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The writing workshop is a block of instructional time in which students practice the writing process (Dorfman & Shubitz, 2019). Writing workshops can be used with young children and with adolescent students. This article provides a brief overview of instructional methods involved in the implementation of a writing workshop.
Conducting a Writing Workshop
Increased time to write with a focus on the strategies of pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing are linked to increased writing quality (Graham & Harris, 2016). Unfortunately, students tend to demonstrate a decrease in enthusiasm for writing from early childhood to middle school and high school, due to less time to write and less engaging writing opportunities (Graham & Perin, 2007) so it is imperative to engage students in workshops that are personally and culturally meaningful. We recommend that it should be evident that multicultural literature is being read, enjoyed and analyzed across the curriculum. Writing workshops provide opportunities for lively inquiry and discussion about texts with diverse characters, settings, and cultures (Alexander, 2018).
Conversations
Harry
There are two important pieces of my philosophy for teaching young writers that I believe classify my classroom as a student-driven writing workshop: autonomy and authenticity. If we expect students to grow as writers, we must first grant them the power adult authors wield. Teachers should value the voices of the authors in their classroom by giving students storytelling choices (Graves, 1984; Fletcher, 2006; Kissell, 2017; Ruben & Moll, 2016). Students deserve to dictate the topics they write about. Spycher et. al (2018) say, “What students write about has to matter to them” (p. 57). Researchers discovered motivation and achievement in writing increase when students write about a topic they are passionate about (Kissell & Miller, 2015; Ruben & Moll, 206; Singer & Shagoury, 2005). Teachers can provide this opportunity by widening the expectations of writing assignments to be inclusive of youth and diverse cultures (Christianakis, 2011). Kids choose the stories they tell, even if teachers don’t like the content of the story (Fletcher, 2006). As an example, Fletcher (2006) reflects on the “blunt message” he sends when he values a girl’s “kind of writing (emotional, poignant, sincere, meaningful) over the kind of writing (plot-driven, violent, low-humor, slapstick) the boys have created” (p. 42). Teachers can center student voices by allowing students to write in their authentic way, rather than the way teachers prefer. Capitalizing on opportunities for autonomy allows students to take more control over their writing and realize their voices are important (Diamond, 2017).
When writers have an authentic audience and purpose for writing, students are more empowered to share their voices (Alexander, 2019; Kissell & Miller, 2015). In fact, Berger et al. (2016) say considering one’s audience is “the force that shapes quality writing” (p. 104). Ring (2020) described how writing with a real audience in mind affected all components of the writing process as her students revised to best communicate their intent. Similarly, Block & Strahan (2019) say teachers must make the “shift from predominantly asking students to write for their teacher to providing opportunities for them to engage in written communication with external audiences” (p. 84). Unlike many elementary writing classrooms (Block & Strachan, 2019; Kissell, 2017), my students found an audience broader than their teacher in their pen pals. When students realize their writing can have an impact, they take that responsibility seriously. Empowering student authors is particularly significant for the diverse student voices who have been historically marginalized in education (Singer & Shagoury, 2005). Christianakis (2011) widened the expectations of a poetry unit to include rap music and found that including different perspectives made literacy learning more meaningful. Writing is a tool to give students liberty and allow them to tell the stories that are important to their lives.
Writing is a complex, challenging process (Berger et al., 2016; Boscolo & Hidi, 2007; Schrodt et al, 2020). Students must be equipped with skills for working through setbacks in order to achieve success. They must be prepared to take risks and experience failure as a result (Chavez, 2020; Ruben & Moll, 2016). Teachers have the responsibility to help students to view themselves as capable of doing the hard work of writing” (Schrodt et al, 2020). Part of that hard work includes writing day after day (Calkins, 1985; Kissell, 2017). Carol Dweck (2007) developed the term “growth mindset” to describe the mentality that pushing through challenges and practicing over time helps one learn. Growth mindset is an essential skill for writers of any age. Ruben & Moll (2016) note the perseverance possessed by advanced writers saying, “Students demonstrated perseverance that some might argue not developmentally possible… developing and reworking the same pieces of writing for weeks at a time” (p. 59). When writers write every day and view setbacks as a learning opportunity, they experience more engagement and success.
There are several studies that highlight the importance of autonomy and authenticity for developing writers, but more research is needed with the primary grades. There are even fewer studies examining how students develop resilience as they engage in the writing process.
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