The Writing Workshop Chapters 1-5

I don’t believe that I have ever had the experience of observing a real “writing workshop.” I have seen writing instruction in classes as focusing on learning the writing process and practicing through the steps. I have experienced very little creative writing and student choice for topics throughout school. After reading the first couple chapters of this book I have definitely noticed that writing is something that was put on the back-burner in my schooling and the trend continues today.

This book brought up many interesting points as to why that way of teaching can be less effective for students. Students view writing as taking each piece “down the line” of the steps and never really get that involved into the process of actual writing. That is how I viewed this subject throughout school. This book encourages teachers to view their children as actual writers and to motivate them to achieve. This is so important to me and I hope to be that teacher that embodies those qualities. So often teachers don’t believe their students are capable and their students easily pick up on that attitude. The quote at the beginning of chapter 3 sums up that negative behavior and was kind of disheartening “And the plain truth is, not everyone can be a writer.” My spirits were then lifted when the author talked about how even if my classroom is the only real “writing workshop” children experience it will still make a huge impact of how they view themselves as a writer.

In my placement this semester I have already gotten to view some creative writing time from students. The teacher provided a book called “The Mysteries of Harris Burdick” by Chris Van Allsburg that provides strange pictures and asks the children to create their own stories. The children were so excited about this activity and were very eager for me to read their writing as I walked around the room. Their enthusiasm really made me excited to learn new ways to teach writing this semester and practice it with these enthusiastic 4^th graders! However I have also seen the downside to teaching writing in this classroom. My teacher is extremely stretched for time and writing was squeezed into whatever time slot they could find and often was very short. How important is it to have writing at the same time everyday as the book states? Also, is it really realistic to allow that much time for writing workshop and independent writing time when so many other things have to be accomplished and taught in one year?