Chapter 14, 15, 17

Lauren Tedder

LLED

Writer’s Workshop

Ch. 14, 15, 17

2-3-11

            I would have to agree with Ray, I think that I get the most enjoyment when I am able to sit down with the students and have a conference about their work. You can get to know a lot about a student and how they are doing by just asking a few questions and listening. We have to remember to talk to our students as writers and not talk down at them. I also like the idea about “moving out” to your students instead of having your students come to you. I find myself many times going to the students who need the most help or who have their hands raised. I think that Ray makes a great point about how teachers need to go see every student about their work and how they are doing. I am so glad that she stated that conferences should be kept short. I sometimes think that teachers will keep one students for a long time and that makes all the other students’ conferences much shorter. I love the fact that Ray wants her students to be more independent and do things on their own. Students can be independent at any age if they are given the chance and the responsibility. Also, keep good records and the records should be a recap about what the conference was over.  I think that Ray gives many great ideas and ways of handling conferencing time in the classroom. I got a lot out of this section of the book.

            Students need to talk during the share time part of the writer’s workshop. It is important for them to receive this feedback from their peers and teachers. Students can learn a lot from listening and sharing with each other. Sharing time is a place where everyone can learn together as a community. I also think that it is very important for the teacher to share as well. The teacher needs to demonstrate sharing her writing to the class so that others feel comfortable and understand how important sharing can be. In my placement at

Timothy Road

, my mentor teacher does simple response share everyday after the writing workshop. Every student will read what they wrote or started to write during the workshop period. I really like the survey share approach. I think that this approach is short, sweet, and to the point. This type of sharing still allows the students to share, get feedback, and learn from others. My favorite type of share would be the student-as-teacher share. How great is this? Allowing a few individuals to share what they are doing, have created, have written, or what they have figured out. I think that this can be very special and highlighting for the students when they are able to share.

            I love how the questions that a teacher should ask during the writer’s workshop should be questions that they do not already know the answers to. I mean duh! Teachers all day long always ask questions that they already know the answers to. The questions which the teacher asks during the writer’s workshop should be why? How? Tell me more type of questions. I never knew that all the questions that we ask actually have names. For example, “Out of all the writing you’ve done, how is this piece similar?” This question is a history question. Teachers can use different questions for assessments and for students’ portfolios. Conferences are where a lot of the question asking takes place. The types of questions asked here would be questions about the students’ writings. There are different scales that the teacher can ask questions and evaluate the students on. I was a little confused about the scales and how to use them, then Ray had samples of students work and this made the scale clear.