Amanda Write Now

By Amanda Werner

Launching Writing Workshop: The First 14 Days Done for You

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I’ve finished the first three weeks of school and launched both writing & reading workshop. This article outlines exactly what I did to launch both reading and writing workshop in my classroom. If you are an English teacher wanting to teach using the writing and reading workshop model, then this post is exactly what you’ve been looking for!

Day 1


Mini Lesson: Today we will teach students about living writerly & readerly lives while also following the workshop schedule.

Explain the workshop schedule using the chart to the right. Show students the meeting area where mini lessons will be taught. Explain that the mini lesson is always super short (ten minutes or less) so students can’t raise their hands or ask questions during the mini lesson. Practice time is when students can ask questions and get support from the teacher and other students.

For this first mini lesson, keep it simple. Talk about a few books you love and writing ideas you have. Then, allow students to share their thoughts on these topics with a partner.

Practice: I always write practice time choices clearly on the whiteboard. I also approach students who struggle with this many choices. I provide two for them or a writing prompt that gets them excited. You can also support students in finding a book they’ll enjoy in your class library or listing favorites in their writing notebook.

Share: Students come back to their groups and discuss what they accomplished during practice time and summarize the workshop schedule.

Day 2


Mini Lesson: Today we will practice the workshop schedule. Ask students to come to the meeting area and time them. Keep a running record of times on your whiteboard so students know times to beat.

Read a short mentor text aloud to students. Explain that soon students will write a piece within the same genre as the mentor text and publish it! Make sure your mini lesson is ten minutes or less. Time your mini lesson too so you don’t go over ten minutes. Making students sit in a meeting area for more than ten minutes is a little rough for some students depending on the meeting area.

Practice: Students can choose to read more mentor texts, their own independent reading books, list ideas for a writing piece or begin drafting a piece that emulates the mentor text. I want students to get used to choosing how they spend their independent time and also know that both reading and writing are acceptable activities during “practice time”. I support students in finding books they’ll enjoy during this practice time. I also support students in generating lots and lots of lists.

Share: Students come back to their groups and discuss what they accomplished during workshop. They can share a summary of their reading or read aloud something they wrote.

Day 3


Mini Lesson: Today we will read another mentor text aloud, don’t analyze discuss or overthink it. Just let students soak it in. Appreciate the story, allow freedom to react. After reading simply ask students, “what’d you think?” You can carve out time later to annotate, analyze and discuss after a second read.

Practice: Students can choose to read independent books, buddy read, read mentor texts, list or draft anything they choose, a letter, a fictional story, an argumentative article, a graphic novel, whatever they want! I love providing a wide variety of choices for “practice time” because students are usually much more invested and on task when you give them choice! Note: some students may get overwhelmed with all the choices. For these students, approach them during a conference and limit the choices to two.

Reflect: Students come back to their groups and discuss what they accomplished today during workshop. They can also summarize the workshop schedule to each other.

Day 4

Mini Lesson: Today we will create a map of our reading & writing lives. I model my own map and tell stories from my childhood. I talk about my earliest memories with books and writing, my lows and highs throughout the years. Students love hearing stories from my childhood and they love telling stories from theirs. It is also an awesome opportunity to stimulate ideas for writing pieces.

Practice: Students should discuss memories from their reading & writing lives with each other. When they are done with their own life maps, they can choose to read independent books, buddy read, list story ideas or draft a piece of writing. As always, I list the choices clearly on the whiteboard.

Reflect: Have students come back to their groups and share their reading & writing life maps.

Day 5

Mini Lesson: Today we will read another mentor text. The more samples of the type of writing you expect your students to do the better! It is also a very simple mini lesson that takes very little planning. Just make sure whatever mentor text you choose is short enough to read in the ten minutes you have for your mini lesson.

Practice: Students read & write! They can read their own books or more mentor texts. Students can write emulations of mentor texts or within whatever genre they choose.

Reflect: Today have students reflect about what activity they tend to pursue most often during practice time. Do they tend to use their time reading or writing?

Day 6

Mini Lesson: Today students will begin listing & storytelling. I usually begin by listing people, places, objects and subjects that are important to me. I do this right in front of students under document camera in my own writer’s notebook. After I’ve listed half a page or so I pick something from my list to tell a story about. I explain that storytelling aloud with a partner is an excellent way to begin drafting!

Practice: Explain students need to have at least a page of lists, maybe more if they can. When students are done make sure they know they can story-tell topics from their list and begin drafting on that topic without stopping. Students can also read if they’d like:)

Reflect: Have students share their lists and parts of their drafts with each other.

Day 7

Mini Lesson: Today let’s teach students about writing stamina. I explain that writing for long periods takes practice. Just like when you learn the guitar, to run long distances or read a book, it takes time to build up your stamina to do these activities for long periods of time. If you don’t write very much then writing for a full five minutes might be challenging. If you write a bit then maybe writing for ten minutes should be your goal.

Practice: Set a timer and have students write for a full ten minutes without stopping. Tell students to use their lists as a starting off point. Track who struggles with this activity so you can support them later.

Reflect: Have student discuss their writing stamina goals. If they got tired after five minutes their goal should be to try and write for six minutes.

Day 8


Mini Lesson: Today students build up their writing stamina. Explain that sometimes when writing you get stuck, you get tired, bored, irritated with yourself or any number of other things happen. Explain these moments are when the list can be an invaluable tool! Draft in front of your students, get stuck, reread your list, pick a new topic and begin drafting anew.

Practice: For these stamina days, I require students to write because the goal is to build writing stamina. Explain to students that some days they have many options but on stamina days, students are working on writing for long periods. You can also alternate writing stamina days with reading stamina days. Time students again.

Reflect: Have students discuss with partners, strategies they used when they got stuck, bored or irritated with themselves. Share some of what you hear students say to the class. Make up things if you have to. Say something like, “Julie, noticed she was getting frustrated because she couldn’t spell a word, so she just guessed at the spelling, circled the word and kept right on writing!”

Day 9

Mini Lesson: Today we will teach students elaboration techniques. Using a chart like the one to the right I demonstrate these strategies by  drafting in front of my students.

Practice: Tell students to spend the first ten minutes of practice time trying out an elaboration technique in their own writing. Have students write the elaborative section on a notecard to turn into you. After the first ten minutes, allow students to choose either reading or writing as their preferred activity.

Reflect: Have students share the elaboration techniques they wrote on notecards.

Day 10

Mini Lesson: Today students learn about conferences. It is important students understand what is expected during a conference with their teacher and with their peers. Charts like the one to the right can support students and teachers in achieving their goals during a writing/reading conference. It helps to do a fish bowl activity for a few days in a row to show students what a conference looks like.

Practice: Allow students to read or write. Conference with students and allow students to conference with each other in designated spaces around your room. Or designate a time frame that students conference with a writing partner.

Reflect: Have students share what they accomplished during work time today. Did they get a draft done, read a chapter in their book, meet with a writing partner?

Day 11

Mini Lesson: Today students learn about revision & editing. Students need to know the difference between revision and editing. The key to both is rereading a lot. I emphasize this key point with my students. I also emphasize that writing, revision and editing often occur all at the same time. I model this for my students today and often throughout the school year. It can be a hard concept for students to wrap their minds around. Showing the process in action is so key.

Practice: Tell students to practice the revision & editing techniques they saw you model. They can also choose to continue a draft they have not finished. Urge students to reread all that they have written over the course of the last few weeks. Rereading is key.

Reflect: Have students discuss how they changed their writing today. Tell them to describe the difference between editing and revising.

Day 12

Mini Lesson: Today students practice revision & editing. Model rereading a draft of yours and using the revision and editing techniques included on the chart.

Practice: Have students reread drafts and rewrite parts on new pages within their writing notebook. Allow students to read aloud to partners or have partners read drafts aloud to the author of the draft.

Reflect: Have student volunteers read before and after revision segments of their writing.

Day 13

Mini Lesson: Today let’s teach students that writing and reading is never done! I love discussing this topic because it is so true! No piece of writing is ever truly done because it can always be changed and improved upon.

Practice: Let today be a reading and writing free-for-all! Let students read and write for as long as possible today! Set a timer when they begin and stop the timer when students seem antsy.

Reflect: Have students revisit their original stamina times and discuss any growth they have noticed after the last few weeks.

Day 14


Mini Lesson: Today students learn how to provide meaningful feedback. You are one teacher and there are many, many students. Therefore, it is integral students realize they are all teachers.

Tell a story of a time a student taught you something. Explain that you don’t know everything and that students are experts on topics you have no clue about. Allow students to choose partners if you can. Explain that students need to get used to asking questions and helping each other.

As readers, they should be recommending books to each other. They can keep a running list of “Books I Want to Read…” in their writing notebooks. As writers, students need to feel comfortable reading parts of their writing and asking for feedback. Charts like the one to the right can help students get started asking and giving feedback!

Practice: Set aside some time for students to recommend books to each other. Set aside time for students to discuss their writing pieces with each other. This should continue to happen over the course of the school year.

Reflect: Have student volunteers share out something they learned from each other!

Ten Ways to Publish Student Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Publishing student writing is the cornerstone of a successful writing workshop program. At the beginning of each of my writing units I tell students they will write many different drafts within a writing genre and pick one to revise intensely and then to publish.

In this article I’ll present many options for publishing student writing, materials you’ll need, the steps you need to take in order to implement these options and the best resources I’ve found to support you in sharing your students’ writing with the world!

Host a Publishing Party

Materials:

  • Large area such as a gym or multipurpose room
  • Invitation email to other classes, parents and administrators
  • Handwritten author bio on notecard
  • Printed student writing pieces
  • Students in pairs
  • Card stock numbered 1-12, each pair will sit in front of their numbered card stock sign
  • Post-its numbered 1-12, duplicate these numbered post-its so that pairs of student guests from other classes meet with pairs of your students

Steps:

  1. Pick a date.
  2. Craft an email invitation.
  3. Launch your writing unit, explaining the date and publishing party to students.
  4. Allow your students to write and write and write for about two weeks straight.
  5. Have students pick one piece they want to revise A LOT, teach revising & editing strategies.
  6. Allow students to work with writing partners A LOT.
  7. Have students write their author bio, use sample author bios from publish books as mentor texts.
  8. Have students print their published piece.
  9. Optional: get sparkling cider and balloons to build even more excitement for the event!
  10. Have pairs of your students sit in front of numbered card stock signs with their author bios and printed published pieces in front of them.
  11. As student guests walk in, hand them a post-it which tells them where to go.
  12. Your students will read their author bio and summarize their writing pieces to student guests.
  13. After about 5-6 minutes give the signal to rotate to the next consecutive number, you may want to explain this to guest classes and teachers beforehand.

Resources:
8 Tips for a Great Publishing Party

Beyond the Publishing Party: Ten Ways to Celebrate Learning

Create a Class E-Book


Materials:

  • PowerPoint or Google Slides
  • Typed student writing pieces

Steps:

  1. Change the layout of your PowerPoint or Google Slides to 8.5×11 inches, see Cult of Pedagogy’s video above for how to do this using PowerPoint. The process is pretty much the same in Google Slides.
  2. Design your cover or have a student design it using PowerPoint or Google Slides. Use the same 8.5×11 inch size.
  3. Copy and paste typed writing pieces into each slide or have a responsible student do this.
  4. Save all the work as a PowerPoint document or in a safe place in your Google Drive if you’re using Google Slides.
  5. Save your slides as a PDF. You can do this in PowerPoint and in Google Slides.
  6. Share the PDF E-Book online or in an email to parents, admin and the school.

Resources:

How to Create an E-Book from Start to Finish

Host a Book Store Event

Materials:

  • Contact a local book store
  • Student writing pieces printed, bound
  • Optional: covers laminated
  • Handwritten author bio on notecard
  • Invitations to parents, other classes, teachers and administrators

Steps:

  1. Contact your local book store and explain what you’d like to do and decide on a date to host your event, be sure to ask for a good chunk of time such as four hours so students and their parents can come and go within that time frame.
  2. Craft an email invitation to parents, admin and possibly other classes.
  3. Launch your writing unit, explaining the date and book store event to students.
  4. Allow your students to write and write and write for about two weeks straight.
  5. Have students pick one piece they want to revise A LOT.
  6. Teach revising strategies, allow students to peer conference and teach editing strategies.
  7. Have students write their author bio, use sample author bios from publish books as mentors.
  8. Have students print their published piece and create covers.
  9. If possible, laminate covers and bind books or just staple them together.
  10. Let students know they are required to come to the event within the scheduled time frame.
  11. Make sure to take pictures to share with the school, on your class website and on social media!

Resources:

Contact Barnes & Noble

Third Grade Authors Celebrate with Special Bookstore Reading Night

Create a Hardback Book

Materials:

Steps:

  1. Contact your chosen company above, at least three months in advance to allow time for the company to send you the necessary materials.
  2. Once you receive your materials launch your writing unit, making sure to show students the publishing kit you received in the mail!
  3. As always, allow students lots of time to produce lots and lots of drafts, revise and edit their work before using the materials provided in the kit.
  4. Make sure to read through all the instructions in your kit, send home any letters or stickers required by the company.
  5. Once students have handwritten or typed their writing using the kit directions mail it in.
  6. On the day your book(s) arrives celebrate with a popcorn party, read-a-thon/read-aloud-a-thon!

Resources:

Student Treasures In the News 

Publish Online

Materials: 

  • Sign up for a gmail account if you want to use Google Sites
  • Sign up for a Weebly account if you plan to use Weebly
  • Parent & student permission forms signed and dated

Steps:

  1. Launch your writing unit explaining the goal of publishing writing pieces on a class website.
  2. Allow students lots of time to handwrite lists and drafts in their writing notebook.
  3. After about two weeks, have students pick one piece to type, revise and edit.
  4. Have students share their typed piece either via Google Classroom or email.
  5. Copy and paste each piece as a link on your website (this can be very time consuming so you might want to ask a parent or responsible student volunteer for help.
  6. In order to cut back on the amount of work this requires, you could also only publish “top writers” pieces.
  7. Share the website with parents, admin and other classes via a link in an email.

Resources:

Writing in 6th

Publish in Google Classroom


Materials:

  • Gmail account
  • Google Classroom

Steps:

  1. Launch your writing unit explaining the goal of publishing pieces in Google Classroom for other classmates and even other classes (if you are a middle or high school teacher with multiple sections).
  2. Allow students lots of time to handwrite lists and drafts in their writing notebook.
  3. After about two weeks of lots of notebook writing, have students pick one piece to type, revise and edit.
  4. Create a Google Classroom assignment called, “My Published__________________”insert whatever genre your students are writing within, add a blank Google Doc and make a copy for each student. Have students type the piece they want to publish in this Google Classroom Doc.
  5. Create another assignment called, “Class Published_________________”, again insert whatever genre, this time add a blank Google Doc that all students can edit.
  6. Have groups of four students take turns adding a link to their published piece into the shared Google Doc.
  7. Spend a few days allowing students to click links, read each others’ pieces and write comments.

Resources:

Google Classroom Tutorials

Participate in Writing Contests

Materials:

Steps:

  1. Visit one of the websites above, my favorite is Creative Communications because of the simple rules to follow, the samples of winning writing provided and I’ve had students win before!
  2. Read through the rules, usually there is some sort of permission slip to send home with students.
  3. Show any videos that describe the contest to students. Read any rules and directions out loud to students.
  4. Give students lots and lots of time to draft in class.
  5. Allow time for students to read their writing piece aloud to a peer and get editing help.
  6. Follow submission rules for the contest.
  7. Celebrate students’ hard work and submissions with sparkling cider and popcorn and a reading of the pieces!

Resources:

Imagination Soup-Writing Contests for Kids

Use Publishing Apps

Materials:

Steps:

  1. Learn the app you plan to use with your students, try publishing your own piece of writing using the app first.
  2. Launch your writing unit by showing tutorial videos about the app you plan to use with students. Ask students if they have experience with the app and would be willing to help others in the class use it. You aren’t the only teacher in the room!
  3. Allow students time to brainstorm, list and draft BEFORE letting them use the app.
  4. After students have shown you their drafts, plans and revised their writing, allow them time to play with the app to get used to the way it works.
  5. Link student work in an, editable by all students, shared Google Classroom Doc (see Google Classroom video for how to do this).
  6. Allow students a few days to watch and read each others’ creations!
  7. Serve a treat or allow students to bring their own to make it an even more exciting event!

Resources:
5 Best Free Educational Tools for Publishing Student Writing

8 Powerful Apps to Help You Create Books on the iPad

Publish with E-Portfolios


Materials:

  • Student Gmail Accounts
  • Access to Google Sites

Steps:

  1. At the beginning of the year, explain to students that an E-Portfolio is an electronic portfolio of a student’s best work displayed via a webpage.
  2. Every time a student produces a piece of writing they feel proud of or has gone through the drafting, revising and editing process make sure they insert it into their E-Portfolio.
  3. Have students share links to their E-Portfolios via Google Classroom in a shared, editable doc.
  4. Each month allow students time to visit each others’ E-Portfolios to read what others have written and included.

Resources:

Which e-portfolio tool is right for you?

Host a Poetry Slam


Materials:

  • Large area such as a gym or multipurpose room
  • Invitation email to other classes, parents and administrators
  • Optional: podium, lamps, couches, bean bag chairs, refreshments

Steps:

  1. Contact admin or janitorial staff to schedule a large space in your school or use your classroom
  2. Launch your writing unit beginning with a description of what a poetry slam is. Below you’ll find resources to that explain in depth the history of poetry slams.
  3. Read, watch and analyze lots of slam poetry readings.
  4. Allow students to emulate the poems and write for a couple weeks straight.
  5. Always allow students the opportunity to perform their poems at the end of the workshop hour. This will be great practice for the poetry slam event!
  6. Have students pick one poem from all the poems they wrote over the course of two weeks to revise, reread, change and recite over and over until the day of the poetry slam.
  7. Create a poetry slam program or have a trusted student take on this project.
  8. Recruit student volunteers to greet guests and hand out programs.
  9. Soak up the beauty of community, creativity and poetry.

Resources:

Students Showcase Writing Talents at Poetry Reading

Wrap Up…

English classes have changed dramatically in the last ten to twenty years. Students need audiences for their writing beyond their teacher. Publishing student work for the world to see is a must if you plan to run a successful, motivating and engaging writing workshop program!

Get Free Back to School Writing Mini Lessons

10 Ways to Use PowToon in the English Classroom

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PowToon in the English Classroom
PowToon is a fun and fairly easy video creation tool for teachers and students. The company already has an excellent blog post about how teachers can utilize this tool in their classrooms here.

This blog post is about how students can use PowToon for ten writing and reading tasks!

Get TEN Editable Google Slide Templates

Here is an excellent tutorial video you can show your students to get them started with how to use PowToon…

1. Create an All About You Video

Back to school is a great time for students to create a short video to get to know each other.

Possible Requirements: state your name, favorite subject, favorite book, favorite hobby and a goal for the school year.

Here’s an all about me PowToon video I created to introduce myself to other writing teachers visiting my website…

2. Excite Peers with a Book Talk

Book talks are an excellent way for students to share their excitement about books and get recommendations from each other. You could require that students create a book talk once a month, every quarter or semester using PowToon.

Possible Requirements:The chart to the right is what I hang in my classroom for students so that the book talk requirements are clear. Students look at it frequently during their book talks, it is a nice crutch for students who might be a bit nervous. Feel free to use it in your class. Click here for more charts you can use in your class!

Here’s an example done by a teacher for you of a book talk…

3. Provide a Literary Analysis

As a secondary English teacher you are most likely overwhelmed by grading essays. Instead of assigning an essay assign a PowToon project. Below is an example of a literary analysis PowToon. It is not perfect by any means. I’d say there is too much text and it is a little long, but I bet the person who created it, learned a ton in the process!

Possible Requirements:
State your claim/thesis, provide reasons and evidence to support your claim. Use music, images and transitions to keep audience attentive. The video should be no longer than three minutes.

4. Explain Literary Terms

If you want students to learn vocabulary, they need to use it frequently in discussions with others and throughout their daily life. Creating a video where students have to show words in action can be incredibly helpful in solidifying student understanding of terms.

Possible Requirements:
Pick five literary terms you struggle to remember. Create a PowToon in which the words come to life. Don’t just define the words, provide examples of the words in context.

5. Demonstrate Parts of a Narrative

Students sometimes struggle to elaborate in their writing whether it is about the main character, the setting of their story or the climax. To support students in elaborating you might want to have them create a PowToon depicting some or all of these aspects of their narrative.

Possible Requirements:
Introduce the main character of your narrative, what do they look like? What are their hobbies? What are their strengths and weaknesses? How are they feeling? Who do they trust? Who do they distrust? What are their fears, hopes and dreams?

Below is a video you can show your students to review how the plot of narratives usually go…

Make a video of just the climax of your story. Provide a short summary of the beginning and middle of your story then show us the most exciting, crazy, scary, sad or thought provoking part of your narrative through animations, sound and transitions.

6. Provide Information

One of the most obvious ways to use PowToon is to have students present information about a topic. If they are writing informational articles in your class, why not require they embed a link to a short informational video on the topic too? This can be a great next step for strong writers who are looking to beef up their work.

Possible Requirements:
Once you finish writing your informational article create a short (two minutes max) PowToon video summarizing the main ideas of your article to your audience.

7. Argue a Claim

Students often have difficulty organizing an argumentative article. Creating a video can help!

Possible Requirements:
Create a short PowToon video where you state your claim, provide one convincing reason evidence in the form of a quote that supports your reason. Do this again for reason number two and three. Make sure to add pictures and transitions between each reason.

Here’s a great PowToon video you can use to review parts of an argument…

8. Share a Biography

Students need lots of practice writing informationally. They also need opportunities to discover how great people came to be the people they are today. I love giving students the opportunity to study, in depth, a person they look up to.

Possible Requirements:
Create a short informational video about someone you look up to. This informational video can include information about their childhood, obstacles they overcame, where they are today and why you look up to them.

Here’s an example biography PowToon video you can show your students to get them started…

9. Read Poetry

Reading poetry correctly can be tough! Why not have students practice rhythm, meters, alliteration, assonance and repetition through video?

Possible Requirements:
Choose a poem that demonstrates one of the poetic devices above and create a video in which you read the poem and discuss the poetic devices you notice.

NOTE: recording your voice directly through PowToon causes awful sound quality. Use a program called Audacity to record your voice, then upload it to PowToon. Audacity can be a bit challenging to use and requires a plugin to download the audio as an Mp3 but there are many tutorial videos about how to use it. If you have a Mac you could use a free app called GarageBand too!

Here’s a PowToon video that explains various poetic devices for review with your students…

10. Teach Grammar Rules

Lots of English teachers struggle with how to teach grammar. Should I teach it as direct instructional lessons and have students practice through worksheets OR should I teach it through the writing process while students are actually in the process of writing? I personally favor the latter approach. But I do think that video can be an excellent way to help students understand difficult grammar concepts such as the difference between a semi colon, colon and commas or various clauses or about passive vs. active voice.

Possible Requirements:
Choose a grammar concept from the list above and create a tutorial video for an audience that is clueless about this concept. Don’t just define the grammar rule, provide lots of examples and entertain your audience with music, images and transitions. Below is an excellent and entertaining grammar video using PowToon…

Wrap Up…

PowToon is an easy tool to engage students in activities you have already been doing in your classroom for years.

The Ultimate Writing Workshop Routines Guide

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Every teacher on the planet knows that the first weeks of school are all about routines, routines, routines and more routines. There are the super obvious routines to discuss like what to do when you have to go to the bathroom or get water, what to do when you want to speak, how to turn work in and the list goes on. But, there are so many routines in our classrooms that some very important ones go overlooked. This guide discusses five important components of the workshop schedule and the routines you need to teach if you are planning to run a workshop class this year. These are routines that often go overlooked because they are a bit obvious to us but may not be to our students, especially students who have never done the workshop model before.

Meeting Area Routines

Materials: Students need to know what materials to bring to the meeting area and you should stay consistent with what you want students to bring every time. In my class students always know they need to bring their notebook and a pencil or pen.

Where to Sit: You can choose to let students sit where they want or create a seating arrangement. It is up to you and what you think your class can handle. Either way you’ll want students sitting next to their peer conference partner so you can direct them to support each other when you need to.

How to Act: Students should be silent during your mini lesson and not raising their hand to interject with questions or comments. Mini lessons are super short (ten minutes or less). So, it is imperative students know they need to listen carefully and save questions and comments for after the mini lesson so that you can get through it quickly and be as concise as possible so students have lots of time to practice the skill(s) you are teaching.

How to Exit: Students need to know where their work area is and what to do as soon as the mini lesson and meeting is over. It is not a time to socialize, it is a time to get right to work. Social cueing (using student names and explicitly stating what they are doing right) is a very powerful way to get students on task immediately. A chart such as the one below can also help students with deciding what they will work on. You can also have students state what their plan is to their partner before leaving the meeting area.

Work Time Routines

Where to Work: Students need to know your expectations during work time. Will you allow them to work any where in the room or require students to stay at desks? I allow students to sit where they are comfortable and focused. I explain that if I observe they aren’t focused in their chosen spot then I will choose their spot for them that day.

How to Work: Students should see what work looks like. It may seem very obvious to you but it is important to actually show students what it looks like when someone is reading or writing.

Noise Levels During Work: You need to be very clear about what the noise level is during work time. Are students expected to write for a full ten minutes without talking and then another ten minutes they can whisper and get help or can they work and whisper the entire time? You could also designate certain areas of your classroom as peer conferring areas and other areas as quiet places. This can work depending on the class you have. If you have a super chatty class they may need you to carve out absolute silent time. Use a timer so students know exactly how long they need to be silent.

Roadblock Routines

What to Do When I Don’t Know What to Write: Teaching students strategies for what to do when they don’t know what to write usually takes up an entire week or more of writing workshop mini lessons. You should definitely create a chart like the one to the right that students can always refer to throughout the year.

What to Do When I Think I’m Done: Teaching students next steps for when they think they are done writing is super important and also involves many, many mini lessons throughout the year! Students need a chart to refer to when they think they are done.

What to Do When I Get Stuck: Students need strategies when they are stuck on a piece. Lists help tremendously with this. If a student is stuck they can refer to their list and pick a new topic to write about. Again, charts like the one below help tremendously!

Conferencing Routines

Who is My Partner: Announcing partners can be stressful for students and the teacher. I cringe when I hear negative sounds or comments from students about who their partner is. This is why I always preface partner announcements by saying, “It is important to remember to be positive about whoever your partner is. I realize sometimes people don’t get along, even adults don’t get along! But we keep our negative thoughts and comments to ourselves, it is the mature course of action. If you have any negative opinions please keep them to yourself. I should not hear any noises or comments when I make the announcements.

Also, remember your partners change each month. If you are unhappy about who your partner is, try your best to have an open mind. You never know what you might learn and who you might meet! Think of this as an opportunity to get to know someone new!”

When Can I Meet with My Partner: Partners should have the opportunity to meet at the end of each mini lesson to discuss what they will be working on during work time. You can also designate areas of the room for partners to meet or designate specific times for partners to meet. It is really up to you and what you think would work best for your students.
What Do We Talk About: If you require students to meet with their partners each day or twice a week you need to explain and show exactly what you expect. One of the best ways I’ve found to do this is through a fishbowl activities. Pick two prearranged students to discuss their writing.

When Do I Have Conferences with the Teacher: I try to confer with students in an organized, strategic way and I let students know exactly how the conferences will go.  Some days I meet with individuals and other days I meet with groups, I always let students know what type of conferring day it is too. A chart like this once can help students prepare for their conference with you too.

Sharing Writing Routines

Do I Have to Share My Work? You need to decide how and when students will share their writing with each other. Expect students to share their work with others. But…some super shy students may be incredibly uncomfortable reading their writing aloud to the entire class. It is important to provide opportunities to share in smaller groups as well as with the entire class. Shy students need to be given prior notice, support and practice sharing in smaller group settings before requiring them to share in front of the entire class.

When Do I Get to Share My Work? Yes! All students should have the opportunity to share their writing if they’d like. However, having every student read their entire piece everyday is just not possible. There are many ways you can allow for sharing but expedite the process too. You’ll find multiple ways students can share their work with the class…

How Do I Share My Work? There are many ways to share work: popcorn read best sentence aloud to the class, read your best paragraph to your partner,  read your first & last sentence to a group, read another student’s paragraph aloud to the class, read your entire piece to your partner, go to four corners of the room, number off and then the teacher will call a number and that student will get to read their piece to the corner group.

To Sum Up…

Routines are incredibly important for a smooth running workshop! Mini lessons should not only be about skills, they should also be about routines and behavior. Charts, fishbowls, explicit mini lessons and lots and lots of practice can definitely support you in establishing these all important routines. Check out this routines pack to support you!

10 Best YouTube Channels for Writing Teachers

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Ever spend hours looking for YouTube videos to teach writing? Youtube channels for writing teachers are hard to find! YouTube is an incredible resource bank for writing teachers…but sometimes it can be annoying to sift through all the junk to get to the good stuff. Believe me, this post took hours and hours of sifting! I’ve separated out the channels based on if they are best to show students (student facing) or to keep for your own professional developmental arsenal. Check it out and don’t forget to share with your social media community if you find this post helpful…


Student Facing Videos


Shmoop

I just love this channel for upper grade students. There are tons and tons of videos to chose from. They are cartoony, oh so entertaining and teach important writing skills!

Watchwellcast

This channel has many entertaining and useful videos to teach skills like note taking, how to get out of a creative rut and how to be a better public speaker. It also includes videos you may want to show your students about health, relationships and more!

TEDed Writing

Did you know you can visit any YouTube channel and click the little magnify button (arrow pointing to it below) to find any videos on that channel relating to your search. That’s what I did on one of my favorite educational YouTube channels, TEDed. The link above shows there are many excellent TEDed videos to use in your writing classroom! Look at the graphic below…don’t search in the top box, because that will search all of YouTube. Look for the little magnifying glass. See the arrow to find it below.

Vivien Reis

This channel is for secondary teachers. The author of The Elysian Prophecy gives awesome tips to budding writers on her channel. You’ll find everything from how to get ideas for a book to how to get rid of passive voice in writing on her channel!

Teaching Without Frills

This is a great channel filled with cartoons to teach elementary students narrative, how to and opinion writing. I highly recommend you check it out if you are an elementary teacher. I think even secondary teachers would find this channel useful too!

Writing Workshop

Well I can’t do a post about the best YouTube channels for writing teachers without mentioning my own channel! I have been posting student facing and professional development videos on my YouTube channel for about a year now and am continuing to build this video resource bank! You definitely need to check it out!




Professional Development Videos


Heinemann Podcast

This YouTube channel has tons of videos to support writing teachers in developing their craft! I especially love the videos with super famous authors of awesome books for teachers like The Unstoppable Writing Teacher by Colleen Cruz

Out of This World Literacy

I love Jen Bengal and actually met her in person! This channel has tons of excellent videos from Jen conducting writing conferences with her students to mini lessons in action!

Edutopia

Edutopia is a wonderful website all teachers should know about and the YouTube channel is filled with awesome videos of real classrooms in action. While the channel includes lots of excellent videos about teaching writing effectively, such as this one, it also includes other must see educational videos too! This is one of my favorite youtube channels for writing teachers!

Reading Rockets

I absolutely love the Reading Rockets Author Interviews because there are so many great tips about writing from real authors to show students! The YouTube channel has tons of genius ideas for writing teachers including collaborative journals and strategies for reluctant writers!


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