is intriguing enough that entices the writer to keep working on the material. Ray encourages her students to bring in articles for each other to help with brainstorming writing topics. In my classroom, I plan to take it a step further. On a poster in my room, I will have an envelope with every students’ name. Under his or her name, each student will briefly list the student’s interests. Once a week, a homework assignment will be for each student to bring in an article or writing topic that he or she thinks relates a peer’s interest. In this way, the students stay informed about current events while developing a classroom literate community. My hope is that I will no longer need to require students to help each other brainstorm writing topics, because they would suggest topics on their own.
• Ray firmly believes that students should write for long periods of time during a specified “writing time” during the school day. She writes, “There is no such thing as ‘I’m finished’ during the time set aside for writing. Every one is ‘finished’ for the day when the clock says it is time for the workshop to come to an end” (2001). However, each student writes at a different speed. Some students take longer to formulate their thoughts and others simply write slowly. So, should students really be forced to write for the entire 60 minute block if they feel they have completed their work? I feel that students will just insert “fluff” if they are required to continue writing. Plus, it could turn them away from the subject all together thus preventing improvement.