Writers' Workshop Improves Students' Writing

Funny story.  My daughter asked me to edit her literary analysis of Romeo and Juliet for her A.P. Freshman English class.  Noticing she put two spaces after every word, I asked her reasoning for doing this.  Her response: "My teacher told me to double space."   After I took a moment to laugh (okay, more than a moment), I informed her what double spacing meant.  Her response: "Well, my teacher should have told me that from the start."

This conversation got me to thinking, how many times do we assume our students know how to do something?  Take writing as an example.  As I travel around the state of Tennessee and speak with teachers, there is a common concern.  Educators do not feel comfortable teaching writing. Most indicate they hate teaching writing.  Why?  I would argue it's because they've never been taught how to do it.  Think about teacher prep programs or professional development on the subject.  Does any of it successfully prepare you for teaching writing in your classroom? 

Teaching writing is a skill teachers are expected to figure out on their own, without much support.  I know this was the case for me.  

Every year, I pick an area to study to improve my craft.  Six years ago, I chose writing. I researched best practices, implemented them in my classroom, and revised those implementations based on the needs of my classroom.  I involved my 5th grade ELA team in the process.  Together, it took us two years to perfect the routines we followed to teach writing.  

Now, that I am a literacy coach at a Jr. High, I am helping teachers implement those same routines in 7th and 8th grade classrooms.   The results are encouraging.  The majority of students are writing at or above our high expectations.  

Establishing a routine for teaching writing is important at every level.  If most teachers feel inadequate in their abilities to teach writing, we cannot take for granted students come to us knowing how to write.  As a matter of fact, we probably should assume they don't. Whether you teach 2nd grade, Jr. High, or High School, the workshop model provides teachers with a routine to help their students become successful writers. 

The Mentor Text

The mentor text, or interactive writing, is the process a teacher and student goes through to write a class essay.  It involves sharing the pen.  During this process, the teacher explicitly teaches mini-lessons on tearing apart a prompt, planning, organizing, and writing an essay.  Teacher and student write together, sharing in the thinking that is involved in creating an essay.  Writing is thinking on paper and that part cannot be overlooked.  Depending on the level and needs of your students, the mentor essay may be a complete essay or just pieces of an essay.  You can't expect your students to do something they've never been taught to do.  Time spent writing interactively provides explicit instruction in how to write.    

The Independent Project  

Practice is important.  So is choice.  If students are going to learn the lessons taught during the mentor essay, they must implement what they learn in their own writing.  Offer students 3-4 high-interest writing project choices that mimic your state assessment.  As you model appropriate writing with the mentor text, give students time to practice those lessons in their own writing.  During this writing time, conference with students.  Conferencing is where the growth takes place.  It can be one-on-one or in small groups.  Push students to improve their writing by questioning their choices and moving them towards improving their writing.  Do not grade the independent project, as a grade is not the purpose of this part of Writers' Workshop. The purpose is growth.  Offer feedback that moves students to improve their writing.  This is what makes the independent project an invaluable part of Writers' Workshop.

The Assessment

Assessment is a necessary part of determining if a student has mastered writing.  After writing has been taught through the mentor text and practiced during the independent writing project, students show their proficiency during the assessment.  In Tennessee, teachers should use the state writing rubrics to grade the assessment, as this is the measure that will be used for our state assessment.  Be careful when grading.  If you intend to allow students to redo essay assessments, don't correct every mistake.  Offer students feedback to help them improve and strengthen their essays, but don't do the work for them.  Writing is always an area I allow students to redo because writing is about revising. 

Teaching writing is not easy.  To become an expert teacher of writing, it takes study, practice, and reflection.  Our students deserve a process that will grow them as writers; a process that teaches them how, offers them practice, and determines if they've mastered the skill.  I encourage you to try Writers' Workshop.

Are you interested in Writers' Workshop training?  Contact me at christy.mcmanus@chestercountyschools.org.